News on The Potato Supply Chain from Washington

Ben Sklarczyk, a third-generation Michigan grower and owner of Sklarczyk Seed Farm, was elected 2026 President of the National Potato Council. He plans to promote potatoes in nutrition programs, support fair trade, and boost grower policy engagement.

Jared Balcom, a fourth-generation potato grower from Pasco, Washington, has been named the 2026 Potato Person of the Year in recognition of his long-standing leadership and advocacy on behalf of the United States potato industry.

As a sixth-generation family farm in Washington’s Skagit Valley, Pioneer Potatoes may be smaller in acreage than many neighbors, but their focus has always been on delivering premium A-size potatoes to top supermarkets and restaurants.

The Washington-Oregon Potato Conference 2026 will once again unite growers, processors, suppliers, and stakeholders. Known as a premier industry event, it offers innovation, insights, and valuable networking opportunities for the potato sector.

En 2025, la superficie sembrada de papa en EE. UU. cayó a su nivel más bajo en más de 70 años, con 369.000 hectáreas, aunque los altos rendimientos previstos mitigarán el impacto en la producción total.

Friehe Farms in Washington’s Upper Columbia River Basin combines teamwork and advanced technology to produce high-quality russet potatoes. Drones, GPS-guided planting, and climate-controlled storage enhance efficiency, while traditional four-year crop rotation helps maintain soil health.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc., a leading global potato supplier, has announced its partnership with Atlas Agro for the procurement of locally produced, green fertilizers. 

In a letter issued to the leaders of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate Agriculture Committees, the Co-Chairs of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) expressed their disappointment that specialty crop production – which represents nearly half the farm gate value of American agriculture – is left out of the final year-end economic assistance package negotiated by Congressional leaders.

When Juan Martinez was in high school, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do in life, but he knew he liked working with his dad on their farm.

A new Washington State University-led project will help potato growers safeguard domestic and international markets and maintain high-quality potatoes for consumers around the world.

Hughes Farms from Mount Vernon (Washington / USA) has invested in a new optical potato grading machine: the Elisam GranTorino.

The North America Potato Storage Organization (NAPSO) proudly hosted a comprehensive and insightful webinar on August 19, 2024, titled 'Preparing for a Successful Storage Season.'

Washington State's potato farmers are leading the charge in sustainable agriculture. They harness the state's rich resources to produce high-quality crops while preserving the environment for future generations.

Pioneer Potatoes understands the fundamentals of effectiveness and efficiency in grading and provisioning potatoes.

In the heartland of the Columbia Basin, amidst the sprawling landscape of Ice Harbor Hilltop Farm, Keith Tiegs, eldest son of the late business tycoon Frank Tiegs, navigates his way through the vast expanse in his white Chevy Silverado pickup.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) scrapped a plan opposed by farm groups to mandate the tracking of greenhouse gas emissions in company supply chains, all the way down to family farms. 

Washington potato farmers can’t keep pace with worldwide cravings for french fries, hash browns, tots, potato chips and other processed potato products.

Minimizing soil disturbance is one of the key tenets promoted to build soil health in agricultural systems. Many farmers across the country have adopted reduced and no-till systems to build soil carbon, a central component to healthy soils.