washington state potato commission

Last week, a variety of leaders from across the Washington Ag community sent a letter to Governor Jay Inslee, asking that farm and factory food workers move closer to the front of the COVID-19 vaccine line. Saying those workers perform jobs that cannot be done remotely or delayed, leaders from the Washington Farm Bureau, Potato Commission, Cattlemen’s Association and many others said this slight

The coronavirus pandemic sent shockwaves throughout the Washington potato industry earlier this year, when processing contracts were canceled thanks to closed restaurants and schools around the globe. And the local potato industry may feel that ripple for several years to come ...

Due to state and Washington State University coronavirus policy, the 2020 WSU-Othello Potato Field Day, scheduled for June 18, has been cancelled. WSU said seed lot samples entered into the Commercial Seed Lot Trial will be evaluated for disease and other growth compromising factors in early June ...

Farmers across the Inland Northwest, have been very busy over the past couple of weeks, not preparing their commodities for processing, but rather helping fellow Washingtonians impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Over the past couple of weeks, potato grower, for example, have held donation events where thousands of pounds of spuds were handed out to those in need; no questions asked ...

Late last week, Washington Congresswomen Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Kim Schrier introduced legislation they say will provide additional funding to purchase products from small and medium sized farms and get those products to food banks in need ...

After a promising start to 2020, hopes for an average, or even a good year have come grinding halt for the Northwest potato industry. Chris Voigt, executive director of the Washington state Potato Commission, said coronavirus has had a deep, long-lasting impact on potatoes, not in the fields, but in the processing facility ...

It’s not a shortage, but there is a tight supply of potatoes on the open market. Chris Voigt Executive Director of the Washington state Potato Commission says the shortage to start 2020 started during last year’s harvest. He said a bizarre fall storm in late September dumped a lot of rain, and in some cases, snow on potato growing regions across eastern Idaho, the upper Midwest and southern Cana

While 2019 was a good year in the world of trade for many farmers, Chris Voigt it hoping for even bigger days ahead. The Executive Director of the Washington state Potato Commission said between Phase One, and both China and Japan expanding chipping potato opportunities, the past six months have been encouraging for local growers ...

The 2020 Washington/Oregon Potato Conference gets underway at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick Tuesday.  Chris Voigt, Executive Director for the Washington state Potato Commission said, as in years past production will be the main focus.  ...

For many industries, 2019 was a challenging year with more setbacks than victories.  One of the few exceptions was the Washington potato industry.  Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington Potato Commission said after a late winter snow forced many growers to plant later than normal, 2019 turned out to be a perfect year for Washington potato growers.   “...