Potato News from Northern America

USDA staff from the AMS Plant Variety Protection Office and APHIS Biotech Regulatory Services on a tour of the Sterman Masser Potato Farm facilities in central Pennsylvania on August 23.

Flewelling Farms, Inc was awarded the title of Champion Grower for season 2015-2016 of the McCain Foods - Easton potato processing facility.

Super Farms Potato Ltd of Saint-André was named the 2015-2016 McCain Champion Potato Grower for Grand Falls during the 42nd annual McCain Growers’ Banquet held August 23 at Centre E.& P. Sénéchal.

Key Technology announces the promotion of Bert Switten as Area Sales Manager for Central and Northern California. Switten is responsible for bringing Key’s high performance digital sorting, conveying and process automation systems to food processors and other manufacturers.

When reviewing the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) website analytics for the past year (August 2015-August 2016), IPC staff wasn’t surprised to find that Dr. Potato (alias Don Odiorne, Vice President-Foodservice) had garnered 959,328 page views, nearly 50% of all www.idahopotato.com views.

During the Potatoes USA Summer Meeting held in Seattle August 10, it was announced that the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) has been restructured in an effort to minimize overhead costs and expand research on potato nutrition.

As part of the Lay's 'Passport to Flavor' program, onlookers at the Amazon Treasure Truck in Occidental Square in Seattle, Washington were surprised by an over-the-top cultural experience.

Heartland Farms, Inc. announced today that Danielle Golden has joined the farm to further develop their growing portfolio of regional and national accounts.

El calentamiento global destruye entre el 10 % y el 20 % de la producción anual de papa en América Latina y se ha convertido en la principal amenaza que enfrenta este cultivo, por encima incluso de un agresivo hongo conocido como tizón tardío, coincidieron hoy varios expertos en Panamá.

Volm Companies held a groundbreaking ceremony on August 10 for their new manufacturing and distribution facility in Pasco, Washington.

Earlier this year, Lamb Weston's opened its new Innovation Center in Richland, with co-creation spaces, fully functioning kitchens and a pilot line. The interior was designed by Lamb Westons design agency, Williams Murray Hamm brand agency (WMH), also responsible for Lamb Weston's new global branding

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board, Cavendish Farms, and the PEI Department of Agriculture and Fisheries have announced the creation of the 'Enhanced Agronomy Initiative'.

Justin Clements, a fifth year doctoral student in the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center working in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the recipient of the 2016-2017 NPC Academic Scholarship.

Good Health, a creator of better-for-you savory snacks, today announced the launch of Organic Black Bean & Rice Tortillas, the first tortilla chips to join the brand’s portfolio of savory snacks.

Popcorn, Indiana, maker of America's #1 Kettlecorn, is excited to introduce its Himalayan Pink Salt flavor to the marketplace.

Parkland Potato Varieties will be hosting its first annual open day at the Crop Diversification Centre South in Brooks, Alberta on August 26 from 10 am to 2 pm.

Key Technology introduces its VERYX® belt-fed digital sorters. Like the chute-fed VERYX sorters introduced in 2015, the new belt-fed VERYX sorters set new standards of performance.

Potato psyllids have been reported in specific fields in western and central North Dakota. At this point populations are not widespread.