For the second consecutive year, the Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE) sponsored select nutrition communicators from the United States and Canada for a hands-on immersion experience in all aspects of potato production, research and nutrition. APRE partnered with the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) to coordinate the event and combined its group of registered dietitians with IPC’s food bloggers for the majority of the event to maximize efficiencies and learning opportunities for both groups.
The APRE Potato Immersion Experience was held in eastern Idaho, with Idaho Falls as the home base, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2014. Attendees included a combination of current APRE Nutrition Communicators, prominent media-centric registered dietitians and food bloggers. “Bringing this group out to the heart of potato country in Idaho was the perfect way to bring the farm-to-fork experience to life, combining education on the latest in potato science with the opportunity to see firsthand all that goes into producing potatoes in all forms,” said APRE president and CEO Maureen Storey, Ph.D.
The event began with educational sessions to set the stage for the hands-on experiences at the plants and the farm the next day. Jennifer Garrett, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition at McCain Foods, gave a presentation on the state of the potato industry from a nutrition and policy perspective. Duane Evans, director of quality affairs at J.R. Simplot Co., presented on the process of making french-fried potatoes, from growing and selecting the potatoes to all of the food science considerations that go into making a perfect fry. The group then headed out to Hoff Farms for a welcome dinner and firsthand farm experience.
All APRE Potato Immersion Experience participants visited with fourth-generation potato farmer James Hoff and his entire family, including wife Darla and parents Jane and Bob. Hoff talked to the group about the complexities of growing, harvesting and storing potatoes, and followed with an incredible home-cooked meal featuring a number of delicious potato dishes. Over dinner, Don Odiorne, a.k.a. “Dr. Potato,” vice president of foodservice at IPC, shared his insights on the history and varieties of potatoes grown in Idaho. The meal was served in the impressive airplane hangar that houses the Hoff family’s collection of vintage planes, including the one that was flown in the newest IPC commercial. The group was also joined by Ritchey Toevs, a commissioner with IPC, and his wife and daughter. The Hoff family’s hospitality and willingness to share their life experiences on the farm was the perfect way to set the stage for the next day’s events.
Day 2 of the Potato Immersion was the hands-on day, featuring a full day of tours and field visits. First up was a visit to American Falls, Idaho, for a tour of the Lamb Weston processing plant, where participants were joined by APRE Board member Dan Moss and his wife Jann. Next was a visit to Wada Farms’ fresh-pack facility, with a tour and overview provided by Chris Wada. The attendees were amazed at the incredible volume of potatoes processed by Wada Farms every day. Due to the rainy weather, the group was unable to observe harvesting; however, all attendees enjoyed digging potatoes by hand with Brett Jensen at Jensen Farms.
The immersion experience concluded the next day with a presentation on the latest potato nutrition research by Storey and a messaging brainstorm on how to best communicate the health and nutrition story of potatoes. The attendees noted that many misperceptions about potatoes persist, both among health professionals and consumers, and they were eager to share the science along with the farm-to-fork story to encourage consumption of potatoes in all forms.
“The potato sometimes seems like the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of plant foods because the vegetable does not get the respect it deserves for its contributions to a healthy diet, especially its incredible potassium content,” said Tina Miler, healthy living advisor at Meijer Supermarket in Detroit. “Potatoes play an important role in the diet in meeting nutrient needs at a minimal cost.”
The participants especially enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to visit with the farmers and learning about the process, care and commitment that goes into growing potatoes. “It was so wonderful to experience the goodness of the people that are bringing potatoes to the plate,” said Patricia Chuey, a nutrition communications expert based in Vancouver, British Columbia. “They are healthy, energetic, wholesome and humble, just like the potato itself.”
All in all, the highly interactive event allowed for extensive dialogue and sparked a lot of engagement and energy, inspiring story ideas, blog posts, tweets and presentation ideas among these influencers to share in their media channels. Attendees were encouraged to use the hashtag #idahoharvest to share key learnings via social media, which helped increase the reach of the event far beyond just those who were able to participate in the event. The entire group left Idaho with a passion for potatoes, inspired by the knowledge, stories and experience that all of the growers and manufacturers so willingly shared.