Earlier this month, Potatoes USA’s executive committee visited the Red River Valley region to meet with farmers and their families, processors and researchers to learn about opportunities and challenges specific to North Dakota and Minnesota.
The five-day agenda included a visit to North Dakota State University to hear about the exciting work underway in potato breeding research; tours of multiple farms including Hoverson Farms, Hall’s, Black Gold Farms in North Dakota and Dagen Heritage Farms, R.D. Offutt Farms and Ewing Farms in Minnesota; Shearer’s Foods to see the facility and discuss the chipping industry, and many productive conversations with growers during evening outreach events.
The executive committee had a wonderful time meeting with members and touring this important region, that grows about 13 percent of the potato acres across the country, produces 2.6 billion pounds of potatoes annually and employs nearly 6,000 people between North Dakota and Minnesota.
For the past three years, executive board members have visited various regions of the country to connect with growers, learn about the issues they face and provide them with an update on how Potatoes USA is strengthening the demand for potatoes.