Get ready to head to the heart of Texas for the potato industry’s premier event! In this episode, NPC CEO Kam Quarles and Vice President of Industry Relations & Events Hollee Alexander sit down to preview Potato Expo 2026, taking place Jan. 6-8, 2026, at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas. As the largest conference and trade show for the potato industry, Potato Expo 2026 offers a can’t-miss opportunity to reunite with the potato community, spark new ideas, and shape the future of the industry. K...

On Monday, Dec. 8, the Trump Administration announced a new economic aid package for U.S. farmers that provided little meaningful relief for specialty crop growers. In this D.C. update, NPC CEO Kam Quarles joins us to discuss the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance's (SCFBA) reaction to the disappointing news. Quarles explains why the package's primary focus on crop producers impacted by tariffs ignores the full scope of the economic crisis facing growers of potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and ot...

With the federal government back up and running, NPC CEO Kam Quarles and COO Mike Wenkel called into the Eye on Potatoes podcast this week to discuss the National Potato Council's top priorities for the next two months and provide updates on key labor and environmental regulatory efforts. Join us as we take a deep dive into: Congressional priorities now that the government is reopened; key recommendations of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance for the new Farm Bill; the outlook and c...

Guests: Kam Quarles, CEO, National Potato CouncilMatt Lantz, Senior Vice President, Global Access, Bryant ChristieThe federal government shutdown is hitting U.S. potato growers where it hurts: market access and emergency relief. Tune in as NPC CEO Kam Quarles and global trade expert Matt Lantz break down the real-world costs of the continued lapse in funding. This week, we dive deep into major concerns for the industry: The Disrupted Japan Mission: Kam and Matt recently returned from a trade ...

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles joins the podcast on September 11 to reflect on his experiences from 24 years ago and discuss the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C. He and host Lane Nordlund address the pending government shutdown, the implications of the "Make America Healthy Again" report, the possibilities for another round of economic relief, and the importance of passing a Farm Bill. Kam also highlights how the Trump Administration's tariff talks could lead to new oppor...

During the NPC Washington Summit in February, potato growers Alexandria Bare (Minn.) and Ryan Christensen (Idaho) joined us to discuss their experience in the 2025 Leadership Institute. This episode details the 2025 class's visit to Wisconsin, what they learned during the communication and media training courses, and how they will apply the Leadership Institute's teachings to their farms back home. Potato LEAF is currently accepting applications for the 2026 Leadership Institute. Head to plea...

Earlier this summer, Congress and USDA delivered desperately needed funding for specialty crop growers, including our potato farmers, through a $2.5 billion injection of federal support through the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program and the "One Big Beautiful Bill." Joining us to break down this game-changing news are Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and Co-Chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and Dean Gibson, NPC's Vice President of Legislative ...

During Potato Expo 2025, we were joined by Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, and Andy Lavigne, President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA), to dig into the future of potato growing with a fascinating topic: True Potato Seed Andy will shed light on ASTA's pivotal role in evolving plant breeding methods and genetic discovery, then he'll break down what "true potato seed" is and its benefits for the potato sector. We'll also get an update on the regulatory and ...

The Trump Administration's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Commission report, spearheaded by Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., has ignited a major debate across the U.S. food and agriculture landscape. While the National Potato Council applauds the report's focus on a healthier America and increased fruit and vegetable consumption, certain recommendations are raising critical questions for our industry. In this episode, we're joined by NPC CEO Kam Quarles and returning guest Beth Johnson, Fou...

Join us for a special episode dedicated to the Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF)! Launched in January 2020 at Potato Expo, Potato LEAF is shaping the future of U.S. potato production through impactful leadership and educational programming, born from a vision to establish a long-term funding mechanism for the industry's growth. In this episode, we'll dive into the five-year history of Potato LEAF, explore how collaborative leadership has driven its success...

Nathan Gonzales is Editor & Publisher of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan analysis of campaigns for Senate, House, governor, and president. He's also co-host of the Inside Elections Podcast and an Elections Analyst for CQ Roll Call. During the 2025 NPC Washington Summit, we sat down with Nathan to talk about the political trends coming out of the 2024 elections, the latest innovations and challenges shaping the future of political campaigning, and how the political chess...

U.S. EPA has made a concerted effort over the past several years to come into compliance with its obligations under the Endangered Species Act. Much of its efforts are driven by what is referred to as the Mega Suit by environmental groups, which are forcing deadlines on EPA to meet its obligations. During Potato Expo 2025, we sat down with two policy experts to talk about what the implementation of EPA’s strategy will mean for growers. Guests: Mike Aerts, Vice President of Science and R...

During the 2025 NPC Washington Summit, we caught up with Brett Jensen, the newly elected National Potato Council Vice President of Trade Affairs. We chatted with Brett about his operations in Idaho Falls, his previous chairmanships of the Idaho Potato Commission and Potatoes USA, and how his background supports his role in leading NPC's trade advocacy efforts.

On April 9, President Trump announced he would pause "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of non-retaliating countries for 90 days while raising duties on China to 125%. Responding to the news, NPC CEO Kam Quarles and industry consultant Matt Lantz jumped on the podcast to discuss the rapidly changing environment around tariffs, how our industry's top export markets are reacting, and some new opportunities they are seeing for reaching new consumers throughout the world. Guests: Matt La...

During February's NPC Washington Summit, we sat down with incoming NPC President Ted Tschirky of Tschirky Farms in Pasco, Wash, who talked about his new role and the importance of growers being industry advocates from the local to federal levels. Joining Ted was Dean Gibson from Paul, Idaho, and NPC’s Vice President of Legislative Affairs, who previewed some of the policy priorities that growers would be taking to their Members of Congress during their Hill visits. This podcast is possi...

During January's Potato Expo 2025, we sat down to talk about one of the most pressing issues impacting the agricultural community: labor. Joining the podcast for the first time was Shawn Packer, principal member of JPH Law, who brought his extensive expertise in legal frameworks shaping agricultural operations to the discussion. JPH Law is a consultant to the National Potato Council through the Agricultural Workforce Coalition on agricultural labor policy. We were also joined by Mike We...

While a hot-button topic, the tariff issue has been a moving target. When U.S. potato growers met last week at the NPC Washington Summit, we had questions about whether tariffs would cover agricultural products or if they would be imposed at all. On Tuesday of this week, 25% tariffs were officially imposed on Canada and Mexico, but yesterday afternoon, the president announced that tariffs on both countries would be deferred for one month on all goods covered under the USMCA trade agreement, w...

During Potato Expo 2025, we sat down to talk about the 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans process and the report issued late last year by the DGA Scientific Advisory Committee to understand how the final guidelines could impact the U.S. potato industry. We were joined once again by NPC CEO Kam Quarles and returning guest Beth Johnson from the company Food Directions, which has been working with NPC to ensure that accurate potato makes it into the final version of the guidelines. Gues...

The Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, and it continues to be an invaluable asset to the industry. In 2024, it added its first new program to its leadership development offerings – Leadership in the Field held at the Gettysburg Battlefield. Recorded at Potato Expo 2025, we welcomed Colin Szawlowski, owner of Valley Spud LLC, and Mike Wenkel, Chief Operating Officer of the National Potato Council, to the p...

The opening of Mexico to fresh table stock exports has created significant benefits for U.S. producers, Mexican consumers and even Mexican growers as demand for potatoes increases. During Potato Expo 2025, we brought together four industry experts to provide valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities surrounding U.S. potato exports. The episode highlights the 25-year journey to open the Mexican market for U.S. potatoes, demonstrating the collaboration between industry leaders and g...