Eye on Potatoes: A Podcast on All Things Potatoes
Business & Finance
About
The Eye on Potatoes Podcast is brought to you by the National Potato Council. This is the place to tune in for conversations with growers and thought leaders on advocacy, production and all things potatoes. It's about talking with folks across the United States and hearing stories about how federal policy impacts potato farming and the important role the NPC plays in standing up for potatoes on Capitol Hill. Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Syngenta. Delivering solutions to help producers face the potato industry's complex challenges, Syngenta provides growers with unmatched field expertise along with an array of effective products. Explore syngenta-us.com/spud-doctor to discover solutions for your potato growing obstacles.
Episodes
- Potatoes USA: What’s Cooking in Foodservice Innovation
Chefs RJ Harvey and Aurora Hollenbeck of Potatoes USA discuss their work in foodservice innovation, focusing on the Spud Lab
- A United Potato Front: The 2026 CEO Roundtable
Leaders from the U.S. potato industry, including CEOs from Potatoes USA and United Potato Growers of America, met at Potato Expo 2026 to discuss industry alignment and strategies for 2026.
- Leadership In the Field: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield
Mike Wenkel and Colonel Rob Abbott discuss the Potato LEAF program, drawing leadership parallels between the Battle of Gettysburg and modern potato operations. Lessons on succession and mental health are explored.
- Wetter, Warmer, Wilder: How Weather Patterns Reshape Potato Farming
Andrew Pritchard, Senior Atmospheric Scientist at Nutrien, discussed the effects of weather patterns on potato crops and strategies for agricultural resilience. The conversation covered soil performance, storage management, and maintaining…
- Spud Team Six: Capstone Solutions for Industry Engagement
Michael Rainis, Mike Murphy, and Matthew McKenna of 'SPUD Team Six' discuss their capstone project for the 2025 Leadership Institute. Their plan aims to double participation in state and national organizations among program graduates withi…
- Bridging the Optimism Gap: Insights from the Spud Sector Survey
National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles and Spudman Managing Editor Melinda Waldrop join the Eye on Potatoes Podcast to break down the inaugural 2026 Spud Sector Survey. This first-of-its-kind report moves past headlines to reveal the econ…
- LIVE from Potato Expo 2026: Views from the Nation’s Capital
In this special live recording from the Expo Stage at Potato Expo 2026, host Lane Nordlund sits down with Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council (NPC) , and Randy Russell, President and CEO of The Russell Group. One year into the…
- Navigating U.S. Potato Trade Opportunities in 2026
In this recording from Potato Expo 2026 in Dallas, National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles and Matt Lantz of Bryant Christie Inc. dive into the high-stakes world of international potato trade. The group discusses the industry’s formal requ…
- Advocating for a Stable and Secure Farm Workforce
Recorded live at Potato Expo 2026 in Dallas, Texas. Host Lane Nordlund sits down with some of the nation's leading agriculture advocates to examine the state of agricultural labor in the U.S. and discuss the pressing need for a stable and…
- Instant Update: NPC Reacts to New Dietary Guidelines for Americans
This morning, the Trump Administration released the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, marking a significant development for U.S. potato growers. In this episode of the Eye on Potatoes podcast, National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles an…
- Deep in the Heart of Texas: Previewing Potato Expo 2026
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 Ja…
- D.C. Update: Specialty Crop Growers Disapointed with Farm Aid Package
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…
- Back in Session: Congressional Priorities and Regulatory Updates
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…
- Federal Shutdown Week 2: Trade Fallout, Japan Access, and Emergency Aid
Guests: Kam Quarles, CEO, National Potato Council Matt Lantz, Senior Vice President, Global Access, Bryant Christie The federal government shutdown is hitting U.S. potato growers where it hurts: market access and emergency relief. Tune in…
- D.C. Update: Reflections on 9/11 and the Potential Government Shutdown
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…
- Revisiting the Impact of the 2025 Leadership Institute
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 Wiscon…
- The $2.5 Billion Breakthrough: A Deep Dive into Specialty Crop Support
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…
- Seeding the Future: Unpacking True Potato Seed
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 to…
- MAHA and its implications on food & farm policy
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 app…
- Cultivating Tomorrow's Leaders: Potato LEAF's Five-Year Anniversary
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…
- 2025 Political Outlook with Nathan Gonzales
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…
- Endangered Species Act Update
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,…
- Meet Brett Jensen, NPC VP of Trade Affairs
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…
- Tariff Volatility: NPC Analyzing Impact on Growers
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 La…
- Checking in with NPC Leaders Ted Tschirky and Dean Gibson
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…
- What's Next for Ag Labor Policy?
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…
- The Moving Tariff Target
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…
- Dietary Guidelines, Federal Nutrition Regulations, and How Growers Could be Impacted
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.…
- 2025 Potato LEAF Leadership Programs
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 leadersh…
- U.S. Potatoes in Mexico: Maintaining and Enhancing Export Market Access
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…
- LIVE from Potato Expo: What Can We Expect from a New Administration and Congress?
During Potato Expo 2025 in Orlando, Florida, we sat down with NPC CEO Kam Quarles and Randy Russell, President of The Russell Group, to reflect on the outcomes of the 2024 election and forecast how the policies being floated by the incomin…
- NPC's 2024 Wrapped with President Bob Mattive
With 2024 quickly coming to a close, we checked in with National Potato Council President Bob Mattive and NPC CEO Kam Quarles to look back on a busy year for agriculture policy and the organization, and look ahead at the upcoming Potato Ex…
- Potato Expo Preview: Global Ag Futurist Jack Uldrich
Today’s “bleeding edge” and “cutting edge” technologies are moving into the mainstream at a breakneck pace, and yesterday’s science fiction will soon be tomorrow’s science-based reality. How can potato growers and supply chain partners hop…
- 2024 Election Recap with Randy Russell
One week after the 2024 General Election, there's a lot we know (and even more we don't know) about the prospect for pro-potato and pro-agriculture policy efforts in 2025 and beyond. Calling into the Eye on Potatoes Podcast this week was R…
- LIVE from Tokyo! NPC Pushes for Access in Japan
NPC CEO Kam Quarles and trade consultant Matt Lantz from Bryant Christie, Inc. traveled to Japan this week to advance the industry’s trade priority of gaining market access for U.S. fresh potatoes. The pair called in to report on their mee…
- The ROI of Ag Research
Research is a critical tool as we work to feed a growing population here in the U.S. and around the world. During each NPC Washington Summit, the National Potato Council, along with growers and state partners, head to Capitol Hill to educa…
- D.C. Update: Congress is back but big issues loom before Election Day
With portions of the Farm Bill starting to expire and a federal shutdown looming should Congress fail to act by Oct. 1, NPC CEO Kam Quarles called into the Eye on Potatoes podcast to talk about the big issues that need to be addressed befo…
- Let's meet 2024-25 Potato LEAF Scholarship Recipient Sylvia Zhang
The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) recently announced Sylvia (Xiuyan) Zhang, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maine, as the recipient of the organization’s 2024-25 Academic Scholarship . We sat d…
- Previewing the upcoming U.S./Japan bilateral on fresh potato access
Japan is a significant market for U.S. processed potatoes, but as we’ve discussed a few times on this program, no U.S. fresh potatoes are allowed in Japan. The U.S. potato industry has been seeking approval to ship U.S. fresh potatoes into…
- Industry Update: Latest efforts to prevent the spread of PEI Potato Wart
It’s been a year since we last checked in on the potato wart situation in Prince Edward Island, Canada. This week, we sat down with Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, and Don Flannery, Executive Director of the Maine Potato B…
- Speaking with a unified voice through the American Potato Trade Alliance
For this week's Eye on Potatoes Podcast, we caught up with Matt Lantz and Adam Hollowell from Bryant Christie, Inc., who are in D.C. for a meeting of the American Potato Trade Alliance. Matt and Adam talk about how APTA was created, their…
- DC Update: Farm Bill Clears House Ag Committee
NPC CEO Kam Quarles joined Eye on Potatoes podcast host Lane Nordlund to discuss the House version of the 2024 Farm Bill, which was passed by the House Agriculture Committee in the early hours of Friday morning, and NPC’s efforts to urge C…
- Enhancing Growers’ Competitiveness: A Discussion with National Organization Leaders
During Potato Expo 2024, Lane Nordlund, host of the Eye on Potatoes Podcast, sat down with the leaders of three national potato organizations for a conversation on how they are working to promote the health of the U.S. potato industry and…
- D.C. Update: Potato Debate Makes The Tonight Show
Just when you thought NPC's efforts to keep potatoes defined as a vegetable couldn't gain more media attention, in comes Jimmy Fallon, who provided a light-hearted overview of the issue in the opening monologue of a recent Tonight Show. NP…
- Spudding Innovation: The State of AI for the Potato Industry
The rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence is focused on building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. Companies within and outside agriculture are adapting AI to their operations…
- Potatoes Gone Viral! Reaching the TikTok Generation
Steve Lerch is a former Google executive, a consultant, and an award-winning international speaker. He spent nearly a decade at Google designing digital strategies and marketing campaigns for well-known brands like GoPro, federal governmen…
- Mexico – Two Years After Access
UPDATE: Due to scheduled construction at The Mirage Las Vegas, the National Potato Council moved the location of Potato Expo 2025 to the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 9-10, 2025. --- After more than 20 years and nume…
- A Discussion with NPC Grower-leaders RJ Andrus and Bob Mattive
During Potato Expo 2024, National Potato Council 2023 President RJ Andrus and First Vice President Bob Mattive sat down to reflect on their time on the Executive Committee and preview some of the top policy priorities for the upcoming NPC…
- Farm Policy and a Dysfunctional Washington, D.C.
The Farm Bill expired in September 2023, and the dysfunction in Washington, D.C. continues to threaten this essential rewrite of our nation’s farm policy. Risk management, export promotion, pest and disease prevention, nutrition policy and…
- 2024 Weather Signals with Meteorologist Andrew Pritchard
U.S. potato production is weather-sensitive and risk associated with adverse weather can derail a well-managed operation very quickly. During Potato Expo 2024, we sat down with Andrew Pritchard, Senior Meteorologist at Nutrien, to discuss…