Potato industry leaders promote spuds in D.C.

By Bill Schaefer

For Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Potato Council’s “Potato D.C. Fly-In” Feb. 25-28 brought more than 200 potato growers and industry supporters together to hear the latest news and prognostications from “inside the beltway” pundits, government officials and elected representatives.

The annual event brings the nation’s potato growers, processors and complementary industry associates to Washington, D.C., to not only lobby their congressional representatives but to catch up on the latest legislative, regulatory and political issues.

It includes a day and a half of lobbying on Capitol Hill and the corridors of the EPA and the USDA.

Topics addressed during the four days included immigration reform, revisions to the H-2A temporary guest worker program, the significant increases this year in the H-2A adverse effect wage rate in some states, improvements to the infrastructure of the nation’s transportation system, and truck and driver shortages due in part to requirements for monitoring hours of service with electronic logging devices.

Idaho, being the nation’s number one producer of potatoes, consistently sends the largest state delegation to the Fly-In. This year, 24 growers and industry representatives came from the Gem State to stand up for potatoes in the nation’s capital.

Leading the Idaho group through the halls of the congressional office buildings was Pat Kole, vice president of legal and governmental affairs for the Idaho Potato Commission.

“We have been so fortunate over the years because our elected officials have given us generous amounts of their time,” Kole said of Idaho’s four-member congressional delegation.

Kole said the Fly-In is an opportunity to reaffirm the potato industry’s relationship with its elected officials.

Randy Hardy, a potato grower from Burley, has been coming to D.C. every year of the Fly-In.

“I think it’s really important for our congressional people to see us there,” Hardy said. “They know our issues and support us but still, it’s good to go in with an Idaho group and be able to explain to them why we believe the way we do.”

Along with visiting Sen. Jim Risch, Sen. Mike Crapo and Rep. Mike Simpson, the Idaho delegation spent time with the newest member of the state’s congressional delegation, Rep. Russ Fulcher.

“We are off to a very productive and positive start with our new congressman, Russ Fulcher,” Kole said. “He demonstrated an openness and a willingness to listen that was really refreshing.”

In conjunction with the Fly-In, the Potato Industry Leadership Institute brought a group of 24 potato growers and industry representatives to D.C. following a week-long educational tour of Oregon’s potato facilities.

The PILI is a leadership development program that introduces and educates the next generation of industry leaders. Attendees spent a week in Oregon visiting farms, research centers and processing plants to learn the intricacies of the potato industry.

They then traveled to Washington, D.C., for intensive media training and public policy discussions and joined their individual state organizations to lobby their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.

This year’s PILI’s grower leaders were Jason Stoddard of Stoddard Farms in Grace, and Eric Jemmett of J&S Farms in Parma.

In the PILI class, from Idaho, were: Justin Jones of Burley, Blake Matthews of Oakley, Jolyn Rasmussen of Boise and Jeff VanOrden of Blackfoot. 

Kole extolled the PILI training as laying the foundational ground work for developing the next generation of potato industry leaders. “What we get out of it is the training of our new emerging leaders in developing the capacity to identify and communicate what the needs are of the potato industry in our state to policy makers first-hand,” he said.