National Potato Council

08/04/2026

What key policy issues and growing conditions are impacting U.S. potato growers this summer? We sat down with NPC VP of Legislative Affairs and Idaho grower Dean Gibson to analyze the Western harvest outlook, Senate Farm Bill developments, and ag trade priorities.

🎧Subscribe and set to auto-download on Apple Podcasts or search for "eye on potatoes" wherever you listen to podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/farm-and-policy-update-with-dean-gibson/id1491815515?i=1000779301941

08/03/2026

"With our borders finally secure and 50 original bipartisan co-sponsors backing this bill, NPC is urging Congress to act on the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act to protect our family farms and safeguard America’s food supply," NPC's Mike Wenkel writes in Growing Produce.

The National Potato Council is urging Congress to pass the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act to protect our family farms and safeguard America’s food supply.

07/30/2026

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles tells Nicole Heslip, Anchor/Reporter, Brownfield Ag News the bipartisan Securing Ag Workforce Act does not grant amnesty as some Republicans have been arguing.

“You’re going to either offshore your food supply or you’re going to massively drive up costs on the American consumer if you don’t take an approach that is balanced and thoughtful, and understands that we’re in a very competitive global marketplace,” he says.

A divide is growing over farm labor reforms under consideration in Congress. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles tells Brownfield the bipartisan Securing Ag Workforce Act does not grant amnesty as some Republicans have been arguing. “You’re going to either offshore your food supply or you’...

07/24/2026

07/23/2026

Last night, Summer Meeting attendees had a chance to tour the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, birthplace of the Model T. The Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum is one of the oldest surviving automobile factories in the world. Opened in 1904, this U.S. National Historic Landmark is dedicated to the interpretation and celebration of Detroit’s automotive heritage and spirit of innovation.

Learn more about this unique factory at fordpiquetteplant.org.

07/22/2026

During a combined general session with attendees of NPC's and Potatoes USA’s Summer Meetings, the group heard policy and market updates from the industry. Updates included a 360° Industry Perspective panel moderated by Kelly Turner, Executive Director of Michigan Potatoes, and panelists Mark Klompien, President/CEO of United Potato Growers of America, Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, and Blair Richardson, CEO of Potatoes USA.

Kim Breshears, Chief Marketing Officer of Potatoes USA, briefed the group on the forces shaping potato demand. The joint session concluded with a trade discussion moderated by Matt Lantz, Senior Vice President of Global Access at Bryant Christie Inc., and panelists Jared Balcom, President of Balcom & Moe from Pasco, Washington, Matt Wilkes, Director of Potato Services of Michigan, and Quarles.

07/22/2026

Kicking off the 2026 Summer Meeting in Detroit at the iconic Saint Andrew’s music venue. We missed Slim Shady by a few decades but still got to enjoy Detroit Rock City at its finest.

07/01/2026

"The current guest worker program that we have for agriculture was enacted in 1986, and there really haven't been any significant changes to that legislation in 40 years," NPC COO Mike Wenkel tells Western Ag Network.

The Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act of 2026, introduced yesterday by Chairman Thompson, "focuses on three key areas of trying to modernize the program by expanding access, controlling costs at the farm level, and streamlining the process for bringing people into the U.S. on a temporary basis to work in agriculture."

06/29/2026

President Trump's letter to Congress says "we have to do more for specialty crops," NPC's Kam Quarles tells RFD-TV. "Now it’s in Congress’s bucket to figure out exactly what those dollars are going to mean for specialty crops."

In addition to the amount, "we’ve got to get the delivery mechanism right. If the program doesn’t address specialty crops, which are very different than the program crops, it’s not going to work,” says Quarles.

06/29/2026

“The potato industry welcomes this statement by President Trump that more support is needed for specialty crops,” National Potato Council president Ben Sklarczyk said in a statement. “We will be working closely with Congress to ensure that no less than $5 billion is provided for the fruit and vegetable industry.”

Via Spudman Magazine:

An additional $10 billion in aid for specialty and row crops is included in a request for $87.6 billion in congressional funding. Learn more.