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Eye on Potatoes: A Podcast on All Things Potatoes
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
129 episodes
Spud Team Six: Capstone Solutions for Industry Engagement
The 2025 Leadership Institute added a new layer of innovation with the introduction of capstone projects, requiring participants to identify and solve critical issues facing the U.S. potato industry. On this episode of Eye on Potato...
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26:10
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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 economic ...
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34:22
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 i...
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38:45
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 request f...
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12:51
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 ...
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24:22
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 Quarle...
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16:44
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
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16:07
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 Crop...
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15:37
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 on ke...
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32:46
Federal Shutdown Week 2: Trade Fallout, Japan Access, and Emergency Aid
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 hurt...
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37:47
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 shut...
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37:08
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 ...
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40:04
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 (MASC...
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29:54
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 fascina...
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28:16
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 applauds...
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44:02
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 pro...
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25:52
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 Pod...
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25:46
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, whic...
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27:24
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 Idaho...
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14:34
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 Lantz j...
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25:54
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 level...
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18:11
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 brou...
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22:16
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 at al...
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31:46
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. pota...
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20:59