Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) director Derek Sandison released the following statement regarding agriculture, food production, and food distribution.

COVID-19 is creating significant disruptions to daily life in the Inland Northwest. During this crisis, more people than ever may need to turn to a food bank or pantry to get essential groceries.

Peer reviewed research and a recent survey of registered dietitians nutritionists has shown the potential negative impact on fruit and vegetable consumption caused by the so-called “dirty dozen” list.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF) in Japan has informed USDA that U.S. chipping potatoes will be allowed to enter year-round starting February 14, 2020.

The french fry market is growing. For Washington State exports world sales by dollar value has increased 10% from the 2018 calendar year.

This week potato farmers gathered in Olympia meeting with state legislators, staff members, and agency personnel. Family potato farm perspectives were shared, communicating various challenges, and expressing the need to fund soil health research.

February is one of the most important months of the year if you ask us…it’s POTATO LOVERS MONTH!

We would like to thank everyone who took the time to come check out the 2020 WA-OR Potato Conference.

Looking for a quick, easy, and affordable art project to do with the kids this Thanksgiving? Try making a potato stamp! The stamp can be used to decorate table tents, placemats or even paper cups. The entire family will enjoy this unique project. This simple art project will have your kids busy for hours.

On November 5^th and 6th, Columbia Basin Technical Skills Center (CB Tech) located in Moses Lake held their fifth annual “Potato Day". CB Tech provides a hands-on learning experience for high school students with various technical skills and serves mainly Junior and Senior students from 11 school districts in the Basin.

PMA Fresh Summit was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, attracting a record-breaking 24,000 attendees.