The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) encourages Washington potato growers and industry partners to consider applying for the 2026 Leadership in the Field: From Battlefield to Potato Field program, a nationally recognized leadership experience designed to strengthen the future of our industry.

The February 17, 2026 House of Origin deadline has come and gone. That means the noise level in Olympia just shifted. The list of “what could happen” is now a much shorter list of “what actually might.”

The Washington State Potato Foundation (WSPF) is now accepting applications for its Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship Program for the 2026–27 school year. This opportunity is designed to support students from potato growing regions who are pursuing careers in agriculture.

Growers and pesticide applicators are invited to attend the 27th Annual Noxious Weed Conference, hosted by the Noxious Weed Control Board of Grant County, on February 26, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Wallenstein Performing Arts Center at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington.

Washington State Potato Commission’s (WSPC) Potato Academy, sponsored by Simplot, McCain Foods, and Lamb Weston, was held in Moses Lake, Washington on February 13, 2026 and drew an impressive turnout of growers, students, and potato enthusiasts.

Potato growers who treat seed on-farm have an opportunity to contribute to important new research aimed at advancing industry knowledge while supporting the continued safe and effective use of seed treatment technologies in U.S. potato production.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing $1 billion in Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program assistance for specialty crops and sugar, commodities not covered through the previously announced Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program. These one-time bridge payments will help address market disruptions, elevated input costs, persistent inflation, and market losses from foreign competitors engaging in unfair trade practices that impede exports

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is opening the enrollment period for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, providing $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to row crop producers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs.

Washington State University (WSU) is conducting a survey titled Insect Pest Management Practices: National Survey of Potato Growers as part of a large multi-state research project aimed at better understanding U.S. potato growers’ experiences, decision-making, and perspectives related to insect pest management including concerns about regulatory uncertainty and potential restrictions on neonicotinoid use.