Big Idaho Potato Harvest Meeting

Nov 12, 2025

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Lunch served to attendees after event concludes

Jamey Higham

President/CEO, Idaho Potato Commission

“2025-2026 IPC Business Update”

Jamey Higham, President/CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission is no stranger to Idaho’s “Potato Country.” Born and raised in Shelley, ID potatoes have played a big role in Higham’s life. He studied Political Science at BYU in Provo Utah. Received his MBA in International Marketing from Thunderbird School of Global Management. After college Higham moved back to Idaho and worked in the industry for 25 years, primarily in sales, marketing, and shipping. He also spent 5 years working for Ford Motor Company corporate in their marketing and sales division. Higham has given back to the produce industry throughout his career, as a current member of the United Fresh Government Relations Council, and as part of United Fresh Produce Industry Leadership class 13, including serving on the board of directors for the International Fresh Produce Association 3 years. He has also given back to the community, serving for 12 years on the Shelley school board. Higham has been working at the Idaho Potato Commission since January of 2022 and currently resides in Eagle, ID with his wife Melissa. They have 4 children together.

Kam Quarles

CEO, National Potato Council

"Advancing Priorities for the Potato Industry in a Chaotic Washington DC"

Since taking on the job of running the U.S. potato industry’s national trade association, Kam has overseen a comprehensive overhaul of the organization and its activities. These include building a strong team of professional staff and consultants, rebranding the organization and its signature Potato Expo, coordinating the largest disaster relief response in the industry’s history, securing significant victories in the long-standing Mexican trade dispute, and supporting a new multimillion-dollar foundation dedicated to industry leadership. Kam holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in international commerce and policy from George Mason University in Virginia. He and his wife Karen live on Capitol Hill. Their daughter Cate is now a freshman in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California.

Blair Richardson

CEO, Potatoes USA

“Adapting to Global Shifts”

It was a college class (Gig ‘em, Aggies!) on Agriculture Cooperatives that solidified Blair’s commitment to a career in agriculture. After a senior-year job researching ag cooperatives' impact on the Texas economy, he moved to California to begin his agriculture career in the cotton industry.

Since then, Blair’s worked in several different agricultural industries over the last 30 years. When he came to the potato industry in 2013, in his own words: “It was remarkable how quickly I fell in love with the industry – the people, the products, and the fact that it’s a broad industry that stretches across the entire country.”

Early in his tenure as CEO of Potatoes USA, Blair and his team decided to take on the challenge of changing consumers' perceptions of and conversations about potatoes, bringing more attention to their nutritional benefits. While there’s always work to be done, the team has made a substantial shift in the conversation around the nutrients in potatoes and the benefits of using the popular vegetable as fuel for an active lifestyle.

Looking ahead, Blair is leading Potatoes USA through a quickly changing landscape, with more international competition emerging. He’s always thinking about how to adapt and where the U.S. fits in the global picture.

Blair’s favorite potato dishes are roasted hash potatoes with protein for breakfast; potato chips with lunch; and for dinner, he says it’s hard to beat a classic burger and fries.

Chanel Tewalt

Director, Idaho State Department of Agriculture

“Idaho’s Agricultural Affairs Update”

Chanel Tewalt was appointed by Governor Brad Little to serve as Director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) in January 2023. Director Tewalt first joined the ISDA while in college at Boise State University and has 16 years of experience at the department, including serving as the deputy director and chief operations officer. In her work at the agency, Tewalt has focused on collaboration with industry partners and on the implementation of agency programs with a clear understanding of statutory requirements and stakeholder needs. Tewalt grew up on a livestock operation in Klamath Falls, Oregon, which is home to longstanding struggles over water. These experiences and other lessons learned in agriculture are foundational to the way Tewalt approaches her work at the ISDA. She and her husband have two children. They co-own a family club lamb and seedstock operation in the Treasure Valley and are proud to be raising their children in and around production agriculture.

Tim Graas

Executive Director of Produce at Associate Wholesale Grocers

Tim Graas began his professional journey at a young age in Denver, Colorado, where he commenced a paper route for The Rocky Mountain News at 14. This early experience instilled in him the value of early mornings, a principle that would later prove crucial in his produce career. At 16, he joined King Soopers in Denver as a Courtesy Clerk. Following his father's transfer, he moved to Springfield, Missouri, at 17 and a half and began working for Dillons Supermarkets. After 23 years at Dillons, where he managed various grocery store departments, he transitioned to Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) to explore another facet of the grocery industry.

At AWG, Mr. Graas advanced from Produce Field Specialist to buyer, then to the Corporate Produce team, progressing from buyer to manager, director, and ultimately to his current role as Executive Director. Philanthropy has always been a significant aspect of Mr. Graas's life. He has served on multiple committees for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and currently co-chairs the IFPA’s Produce Traceability Initiative. He is also deeply involved with the Southeast Produce Council, a leading produce industry organization, where he served on the Board of Directors for many years, including as Chairman. Mr. Graas has been with AWG for 20 years and resides in Kansas City.

Mike Pearson

Mike Pearson was born and raised in South Central Iowa, where he grew to love agriculture on his family’s hog and cattle farm. After graduating from Simpson College, Mike moved to Grinnell, Iowa where he had the chance to build his own cow herd in addition to working as an agricultural lender. Over the next 10 years, Mike left the world of finance and entered the world of media. He’s previously hosted “Market to Market” on Public Television, the Ag News Daily podcast, and currently, viewers can find him behind the anchor desk as the host of “This Week in Agribusiness” on RFD-TV.

What’s Driving Agriculture now?
Mike interviews over 1000 professionals in the ag industry each year. These folks range from experts on the volatile commodity markets to Washington DC politicians, and trade experts from around the world. In this talk, Mike will synthesize what he’s learned from these professionals and helps the audience understand what might be ahead in the markets, ag policy, and in trade.

Senator Kelly Anthon

President Pro Tem, Idaho State Senate.

Senator Kelly Arthur Anthon is a seventh-generation Idaho native raised on a family farm in Declo, Idaho where his family continuously operated a farm for over 100 years.

Senator Anthon, a licensed Idaho attorney, attended the University of Idaho’s College of Law where he was elected the College’s student body president and named the College of Law’s 2002 ‘Bistline Scholar’ by the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Until 2012, Sen. Anthon practiced law at the Rupert law firm of ‘Robinson, Anthon & Tribe’ where as a partner he focused on helping local farmers as well as municipal law, debt restructuring, bankruptcy, and large business reorganization. He previously served as the appointed City Attorney for the cities of Burley, Rupert, Acequia, and Minidoka, Idaho. At the time of his first appointment, he was the youngest appointed city attorney in the State of Idaho. He stepped away from his law firm to take the position of City Administrator in Rupert, Idaho. Fluent in Japanese, Sen. Anthon also previously worked as consultant for Japanese companies. Today, he functions as an intermediary between Idaho, Japanese companies, and the Japanese Consul General stationed in Portland, Oregon. In addition, he directs a large potato fresh pack company, the Mart Group, as a member of its Board of Director, and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Idaho College of Law.

In 2013, the Idaho Business Review and the Times-News named Sen. Anthon, one of Idaho’s 40 most accomplished and influential professionals under the age of 40. He currently serves as a board member with the Southern Idaho Development Organization and as a board member of the Region IV Development Corporation. He has served as an executive board member of the Idaho Municipal Attorney Association. He has also worked closely with hospitals in both Minidoka and Cassia Counties; he has served two terms as President of the Minidoka Healthcare Foundation and previously held a seat on the governing board of Intermountain Healthcare’s Cassia Regional Medical Center for ten years. He is a member of his local Rotary club and previously volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and the Idaho Department of the American Legion to operate the Gem Boys State program.

In 2015, Sen. Anthon was appointed by Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter to fill a vacancy in the Idaho State Senate. He has been re-elected for five more terms. Senator Anthon now serves on the Senate Local Government & Taxation and State Affairs Committees. In 2017, after two years in the Senate, he was elected the Majority Caucus Chair by Senate Republicans. In 2020, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the Idaho Senate Majority Leader. He currently holds the esteemed position of President Pro Tempore of the Idaho State Senate. His diverse background in law, agriculture, economic development, and public service reflects his dedication to fostering growth and opportunity in Idaho.

Sen. Anthon is married to Joelle (Rogers) Anthon from Rupert, Idaho. Together the couple has five children.

Idaho State University, Bengal Alumni Center
ICCU Event Hall
1601 E. Bonneville
Pocatello, ID 83201
(208) 282-3730

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Marriott Courtyard Pocatello
290 Vista Drive
Pocatello, Idaho 83201
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