Latest News from the IPC

Eagle, Idaho, November 7, 2019 The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is thrilled to announce its new favorite day of the year ­– National Mashed Idaho® Potato Day!

As officially declared by National Day Archives, November 28, 2019 and every fourth Thursday in November thereafter, America’s favorite side holiday dish, will be recognized on National Mashed Idaho® Potato Day.

Eagle, Idaho, October 29, 2019 – During the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) October meeting three new Commissioners were sworn in. Grower, Julie VanOrden of Garth VanOrden Farms in Pingree; processor Paul Sato from McCain Foods, USA, Inc.; and shipper Bryan Wada of Wada Farms will each serve three-year terms. Nick Blanksma of Legacy Farms and Todd Cornelison of High Country Potatoes were appointed Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively.

“I’m pleased to welcome Julie, Paul and Bryan to the Idaho Potato Commission. From farming to processing to politics, their impressive backgrounds and experience will be instrumental as we develop and implement new marketing programs that will shape the future of Idaho’s most important agricultural product, the Idaho® potato,” said Frank Muir, President & CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).

Eagle, Idaho, October 23, 2019 – The Tater Team wrapped up its 2019 Harvest Tour throughout Southeast Idaho with a 'beary' special visit to Bear World in Rexburg, ID. The 4-ton spud was invited to drive through the park after hours and snap a few photos. It seems a few of the 72 curious free-roaming black bears were caught checking out what they hoped would be dinner. (The potato, not the people!)

Celebrate Oktuberfest with an assortment of festive Idaho® potato recipes!

Eagle, Idaho, September 30, 2019 – Changing leaves, chilly weather and cozy meals all mark the arrival of fall and one of the most important times of the year in Idaho - the potato harvest! More than 13 billion pounds of spuds (about one-third of all potatoes grown in the United States), is unearthed in this annual event. And in celebration, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has created a menu of Oktuberfest recipes you can feast on all month long.

Eagle, Idaho, September 11, 2019 – Long time supporter of the Idaho Falls Chukars, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) hit a home run celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Minor League Baseball team. For one night, the club reverted back to its original name, the Idaho Falls Russets, and fans had no doubt they were in the rich corner of Southeast Idaho where nearly one-third of all potatoes in the country are grown.

BY RAND GREEN | SEPTEMBER 05, 2019

The popular Potato Lovers Month retail display contest that draws tremendous participation from stores large and small each year was held south of the border for the first time, and the results were muy bueno.

EAGLE, ID, September 5, 2019 – This month, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) heads full throttle into another year of exciting marketing activations promoting their heart healthy spuds. The organization kicked off the year with the premier of its newest television commercial, the latest installment in the beloved long-running Big Idaho® Potato Truck series, during the ESPNews live broadcast of Boise State University’s (BSU) football season opener against Florida State on Saturday, August 31. 

Eagle, Idaho, September 3, 2019 – Many say potatoes put Idaho on the map. We at the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) don’t disagree, but like to say potatoes and their dedicated growers put Idaho on the map. Recently, the IPC created a social media campaign,Thank a Farmer, to introduce the women and men who work tirelessly year round and often around the clock to annually produce approximately 13 billion pounds of America’s favorite vegetable, the Idaho® potato.

A recent study revealed that 92 percent of consumers indicate it’s somewhat, or very, important to know where their food comes from.¹ Thank a Farmer was created to help bridge that gap.

Eagle, Idaho, August 13, 2019 – From ABC-TV’s popular morning show, Live with Kelly and Ryan to People magazine to USA Today, the Big Idaho® Potato Hotel made international news within hours of its launch on Earth Day.

Eight years ago, the 6-ton potato created by the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), made headlines when it rolled out of Boise on a flat-bed trailer with a mission to promote Idaho’s most famous agricultural commodity, the Idaho® potato. After logging more than 200,000 miles on America’s highways and byways, it was time to retire the famous spud. A member of the Tater team that traveled with the Big Idaho® Potato Truck for two years, Kristie Wolfe, ingeniously transformed the sturdy tuber into a cozy Airbnb. It’s now permanently planted on an expansive field in South Boise with breathtaking views of the Owyhee Mountains.

Eagle, Idaho, August 1, 2019 – For eight years, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck, a 4-ton spud on wheels, has been turning heads and stopping folks in their tracks everywhere it goes. This summer, there’s another reason why people are taking a second look at the oversized vegetable. The Tater Team, the trio that travels with the Truck promoting famous Idaho® potatoes, is all women, including the driver. According to CNBC, only 6 percent of all truck drivers are female. So if you think a giant spud is a rare sighting, so is a female truck driver.