Latest News from the IPC

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. 

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, 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.

EAGLE, ID, July 31, 2019 – Two category leaders are spicing up both side dishes and produce sales with a new retail promotion for the 2019 holiday season. The Idaho Potato Commission and Litehouse®, Inc. are partnering on freestanding display units with coupon pads for the “Mix, Mash & Be Merry” promotion running from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The coupon offers shoppers $1 off any Litehouse® freeze-dried herb with the purchase of a 5-pound bag of Idaho® potatoes. The shipper, billed as a holiday sides destination, features two cases each of four Litehouse®herb products: chives, garlic, parsley, and poultry herb blend.

EAGLE, ID, May 22, 2019 – A sea of showstopping displays from coast to coast made for some tough judging in the 2019 Idaho® Potato Lover’s Retail Display Contest, which gave out more than $150,000 in cash and prizes.

Eagle, Idaho, April 26, 2019 – Produce veteran Mike Krage is the newest retail superhero at the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), bringing more than 30 years of retail and wholesale produce industry experience.

As the new Retail Promotion Director-Northeast/Midwest, Mighty Mike Krage replaces Dynamite Dave Rhodes, who is returning to his retail roots as Director of Produce and Floral for Fresh Encounter, a 59-store chain in Indiana and Ohio.

Big Idaho® Potato Truck Kicks Off 2019 National Tour

Eagle, Idaho, April 22, 2019 – How do you dispose of a 6-ton spud made of steel, plaster and concrete? You don’t. You recycle it and turn it into the Big Idaho® Potato Hotel, the only potato hotel in the world! The 28-foot long, 12-foot wide and 11.5-foot tall potato is firmly planted in an expansive field in South Boise with breathtaking views of the Owyhee Mountains. Today the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) announced the opening of this unique retreat.

Eagle, Idaho, February 7, 2019 – February is the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) favorite month. Why? It’s American Heart Month and Potato Lovers Month, making it a great time to celebrate Idaho^® potatoes. 

In a recent national survey conducted by Kelton Research, consumers were asked to pick their favorite vegetable, and Idaho^® potatoes topped the chart! More than a quarter of Americans (26%) -- or nearly 68 million -- say Idaho^® potatoes are their favored choice over broccoli (19%), corn (14%) or leafy greens (14%).