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Heavy rains and hail storms during Vidalia growing season, plus typical spring harvest rains, have cut a chunk out of the season’s yield, but harvesting hasn’t been delayed more than usual.

Checking in on top-of-mind issues for Idaho potato growers, The Packer’s Tom Karst visited April 30 with Shawn Boyle, president and general counsel for the Idaho Grower Shippers Association.

A perfect storm of heavy rains followed by freezing cold weather will cut yields for the Red River Valley fresh potato crop in North Dakota and Minnesota nearly by half.

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic affecting U.S. businesses is a multi-headed monster for the agriculture sector, and produce suppliers in California’s Kern County are no exception.

The Packer’s Tom Karst spoke April 27 with Charles Hall, executive director of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association about the outlook for the coming season.

In spite of some recent heavy rainfall, grower-shippers in California’s Kern County said they were anticipating an on-time start for this year’s deal.

At Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., three culinary instructors won a 2019 Idaho Potato Commission Leadership Innovation Award for Excellence in Foodservice Education.

Don Odiorne was honored with the first Champion Award from the Annapolis, Md.-based Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education for his help connecting the foodservice industry to culinary educators.

(UPDATED, Oct. 24) Weather in Idaho and the Red River Valley in North Dakota and Minnesota will affect how many table stock potatoes those regions have this season.

The Idaho potato season is well underway, with plenty of supplies for holiday dinners, marketers say.