POTATOES

Potatoes are the #1 consumed vegetable in the U.S. and are a dietary staple found in many of America’s most popular food products. Fresh potatoes are both affordable and nutritious – a single spud has about 110 calories, zero fat, zero cholesterol, and includes vitamins C, B6, potassium, and fiber.

In the U.S., about 60% of potatoes are used to create food products such as french fries, chips, and boxed mashed potatoes. The remainder goes to the fresh market for consumption by people or is used as seed for growing the next season’s crops.

Potatoes are grown by farmers in about 30 states across the U.S. on over 900,000 acres. The top producers are Idaho and Washington, which account for over half of U.S. output.

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Farm resiliency and responsible resource stewardship requires vision and commitment to long term outcomes that accrue to future generations. Advancing soil health is one of those endowments. Crop rotations, less soil disturbance, and cover cropping all favor reduced erosion, improved water holding capacity, water infiltration, and agriculture’s ability to capture carbon. Use of satellite data, drones, computer vision, seniors, and AI put agriculture at the forefront of applied technology that delivers better quality, yields, food safety, lower waste, and responsible care of our food system.