By Mike Wenkel, Chief Operating Officer, National Potato Council
As I sat down to write this column on NPC’s annual EPA-USDA Farm Tour – which allows federal regulators to better understand how their decisions have real-world implications on our farms – I received a news alert reminding me why this program was so essential. The email indicated that two U.S. senators had introduced legislation that would effectively ban two major classes of pesticides, specifically organophosphates and neonicotinoids, long relied upon by American farmers to grow safe, healthy crops.
Eliminating these classes of chemicals would be a major victory for environmentalists. Success in taking this action would elevate the role of subjective, popular opinion for pesticide regulation and diminish the role of sound science. Over time, the structural changes caused by this shift toward emotion and away from science would cause great harm for food security, farmers and consumers alike.
The legislation was also a reminder of why NPC’s efforts are so important. Without growers advocating for commonsense rules and educating policymakers about how policy decisions impact their operations, the future of our industry would be ceded to those who do not understand what it takes to responsibly feed the world.
While federal regulators and lawmakers may be experts in their fields, they are less aware of how essential pesticides and other chemicals are to potato growers and how they are carefully and sparingly used to grow America’s favorite vegetable. Thankfully, educating influential staff members from EPA and USDA so they gain a better appreciation of the pest challenges faced by potato growers across the nation in growing and delivering potatoes to market is exactly what NPC’s farm tour is all about.
This year, because of ongoing travel restrictions, our tour originally scheduled for Colorado’s San Luis Valley was moved online, broadcast via Zoom. While missing one-on-one interactions, the virtual nature of the day-long event allowed NPC to expand the number of attendees from EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and broaden the offering to include staff from USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program. In fact, more than 160 participants joined the tour – far surpassing the reach of a traditional farm tour.
Throughout the day, participants were provided information on pest management related to growing seed and in the pre-plant, planting, in the field and post-harvest stages. Presenters included growers, state managers, extension educators and researchers from across the country on topics such as weeds, bacteria, nematodes, fungi and insects.
Based on the feedback, we are confident the regulators in attendance walked away with a deeper understanding of the complexities around producing a high-quality, high-cost potato crop for U.S. consumers and consumers around the globe in an environmentally responsible manner. Additionally, we at NPC plan on using the video presentations to educate even more agency staffers about how potatoes are safely grown, stored, processed and distributed to family dinner tables across America.
Growers are used to adapting and overcoming challenges, so we truly appreciated all those willing to be a part of this year’s unique program, including those who provided presentations on the key pests impacting the industry. While the efforts of NPC focus at the federal level, it is equally important that growers and state organizations continue to communicate the realities of production and impacts of decisions by state and local policymakers. We look forward to an in-person tour next year in Colorado, and we are confident that the 2020 virtual version was a success and well represented the needs of this industry.
