Meet the growers leading the Potatoes USA committees

There are five Potatoes USA Board Member committees that are overseen and led by nine members of the industry. Together, with the Chair and Past Chair, these committee chairs also make up the Executive Committee.

Research Committee Co-Chairs for 2022-2023
 

Jennifer Gogan of Houlton, Maine, and Mike Larsen of Declo, ID, were elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee as Research Committee Co-Chairs on March 9, 2022, at the organization’s Annual Meeting.

This is Gogan’s third year on the board and her second year on the Executive Committee. Larsen is serving his fifth year on the board and his first year on the leadership team after serving four years as a member of the International Marketing and Research Committees.

Gogan, a fourth-generation farmer, is the assistant manager and part-owner of Miller Farms LLC, a seed potato farm in Littleton, Maine. The farm primarily grows for Frito-Lay and grows Lamoka, Snowden, Atlantic, dark red Norland, Caribou Russet, and Russet Burbank seed potatoes.

She is also the assistant manager at Miller Farms LLC’s sister company, Aroostook Produce Distributors Inc., which works with local farmers to grow and deliver chip stock to chip plants. Gogan is looking forward to helping lead a program that studies varieties, disease management, and uses science to show potatoes are a healthy vegetable.

In addition to holding a position on the Potatoes USA board, Gogan currently serves on the Maine Potato Board’s Research Committee and is a graduate of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI), class of 2013.

Larsen has been working with and raising potatoes for the past 24 years, though he has been involved with agriculture since he was 12 years old. As the general manager of Mart Potato, he helps their growers contract, grow, and deliver all the potatoes and also manages the new varieties and develops future markets.

With the organization’s recent acquisition of a small frozen potato plant and dehy potato plant, Larsen has also assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer of The Mart Group to help develop these new markets and sell the products, which is making them more vertically integrated.

Mart Produce grows russet potatoes for the fresh, frozen, and dehy markets, and also raises some yellow potatoes. As co-chair, Larsen is excited to learn more about Climate Smart and what it can do for the industry, in addition to working with the great people in the industry and helping them move the industry forward.

Aside from his position on the Potatoes USA board, Larsen is a lifetime member of the Leadership Idaho Agriculture, is the Vice Chairman of Potato Association of America’s (PAA) Marketing and Utilization Committee. Larsen also graduated from PILI, class of 2017.

Through its involvement in PRAC, the Research Committee participates in the development of national potato research priorities and promotes industry support for selected potato research projects.

The committee also oversees the industry’s potato variety development activities for the chip and fry sectors through the NCP and NFPT. The committee helps keep the industry informed of the latest potato nutrition research conducted through the Alliance of Potato Research and Education (APRE).

Finance and Policy Committee for 2022-2023
 Jeff Jennings of Camden, North Carolina was reappointed to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 9, 2022 at the organization’s Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. Jennings is starting his fifth year on the Board and will serve his third year as Chair of the Finance and Policy Committee.

Jennings is the President at John E. Ferebee Farming and works alongside his wife, Susan Ferebee, Vice President, and his sister-in-law, Martha Ferebee, the Secretary-Treasurer. Also involved in the operations are his three sons and a nephew, who are the eighth generation of farmers.

John E. Ferebee Farming primarily produces white, red, and yellow potatoes. In addition to Jennings’ role on the Potatoes USA Board, he is also the President of the Camden County, North Carolina Farm Bureau and is a member of the North Carolina Potato Association.

Jeff Jennings:
 

"As Chair of the Committee, I am focused on making sure the financials run smoothly and look forward to what this next year holds."

The Finance and Policy Committee is responsible for oversight of Potatoes USA financial information and making recommendations to the Executive Committee on finance and policy related matters, including the annual budget. The Committee also oversees the audit process.

Domestic Marketing Committee for 2022-2023
 Steve Elfering of Boise, Idaho, and Travis Meacham of Moses Lake, Washington, were elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 9, 2022, at the organization’s Annual Meeting. This is Elfering’s eleventh year on the board and fourth year as a Domestic Marketing Committee Co-Chair.

Meacham is serving his sixth year on the board and his first year on the Executive Committee. Previously, he has served as an administrative member of the Domestic Marketing, International Marketing, Finance and Policy, and Industry Outreach Committees.

Steve Elfering is the CEO of the 1,4GROUP in Meridian, ID. His role with 1,4GROUP is to lead the company in its’ strategy, vision, and execution of the day-to-day business. 1,4GROUP grows Burbank potatoes for research and the fresh potato market.

As Co-Chair, Elfering is looking forward to continuing the health and nutrition messaging around potatoes. He strongly feels that as the Potatoes Fuel Performance campaign continues to gain momentum, driving the messaging down to the everyday consumer is key to increasing potato consumption.

Elfering is a member of the National Potato Council, Idaho Grower Shipper Association, PAA, Potato Sustainability Alliance, and the Washington Potato and Onion Association. Before 1,4GROUP, Elfering worked in the fresh potato sector for 28 years as a grower and marketer.

Travis Meacham has been in the potato and agriculture industry for 25 years. As the Operational Manager at Friehe Farms, Meacham wears many hats. He ensures everyone he manages has what they need to successfully complete each day and ultimately harvest delicious potatoes for the processing and export markets.

Meacham is looking forward to helping the administrative committee and the industry implement the excellent marketing materials and tools that will help increase the demand for potatoes.

In addition to his commitment to the Potatoes USA Board, Meacham is the Chairman of the Washington Turfgrass Seed Commission, has a seat on the advisory board for the Washington Asparagus Commission, and is a 2016 alum of PILI, which he then returned to in 2017 as the grower leader.

The Domestic Marketing Committee oversees the Potatoes USA consumer, nutrition, retail, ingredient, and foodservice marketing programs. The committee is focused on encouraging more people to eat more potatoes in more ways and positioning potatoes as a performance food.

The marketing programs are designed to inspire potato innovation across all channels, cultivate strategic partnerships, and advocate for scientific research to demonstrate potatoes’ role in enhancing overall physical and mental performance.

International Marketing Committee Co-Chairs for 2022-2023
 Jared Smith of Alamosa, Colorado, and Mike Carter of Rosholt, Wisconsin, were elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee as International Marketing Committee Co-Chairs on March 9, 2022, at the organization’s Annual Meeting.

Smith is serving his fifth year on the board and his third year on the leadership team, previously Co-Chair of the Research Committee. Smith has also served two years as a member of the Domestic Marketing and Research Committees.

This is Carter’s third year back on the Board after previously serving a six-year term from 2009 – 2015. During that time, he was Co-Chair of the Domestic Marketing Committee for three years. The past two years he served as Co-Chair of the Industry Outreach Committee.

Smith is a third-generation farmer and has worked in the industry for 17 years. He is part-owner of Three S Ranch, Inc., which produces russet, red, and yellow potatoes. As Co-Chair, Smith is excited to learn about and help expand international market opportunities, and help the industry keep fresh potato access open throughout Mexico.

Smith is Blanca Potato LLC’s Chairman of the Board, and he serves on the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee. He is a 2017 graduate of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute.

Carter has been in the potato industry for the past 24 years and is the CEO and Co-Owner of Bushmans' Inc., with a focus on the fresh potato market. Carter is looking forward to further developing the excellent international marketing program and letting his fellow industry members know the impacts being made.

In addition to the Potatoes USA Board, Carter is on the Board of directors for the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and is a very active member of his church. Carter’s wife, Ali, writes the monthly recipe column for the Common 'Tater magazine and has previously been a member of the WPVGA Auxiliary.

The International Marketing Committee is focused on increasing U.S. potato exports across all product types, expanding access for U.S. potatoes across the globe, and for ensuring international consumers and trade members know U.S. potatoes for their quality and nutritional benefits.

The committee oversees foodservice, retail, ingredient, consumer, market access, and seed potato export marketing programs in 25+ international markets.

Industry Outreach Committee Co-Chairs for 2022-2023
 Leah Halverson of Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Shelley Olsen of Othello, Washington were elected to the Potatoes USA Executive Committee on March 9, 2022, at the organization’s Annual Meeting. Halverson is starting her second three-year term on the Board and her second year on the Executive Committee.

She was previously an administrative member of the Industry Outreach Committee. This is Olsen’s fifth year serving on the board and her second year on the Executive Committee, previously, a Co-Chair for the Domestic Marketing Committee, of which she was also an administrative member for three years.

Halverson has been in the potato industry for over 20 years and is the Director of Marketing at Black Gold Farms, a fourth generation of a family-owned farm. Black Gold Farms primarily grows chipping potatoes and is based out of North Dakota with nine additional farms throughout the United States.

As Co-Chair, Halverson is looking forward to increasing industry members’ engagement and excitement to promote what they love, potatoes! In addition to serving on the Potatoes USA Board, Halverson is a member of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) and is also involved with the Marketing & Merchandising Council for United Fresh as well as the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association.

Olsen works under two family-owned companies, LJ Olsen and Two O’s Inc., where three generations work together, including her parents-in-law, Lynn and Marthann, her husband Chris, who previously served on the Potatoes USA Board, and her two sons, Owen and Connor and his wife, Kaitlyn.

Their focus is on growing potatoes for frozen processing. Olsen looks forward to sharing the board’s exciting and forward-thinking programs and promoting the positive messages with other potato growers. In addition to her involvement with Potatoes USA, Olsen is the Chair of the Potato Leadership and Education Foundation Board and is a 2015 Potato Industry Leadership Institute graduate.

The Industry Outreach Committee oversees industry communications. The committee is focused on expanding the awareness of Potatoes USA’s marketing and research programs, establishing Potatoes USA as the go-to resource for the industry, and, most importantly, increasing engagement and involvement by the industry in Potatoes USA promotional programs and activities.