Merchandising and marketing potatoes remain front and center to success

Kevin Stanger, president of Wada Farms Marketing Group LLC, Idaho Falls, ID, is a big fan of the state’s branding program.

He lauds the Idaho seal’s visibility and strength in the market. Consumers, he says, recognize and value the grown-in-Idaho seal. “That, in itself, holds a lot of clout.”

“What’s really changing, in my eyes, is the packaging—how people like their potatoes,” says Dick Okray, president of Okray Family Farms Inc., Plover, WI. “I’m used to 5-, 10-, 8-pound poly bags, but people are now looking for smaller specialty packs, whether it’s a tray pack or individually wrapped or medley bags.”

Convenience, of course, is key for busy shoppers.

“We’re continuing to grow our microwave product, both bagged and individually wrapped,” says Stanger. “We have a lot of value-added in the sense of trays, foil-wrapped, etc.”

This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.