Familiarity with San Luis Valley an asset to new CPAC director
Familiarity with San Luis Valley an asset to new CPAC director
MONTE VISTA, CO -- A decade in the San Luis Valley agriculture industry and a close working relationship with many of the area's potato grower-shippers puts Jim Ehrlich in a unique position as the new executive director of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee.
Mr. Ehrlich succeeds Chris Voigt, who vacated the post last September for a similar position with the Washington State Potato Commission.
Mr. Ehrlich joined the committee April 1 after having been with Coors Brewing Co.'s operations and facilities in the San Luis Valley since 1996, serving initially as an agronomist and later as the operation's regional manager. Coors' facility in the valley stores and ships malt barley from 175 growers, and barley is among the more popular crops also raised by area potato farmers.
"The key [to his new role at the committee] was that I knew a lot of the potato growers who had grown barley for Coors," Mr. Ehrlich told The Produce News in mid-April.
His familiarity with the growers and the issues they face goes deeper still. Mr. Ehrlich, a native of Hudson, CO, northeast of Denver, was a farmer himself prior to moving to the San Luis Valley.
"I think I can empathize with the growers because I've been in their shoes. I can identify with their issues first- hand," he said.
His first farming experience was gained at his grandparents' dairy farm in the Brighton, CO, area. "I spent my early years there," Mr. Ehrlich said.
After he graduated from Weld Central High School, Mr. Ehrlich joined the U.S. Air Force and reached the rank of staff sergeant while stationed in Arizona. It was during his four-year enlistment with the Air Force that he married his wife, Debbie. The couple has a son, David, 15, and a daughter, Sarah, 10.
Following his service in the armed forces, Mr. Ehrlich returned to Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy, majoring in crop science. He then entered a partnership with his father-in-law's farm, where he raised a variety of commodities.
"I grew sugar beets, alfalfa, malt barley, pinto beans, sunflowers, and feed and silage corn for 14 years," he said. "I also worked with a dairy farm from 1983 to 1988."
In 1996, the Ehrlich family moved to the San Luis Valley, and Mr. Ehrlich was responsible for contracting, agronomic consulting and purchasing barley from area farmers.
In 2002, he became regional manager of the Coors facilities, which include a 1,600-acre farm, a 6 million- bushel grain elevator, a 100,000-bushel seed elevator and five full-time employees. He also oversaw facility and farm budgets, capital projects, customer relations, purchasing, storing and shipping barley.
Linda Weyers, administrator of the committee, said that Mr. Ehrlich demonstrates a finely tuned ability to listen and is "very diplomatic ... he doesn't make judgments."
She said, "The growers think it's important to have someone who will listen to their individual concerns."
Mr. Ehrlich said that he keeps abreast of legislative matters involving the committee at the federal level, and issues are handled by the National Potato Board. At the state level, the committee obtains information from issues monitor Danny Tomlinson.
Acknowledging some of the top concerns, the new director said, "Of course immigration is one, and also specific to the potato industry is the job of increasing demand. We have to grow demand and get in other markets. Mexico is huge for us."
The committee is "hoping for changes in export regulations after this summer's election [in Mexico]," he said, noting that current regulations allow U.S. potatoes to go only as far as 26 kilometers inside the Mexican border.
"We need access to those markets and to get those barriers removed," Mr. Ehrlich said.
The San Luis Valley has an industry niche in its production of close to 100 varieties of potatoes, Ms. Weyers said. She said that all specialty varieties, particularly fingerlings, have seen increased production in the region. "We also have organics in specialty and top varieties," she said.
Foodservice is a good market segment for the San Luis Valley, and Mr. Ehrlich said that increased attention is being paid to value-added and specialty packaging.
"Value-added potato products have shown success at retail, and here in Colorado we feel we have an advantage with our special varieties and high quality," Mr. Ehrlich said. "We'll definitely pursue value-added."
When asked what his top priority will be in the first months of his new job, Mr. Ehrlich said, "Right now I want to learn everything I can as fast as I can & and I think I'm good at helping people come together as a team. I'll be trying to do the best for everyone."
Mr. Ehrlich succeeds Chris Voigt, who vacated the post last September for a similar position with the Washington State Potato Commission.
Mr. Ehrlich joined the committee April 1 after having been with Coors Brewing Co.'s operations and facilities in the San Luis Valley since 1996, serving initially as an agronomist and later as the operation's regional manager. Coors' facility in the valley stores and ships malt barley from 175 growers, and barley is among the more popular crops also raised by area potato farmers.
"The key [to his new role at the committee] was that I knew a lot of the potato growers who had grown barley for Coors," Mr. Ehrlich told The Produce News in mid-April.
His familiarity with the growers and the issues they face goes deeper still. Mr. Ehrlich, a native of Hudson, CO, northeast of Denver, was a farmer himself prior to moving to the San Luis Valley.
"I think I can empathize with the growers because I've been in their shoes. I can identify with their issues first- hand," he said.
His first farming experience was gained at his grandparents' dairy farm in the Brighton, CO, area. "I spent my early years there," Mr. Ehrlich said.
After he graduated from Weld Central High School, Mr. Ehrlich joined the U.S. Air Force and reached the rank of staff sergeant while stationed in Arizona. It was during his four-year enlistment with the Air Force that he married his wife, Debbie. The couple has a son, David, 15, and a daughter, Sarah, 10.
Following his service in the armed forces, Mr. Ehrlich returned to Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy, majoring in crop science. He then entered a partnership with his father-in-law's farm, where he raised a variety of commodities.
"I grew sugar beets, alfalfa, malt barley, pinto beans, sunflowers, and feed and silage corn for 14 years," he said. "I also worked with a dairy farm from 1983 to 1988."
In 1996, the Ehrlich family moved to the San Luis Valley, and Mr. Ehrlich was responsible for contracting, agronomic consulting and purchasing barley from area farmers.
In 2002, he became regional manager of the Coors facilities, which include a 1,600-acre farm, a 6 million- bushel grain elevator, a 100,000-bushel seed elevator and five full-time employees. He also oversaw facility and farm budgets, capital projects, customer relations, purchasing, storing and shipping barley.
Linda Weyers, administrator of the committee, said that Mr. Ehrlich demonstrates a finely tuned ability to listen and is "very diplomatic ... he doesn't make judgments."
She said, "The growers think it's important to have someone who will listen to their individual concerns."
Mr. Ehrlich said that he keeps abreast of legislative matters involving the committee at the federal level, and issues are handled by the National Potato Board. At the state level, the committee obtains information from issues monitor Danny Tomlinson.
Acknowledging some of the top concerns, the new director said, "Of course immigration is one, and also specific to the potato industry is the job of increasing demand. We have to grow demand and get in other markets. Mexico is huge for us."
The committee is "hoping for changes in export regulations after this summer's election [in Mexico]," he said, noting that current regulations allow U.S. potatoes to go only as far as 26 kilometers inside the Mexican border.
"We need access to those markets and to get those barriers removed," Mr. Ehrlich said.
The San Luis Valley has an industry niche in its production of close to 100 varieties of potatoes, Ms. Weyers said. She said that all specialty varieties, particularly fingerlings, have seen increased production in the region. "We also have organics in specialty and top varieties," she said.
Foodservice is a good market segment for the San Luis Valley, and Mr. Ehrlich said that increased attention is being paid to value-added and specialty packaging.
"Value-added potato products have shown success at retail, and here in Colorado we feel we have an advantage with our special varieties and high quality," Mr. Ehrlich said. "We'll definitely pursue value-added."
When asked what his top priority will be in the first months of his new job, Mr. Ehrlich said, "Right now I want to learn everything I can as fast as I can & and I think I'm good at helping people come together as a team. I'll be trying to do the best for everyone."
