“The year started off in the El Nino pattern, which made it pretty wet and cold, but as summer has come on, the weather is looking favorable for a good season,” Gibbs said. “We have optimism for a good season. You won’t find anybody more optimistic than a farmer. If he wasn’t he wouldn’t plant each year, as there are too many things that could go wrong that is out of their control.”
North Carolina potato growers are constantly on the lookout for new varieties to grow and that’s true for the upcoming season.
“For instance, Mark Clough works with Irish potatoes under the direction of Dr. Craig Yencho at the North Carolina State Potato Breeding Program, focusing his annual trials with new varieties to see if they work in our climate to increase production, reliability or stability of improved varieties of potatoes,” Gibbs said.
The NCDA reports that current consumer trends are around sustainability as a new eco-conscious consumer is emerging steering agricultural practices in all crop areas.
“Other associations and agricultural commodity groups are focused on reducing the environmental impact of farming, implementing no-till practices to encourage healthier soils, incorporating buffer strips of native plants to reduce erosion and promote a healthier ecosystem around and in the crop fields and improving stormwater mitigation techniques that allow farmers to use excess rainfall to their advantage, while reducing the amount of runoff into nearby water sources,” Luks said.
The potato industry is no stranger to these ideals and practices and North Carolina potato growers look to promote these ecologically-focused farming practices as well.
“We follow guidelines set by state and federal governing bodies to ensure that our industry remains at the forefront of agricultural relevance to consumer market changes,” Luks said. “The biggest strength of the North Carolina potato market is that our season fills the gap other markets need to have a year-round supply of potatoes. It’s unique that we have a season that other don’t.”