NPPGA elects new chairman, honors industry veteran

Last week the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association held its banquet, which was attended by 249 people. The event included the passing of the chairman's gavel from Rick Vivatson of Cavalier, ND, to Don Suda, a chip and frozen processing potato grower from Grafton, ND. Additionally, Ron Norman was honored with the Meritorious Service Award. Don Suda

Grafton potato grower and North Dakota State Senator Tom Campbell presented the award to Norman, who spent nearly 50 years managing fresh washplants and seed operations for the Ryan Potato Co., Ron Offutt and most recently Campbell Farms and Kroeker Farms, all at the same facility in East Grand Forks, MN.  

Ron NormanNational dignitaries of the potato industry were also in town, including John Keeling from the National Potato Council, Blair Richardson from the United States Potato Board and Jerry Wright from United Potato Growers of America.  All three are the chief executive officers of their respective organizations and used the NPPGA meetings and International Crop Expo to deliver speeches and talk directly with area growers about the issues facing the potato industry.

"All in all it was a very successful week," NPPGA said in a press release. "NPPGA would like to once again thank all our sponsors; without their support, the banquet and Research Reporting Conference wouldn't be as large and as successful as they are today. A special thanks to our Gold Sponsor AgCountry Farm Credit Services and Silver Sponsors Tri-Steel Manufacturing, the TriEst Ag Group and the NPPGA Potato Associates."