• Celebrity Chefs Ted Allen, Simon Majumdar, Duff Goldman to Participate in Cook-off at Potato Expo
• New H-2A Regulations Published
• USDA Approves Toolgen GMO Potato
• Oct 21 Deadline for Potato Industry Leadership Institute Applications
• What Growers are Saying about Potato Expo 2023

Celebrity Chefs Ted Allen, Simon Majumdar, Duff Goldman to Participate in Cook-off at Potato Expo

When celebrity chef Simon Majumdar tweeted a photo of his Potato Expo 2022 cooking demonstration last January, Duff Goldman bemoaned missing the show. “WHY DIDN’T I KNOW THERE WAS SOMETHING CALLED “THE POTATO EXPO”?!?,” the Food Network personality asked in a retweet. Emmy Award-winning host of Chopped and Chopped Junior Ted Allen also jumped in to echo Goldman's regret, posting his reply about his love of America’s number one vegetable: "The potato is a miracle product — as much a miracle as are eggs."

After an offline discussion, the food personalities resolved to remedy their previous Potato Expo absences by taking the 2023 event by storm in a chef cookoff of their favorite potato recipes. The cooking competition, entitled, “This Spuds for You – Celebrity Chef Edition,” will be hosted by Allen and feature chef teams led by Majumdar and Goldman. The cookoff, along with a separate cooking demonstration by long-time Potato Expo favorite Majumdar, will serve as featured events of the Potato Expo 2023, held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Aurora, Colorado, January 4-5, 2023. 

Early-bird registration for attendees and exhibitors is now open. Visit the Expo website at potato-expo.com to register, book lodging at the Gaylord Rockies Resort, and access further important information about the event.

New H-2A Regulations Published

The Department of Labor (DOL) yesterday announced the final rule, “Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States,” amending the department’s regulations governing the H-2A program to increase protections for workers and streamline the process for employers.

The final rule retains many of changes proposed during the Trump Administration in July 2019, designed to simplify and modernize the application process, including establishing a single point of entry for employers to electronically file Applications for Temporary Employment Certification, job orders, and all supporting documentation through a centralized DOL portal.

Changes benefiting workers include revising how employers qualifying as H-2A Labor Contractors (H-2ALCs) obtain temporary labor certifications; requiring that worker housing meet applicable local, state, or federal health and safety standards; and, replacing prevailing wage survey guidelines with new standards. 

The new regulations go into effect November 14, 2022.

USDA Approves Toolgen GMO Potato

Last Friday, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) exempted a genetically modified corn plant and a genetically modified potato plant from regulation after finding that both were “unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated corn and potato and, thus, they are not subject to regulation under 7 CFR part 340.” The decision means that, from a plant pest risk perspective, these plants may be safely grown and used in breeding in the United States.

The modified potato was created by Toolgen, Inc., and designed to alter tuber quality by reducing browning.

Oct 21 Deadline for Potato Industry Leadership Institute Applications

Growers and industry members wishing to take part in the 2023 Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI) have until October 21 to submit their applications for the February 22–March 3 training session.

The Leadership Institute, a 10-day program of the Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF), provides an overview of the U.S. potato industry, the challenges and issues beyond the production sector, and the roles of the industry's state and national organizations in maintaining a positive business climate for potato growers. The 2023 program will begin in Buffalo, New York, travel through Pennsylvania, and conclude in Washington, D.C., where the class will participate in NPC’s Washington Summit.

The participant application and additional information can be found here. Confirmation of participation will be sent by November 11, 2022.

What Growers are Saying about Potato Expo 2023: