April 2020 - 9

Organic Share of Fresh Potato Market, 2018
West
$17.5 million
5.9%
Plains
$4.5 million
4.5%
Great Lakes
$17.4 million
4.3%
Northeast
$20.8 million
4.1%
Mid-South
$13.2 million
3.2%
California
$15.2 million
6.6%
South Central
$9.1 million
2.8%
Southeast
$22.5 million
4.9%
Source: IRI for Potatoes USA
" Notwithstanding that, there is certain
demand for that category. I think the
marketers and sales companies and
growers looking at that are doing a good
job of it. From my perspective, whether
it's grown conventionally or organically
or any other set of terms, that's the
choice of the grower.
" At the end of the day, they're all
potatoes. "
With the anti-carb diet movement of
recent decades, potatoes have received
negative attention, often labeled as empty
carbs. The New York Times even called
fries " starch bombs " in a 2019 article.
Richardson noted the public
perception of the vegetable, which is
high in potassium and vitamins C and
B6, has come a long way in recent years.
Potatoes USA even started a marketing
campaign in 2018 geared toward the
high-endurance athletic community,
such as marathoners and cyclists, called
" What Are You Eating? "
" I haven't had to do much work in finding
markets, they're there. "
- Meg York, co-owner, Nature's Circle Farm
" We're using different vehicles,
different tools
to
get
that message
out there, " Richardson said. " This is
allowing consumers to take a new look
at potatoes and as we continue down
that path, we're going to have even
greater demand for potatoes. "
The reason that the market for
organic potatoes has lagged behind
other produce could be multifaceted.
Perhaps the overall market for the
vegetable and challenge of growing it,
as Richardson noted, has discouraged
organic growers from making it a
priority. Or, perhaps the presence of a
kill step because potatoes are cooked,
has made buying organic spuds less of
a priority for the general public. Bagged
salads, strawberries and apples - the
most prominently consumed organic
produce, according to the Organic
Trade Association - are eaten raw
most often.
GETTING IN AT THE
GROUND LEVEL
Nature's Circle Farm in Aroostook
County, Maine, was founded in 1996
by Dick York. He owned 100 acres that
had been in the family for decades,
although had not been farmed in
years. York discovered Eliot Coleman's
Spudman * April 2020
9

April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020

April 2020 - 1
April 2020 - 2
April 2020 - 3
April 2020 - 4
April 2020 - 5
April 2020 - 6
April 2020 - 7
April 2020 - 8
April 2020 - 9
April 2020 - 10
April 2020 - 11
April 2020 - 12
April 2020 - 13
April 2020 - 14
April 2020 - 15
April 2020 - 16
April 2020 - 17
April 2020 - 18
April 2020 - 19
April 2020 - 20
April 2020 - 21
April 2020 - 22
April 2020 - 23
April 2020 - 24
April 2020 - 25
April 2020 - 26
April 2020 - 27
April 2020 - 28
April 2020 - 29
April 2020 - 30
April 2020 - 31
April 2020 - 32
April 2020 - 33
April 2020 - 34
April 2020 - 35
April 2020 - 36
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/basf-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com