A milestone was achieved at the USPB’s 38th Annual Meeting at the Westin Tabor Center in Denver, Colo., March 9–12. Cheryl Koompin of American Falls, Idaho, was chosen as the 2010–2011 chairperson—the first female chair from Idaho and the first female chair in seven years.

Looking ahead to the future and addressing the concerns that plague the industry now were topics that ran through the veins of every presentation given at the meeting. Among the topics addressed were ways to innovate amid declining demand and planning ahead for a new Long Range Plan (LRP).

Committee Reports

USPB CEO Tim O’Conner spoke on how the day-to-day is important, but the long range is critical. His remarks also focused on the importance of demand and called for competition amongst industry sectors to diminish because all sectors in the industry are tied together. Only the consumer wins when sectors compete with each other.

“The biggest problems we face are not sector-oriented,” he says. “If one sector struggles, it pulls all by the coattails.”

Those problems include: declining demand, acrylamide, obesity, low-carb diets and changing consumer lifestyles and meal preferences. Among those, declining demand is by far the biggest problem, driving all other aspects of the industry.

“Demand matters, and it’s everyone’s problem in the industry,” he says.

Product innovation has been on the minds of the Domestic Marketing Committee. A new product concept, developed through its innovation efforts, was designed to bring a higher level of convenience to the fresh category. The “potato masher bowl” is made up of a plastic container, red potatoes and seasoning packet. With 10 minutes in the microwave, followed by the addition of the seasoning packet and milk, simply smash the potatoes and serve.

During the Domestic Marketing Committee’s report, it released a small booklet that revolved around the number 5, called “The Power of 5 in Reaching Linda.” Kathleen Triou, Domestic Marketing Vice President, explained the five keys to integration: context, content, relevance, clarity and consistency.

She explained that traditional marketing isn’t reaching out to “Linda” the way it used to. The committee has been reaching out to consumers in non-conventional ways, such as through its Facebook page, “Potatoes, Taters and Spuds,” which had 5,743 fans as of press time. Right now, videos are the hottest way for consumers to interact online.

The International Marketing Committee touted the new markets that are opening up in other countries, and used committee members dressed as newsies delivering the news to the full Board.

Among the news, U.S. potato exports are at record levels—over 53.8 million cwt for the 2008–09 marketing year—despite the fact that exports to Mexico were in steady decline last year. U.S. exports have exceeded $1 billion in the past two years, supported by the USPB’s market access and development program initiatives.

Increased market access elsewhere—in countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Japan and others—is expanding U.S. exports. Companies in countries from Asia to Latin America are developing and launching new products using U.S. dehy. Beyond that, the FY11 LRP will set the stage for further growth of U.S. exports.

In other committee reports, the Finance Committee reported that the USPB’s total assets equal $8.4 million. Jimmy Harrell and Monty Smith of the Industry Communications and Policy Committee reported that 96 percent of growers still say print publications, like Potato Grower magazine, are the top way they get potato news.

New Chair

When Cheryl Koompin of American Falls, Idaho, found out she was being nominated as the newest USPB chairperson, to succeed Tom Qualey, she was “a little skeptical, a lot nervous but very honored” that she would have the privilege of being Idaho’s first female USPB chairperson.

Koompin is a homemaker and farm wife with Koompin Farms in American Falls, Idaho. She has two grown sons, and they farm close to 3,500 acres of nine different varieties—reds, Yukon Golds, chip varieties and some russets. They also grow about 200 acres of their own seed.

Koompin is currently in her sixth year on the board, though she served an active part in the International Food Aid Initiative before she started serving as a board member. Since beginning her service, she was on the Administrative Committee, International Marketing Committee and has served three years as co-chairman of International Marketing.

Koompin is excited to be the chair and says she can add a female perspective on how potatoes should be promoted. She points out that she still knows plenty about “Linda”—the consumer market the USPB focuses the most on—because she’s still a part of that demographic.