Chris Voigt proudly showcases Washington potatoes.
Growing Washington’s Economy: Chris Voigt of the Washington State Potato Commission
P
otatoes are one of Washington State’s top crops. Grown primarily in central Washington with Columbia River water, potatoes are directly dependent on irrigation infrastructure and technology. The cultivation and processing of potatoes provides 36,000 jobs to Washington State. The Washington State Potato Commission is the industry association responsible for promoting research into potato cultivation, advocating with state and federal agencies, and marketing potatoes. In this interview, Chris Voigt, the director of the Washington State Potato Commission, speaks with Irrigation Leader Editor-in-Chief Kris Polly about potatoes’ economic and nutritional importance—and the time he ate nothing but potatoes for 60 days!
Chris Voigt: I studied at Oregon State University and started out in the agricultural chemical business. I worked for two different companies, starting out in the New Jersey headquarters of one company and also working in South Carolina, Arizona, and California. Eventually, I stumbled upon a great job with the National Potato Promotion Board, which is the national organization for promoting potatoes—a sort of industry liaison or industry spokesperson. I did that for about 6 years. In the meantime, I met my wife at a potato meeting, and we fell
6 | IRRIGATION LEADER
Kris Polly: Please tell us about the Washington State Potato Commission. Chris Voigt: It is a quasigovernmental agency and was started in 1956. We are involved in anything that affects the potato growers of Washington. Our main three issues form what we call a three-legged stool. One leg is research. We invest in potato production research and nutrition research. We spend most of our resources figuring out how to produce higher yields, grow higher-quality crops, and use fewer resources. The second leg of the stool is government affairs. We are heavily involved in legislative and regulatory issues on a wide range of issues, including trucking, transportation, rail, ocean marine carriers, food safety issues, the farm bill, agricultural research, and trade promotion. That involves working with the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We also work
PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHINGTON STATE POTATO COMMISSION.
Kris Polly: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
in love, decided to get married, and started a family. At that point, I didn’t want to travel quite as much as I had to for the national organization, so I moved to the Colorado Potato Growers and worked there for about 3 years. I really enjoyed working with the growers in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, but because my wife’s and my parents lived in the Northwest and were getting up there in age, I applied for a position with the Washington State Potato Commission. I have been here for the last 14 years.
