01/12/07 Pre-Potato Conference seminar

Farm and Ranch January 12, 2007 The Washington State Potato Conference and Trade Show is coming up February 6th through the 8th in Moses Lake. Preceding the conference on Monday February 5th the U.S. Potato Board and their partner The Perishables Group are offering a seminar for fresh potato shippers. Karen Bonaudi, Assistant Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission, says the free, full-day training session is called Best in Class Training; How You can Execute with Retailers. Bonaudi: "And it talks about actually marketing the potatoes to grocery stores. How to display them, how buy them, how to rotate them. So it is something that has been kind of missing in the potato program around the country, the actual work with grocery stores." That seminar for shippers is being held February 5th at Best Western Lake Inn in Moses Lake. That's also the site for the Early Bird Reception the same evening. Then on February 6th the educational activities begin at the ATEC building at Big Bend Community College including a seminar on estate succession and planning with Mike Salisbury. On Wednesday February 7th the first production program sessions begin along with a keynote from Ed Barlow. More production session are on tap February 8th with another keynote from Ray Cesca. And of course there's the trade show that Tuesday and Wednesday at the Grant County Fairgrounds. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.