often driven by familiarity with the tried
and true.
"There's forgiveness for an old variety,"
he says. "If a commercial producer has
something go wrong with Burbank or
Norkotah, they'll be back the next year.
If you put a new variety out, there's no
forgiveness. If they have a bad experi-
ence, that variety is usually done."
Ritchey Toevs, who farms commercially
for the process industry in Aberdeen,
Idaho, agrees. And he thinks it's a peril-
ous mindset for the industry to get into.
Specifically for his home state, famous
for its potatoes, Toevs believes there
is immense value in wisely increasing
production of the best new varieties.
"Finding varieties selected for our
region, that work for the industry here,
is really important," he says. "Idaho
has created a powerful brand, but can
we maintain it putting out the same
product that other states can produce
just as well?"
Toevs is referring to Burbank and
22 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2022
