10 POTATO GROWER | IDAHO ANNUAL 2016
GROWER
OF THE
YEAR
Hoff turned out to have a knack for
leadership in the industry, and he's been
waist-deep in it ever since. He's still
involved with PGI and its political action
committee. In 2000, he began the first
of two six-year terms on the U.S. Potato
Board (now Potatoes USA), and he has
recently finished his first year as a member
of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC).
"I try to be as involved as I can," says Hoff.
"It's all been really rewarding, particularly
this past year on the commission."
Hoff even got his 30 seconds of fame in
working with the IPC in 2014 for its series
of nationally aired commercials featuring
the Big Idaho Potato Truck. The Hoffs
own several early-model airplanes, all of
which they keep airworthy, and James
was approached by IPC leadership about
the possibility of using one of them for a
commercial. So Hoff and his biplane made
their appearance, though he is credited in
the ad as simply "Another Idaho Potato
Farmer" alongside "Actual Idaho Potato
Farmer" Mark Coombs.
James Hoff (right) appeared with fellow "real Idaho potato farmer" Mark
Coombs in a nationally televised 2014 commercial for Idaho potatoes.
Photo courtesy Idaho Potato Commission.
Aviation has been a passion of the Hoffs' for generations, and one of their
planes was featured in a successful television commercial for Idaho potatoes.
