Potatoes USA takes foodservice operators to Wisconsin fields to put potatoes at the centre of the plate
Potatoes USA hosted culinary directors from Parkhurst Dining at a Wisconsin farm-to-plate tour, part of a push to embed potatoes in university and corporate dining menus aimed at Generation Z.
Potatoes USA hosted culinary directors of Parkhurst Dining — which runs more than 70 university and corporate dining halls across 12 states — at the Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wisconsin, connecting potato production with menu innovation and targeting Generation Z consumers.
Potatoes USA continues to strengthen its ties with foodservice operators to increase potato consumption and promote its incorporation into new preparations in university, corporate and foodservice dining, Argenpapa reports.
As part of this strategy, the organisation brought together culinary leads from Parkhurst Dining at the Food + Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wisconsin, for a day that connected potato production with gastronomic innovation.
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Parkhurst Dining manages more than 70 university and corporate dining operations spread across 12 states. That structure offers the possibility of introducing new potato dishes to a broad consumer base — a significant share of which is made up of university students from Generation Z. Potatoes USA considers that food experiences acquired during this life stage can influence their future consumption preferences — a long-game approach to demand building that treats campus dining as a training ground for lifelong eating habits.
During the activity, participants toured a potato field at full harvest, accompanied by grower Mike Carter, past chairman of the Potatoes USA board, and his team. The culinary directors also visited a packing plant, where they observed the washing, grading and preparation of tubers for commercialisation. The tour included storage facilities, where they learned how potatoes are kept to maintain availability and quality throughout the year.
The programme addressed topics related to nutrition, menu innovation, operating costs, waste reduction and sustainability. A culinary demonstration showed how the potato can work as the main component of a preparation and not only as a side dish. The recipe presented combined fingerling potatoes with thinly cut Brussels sprouts and shredded turkey meat — a proposal in which the potato occupied the centre of the plate and the protein played a complementary role.
Parkhurst Dining representatives highlighted the versatility of the potato and its acceptance among consumers. They also noted that it can contribute to controlling costs, reducing waste, improving the nutritional offer and expanding menu variety. Participants finished the day with new ideas for incorporating potatoes into their dining programmes; among the possibilities analysed is presenting them at farmers’ markets aimed at students.
The initiative forms part of Potatoes USA’s programme to work directly with high-volume foodservice operators, develop preparations adapted to their needs and expand the use of fresh and processed potatoes in the food sector.
The strategy is telling for the wider industry: rather than advertising to consumers directly, the US potato lobby is working the supply side of the plate — the chefs and menu planners who decide what thousands of students eat every day. With per-capita consumption under long-term pressure, embedding potatoes in institutional menus may prove a more durable demand lever than any advertising campaign, particularly when it comes wrapped in cost-control and sustainability arguments that appeal to operators as much as to diners.
