The Michigan Potato Industry Commission is excited to present the 2025 Winter Potato Conference, January 28-30, 2025, at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel. The Winter Potato Conference is an excellent opportunity to learn and network with other industry professionals on a number of leading-edge topics.
Online registration is now closed. Those wishing to register should call Denise Amburgey 517-974-1408.
Need at hotel room for the conference?
We have a block of rooms reserved. Please use this link to book your room.
Do you want to apply for Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) credits?
Two (2) Restricted Use Pesticide Credits (RUP) are available. To receive RUPs, you must complete the additional form linked below. RUP credits must be submitted by the conference start date.
2025 Winter Potato Conference Agenda
(Schedule subject to change)
Tuesday, January 28
10:00am – Exhibitor Setup Opens
5:00pm-6:00pm – Opening Reception, Atrium/Harbor Springs Room
Wednesday, January 29
8:00am – Registration Open (all day), Harbor Springs Room
8:00am – Exhibitor Setup Opens, Atrium Area
8:00am-8:45am – Integrated Pest Management Focus Group, Cheboygan Room
8:30am-9:00am – Breakfast, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by PlantTuff Inc.
9:00am-10:00am – General Session 1, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by TriEst Ag Group
- MPIC Annual Meeting
- Potatoes USA Update with Kim Breshears
10:15am-10:45am – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Neonicotinoid-Alternative Management Programs for Colorado Potato Beetle, Ray Rantz and Dr. Abigail Cohen, sponsored by Nichino America (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Cheboygan – Irrigation Management: Pump Maintenance and Irrigation Research Update, Buddy Sebastian, Abraham Rai, and Dr. Younsuk Dong, sponsored by NACHURS (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Nematode Management in Potatoes, Dr. Marisol Quintanilla and Abigail Palmesano, sponsored by Ecojiva LLC. (*RUP credit; see note below) (^0.5 CCA Credit)
10:45am-11:15am – Refreshment Break & Exhibitor Visits, Atrium/Harbor Springs, sponsored by Potato Services of Michigan
11:15am-12:00pm – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Progress in Chip Potato Commercialization, and DMN’s Role in Storage and Novel Table Varieties, Chris Long and Bernie Pavlock, sponsored by Nichino America (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Cheboygan – Mission Creep: What to Do When Legal Requirements that DON’T Apply to Potatoes Become Buyer Requirements that DO!, Phil Tocco, sponsored by NACHURS
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Disease Monitoring and Management In-Field and Post-Harvest, Dr. Jaime Willbur, sponsored by Ecojiva LLC. (*RUP credit; see note below) (^0.5 CCA Credit)
12:15pm-12:55pm – Awards Luncheon, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by BASF
12:55pm-3:00pm – General Session 2, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by Sure Crop Fertilizers
- Awards Presentation
- Michigan and National Economic Outlook with Dr. Paul Isely
- Panel Discussion: "Unlocking the Potential: New Opportunities for Biotech Use in Potatoes”
3:00pm-3:25pm – Refreshment Break & Exhibitor Visits, Atrium/Harbor Springs, sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions
3:30pm-4:00pm – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Optimizing Seed Spacing and Planting Depth in Three Commercial Chip Processing Varieties to Maximize Profitability, Chris Long and Steve Whittington
- Cheboygan – Future Changes in Insecticide Use in Potatoes, Dr. Zsofia Szendrei (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Integrated Management of Volunteer Potatoes and Colorado Potato Beetle, Hannah Johnson (*RUP credit, see note below) (^0.5 CCA Credit)
4:00pm-6:30pm – Industry Reception, Atrium/Harbor Springs
Thursday, January 30
8:30am-9:00am – Breakfast, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by Timac Agro
8:50am-10:30am – General Session 3, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by Morgan Composting
- PGMI Annual Meeting
- Baldly Bipartisan Political Update
- National Potato Council Update with Mike Wenkel
10:30am-11:00am – Refreshment Break & Exhibitor Visits, Atrium/Harbor Springs, sponsored by 1,4GROUP Inc.
11:00am-11:45am – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Building Trust and Finding Common Ground, Todd Feenstra, sponsored by Spudnik (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Cheboygan – $500 Per-Hour Tasks: Is Your Financial Management Prioritizing Them? Steve Kluemper, sponsored by Michigan Agricultural Commodities
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Mending the Stress Fence, Dr. Remington Rice and Misty Oebel, sponsored by GreenStone Farm Credit Services
11:55am-12:40pm – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – EPA’s Implementation of Endangered Species Act: What it Means on Your Farm, Mike Wenkel, sponsored by Spudnik (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Cheboygan – Solar Energy for Farms and Understanding the Updated Incentives for 2025, Sridhar K. Ayer, sponsored by Michigan Agricultural Commodities (^0.5 CCA Credit)
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Refrigeration and How it’s Applied in Storage Management, Benjamin Cross, sponsored by GreenStone Farm Credit Services
12:45pm-1:15pm – Luncheon, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored by Sklarczyk Seed Farms
1:15pm-3:05pm – General Session 4, Grand Centennial Ballroom, sponsored Harvest Solar
- Adam Wygant, Director, EGLE Geologic Resources Management Division
- Angie Gradiz and Brenden Kelley, Michigan State University Irrigation Specialists
- Todd Feenstra, Midwest Water Stewards
- Tom Piepkow, Farm Bureau Insurance