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.
Registration for the conference is now open. Click the link just below.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR WPC
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 rooms
Wednesday, January 29
8:00am – Registration Open (all day), Atrium Room
8:00am – Exhibitor Setup Opens, Atrium Room
8:30am-9:00am – Breakfast, Grand Centennial Ballroom
9:00am-10:00am – General Session 1, Grand Centennial Ballroom
- 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
- Cheboygan – Irrigation Management: Pump Maintenance and Irrigation Research Update, Buddy Sebastian, Abraham Rai, and Dr. Younsuk Dong
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Nematode Management in Potatoes, Dr. Marisol Quintanilla and Abigail Palmesano (RUP credit; see note below)*
10:45am-11:15am – Refreshment Break & Exhibitor Visits, Atrium/Harbor Springs
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
- Cheboygan – Mission Creep: What to Do When Legal Requirements that DON’T Apply to Potatoes Become Buyer Requirements that DO!, Phil Tocco
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Disease Monitoring and Management In-Field and Post-Harvest, Dr. Jaime Willbur (RUP credit; see note below)*
12:15pm-12:55pm – Awards Luncheon, Grand Centennial Ballroom
12:55pm-3:00pm – General Session 2, Grand Centennial Ballroom
- 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
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
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Integrated Management of Volunteer Potatoes and Colorado Potato Beetle, Hannah Johnson (RUP credit, see note below)*
4:00pm-6:30pm – Industry Reception, Atrium/Harbor Springs
Thursday, January 30
8:30am-9:00am – Breakfast, Grand Centennial Ballroom
8:50am-10:30am – General Session 3, Grand Centennial Ballroom
- 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
11:00am-11:45am – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Building Trust and Finding Common Ground, Tood Feenstra
- Cheboygan – $500 Per-Hour Tasks: Is Your Financial Management Prioritizing Them? Steve Kluemper
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Mending the Stress Fence, Dr. Remington Rice and Misty Oebel
11:55am-12:40pm – Breakout Sessions
- Traverse City/Saugatuck – Solar Energy for Farms and Understanding the Updated Incentives for 2025, Sridhar K. Ayer
- Cheboygan – EPA’s Implementation of Endangered Species Act: What it Means on Your Farm, Mike Wenkel
- Mackinac/Petoskey – Refrigeration and How it’s Applied in Storage Management, Benjamin Cross
12:45pm-1:15pm – Luncheon, Grand Centennial Ballroom
1:15pm-3:05pm – General Session 4, Grand Centennial Ballroom
- Adam Wygant, Director, EGLE Geologic Resources Management Division
- Angie Gradiz Menjivar and Brenden Kelley, Michigan State University Irrigation Specialists
- Todd Feenstra, Midwest Water Stewards
- Tom Piepkow, Farm Bureau Insurance