News Release

PGI Elects New President

BLACKFOOT, ID — Meeting in Pocatello, the Potato Growers of Idaho elected Klaren Koompin from American Falls to be the new president of the 40-year-old organization. Klaren replaces Dan Moss, from Declo, who has lead PGI through a critical time of restructuring. Klaren farms with his brother Kenneth. They raise several varieties of potatoes, sugar beets, and other crops.

Klaren Koompin has served as District Chairman for PGI and is in his final few months of his second term on the National Potato Promotion Board (NPPB). Klaren is Idaho’s sole representative on the Executive Committee of the NPPB and chairs the domestic marketing committee.

According to Keith Esplin, Acting Executive Director of PGI, “Klaren has a clear vision of the future of PGI and is very forward thinking. Klaren is a good choice for PGI leadership and will work hard to finish the restructuring of PGI started this past summer.”

Attendance at PGI’s Annual Meeting was surprisingly good as growers turned out to support the work of PGI and listen to a variety of industry speakers. PGI growers determined this summer to concentrate their efforts on representing Idaho growers in a number of forums and leave bargaining to a new organization dedicated to that purpose alone.

The new bargaining association, Southern Idaho Potato Coop, met for an organizational meeting during the PGI convention. Many growers turned out to hear how the fledgling organization was being structured and to provide input to bargaining efforts.

Also meeting the same day was the first annual meeting of Potato Management Company (PMC). PMC is the cooperative that PGI and others created last year to remove surplus potatoes from the market. A large group of growers heard reports of how the largest donation of produce ever given, helped people across the US and around the world. PMC business centered on how to use Marketing Orders to stabilize the wild price gyrations of potato marketing.