09/29/06 WSPC to conduct opinion poll

Farm and Ranch September 29, 2006 The Washington State Potato Commission is asking questions. As part of its 50th anniversary long-range planning activity, the Commission is conducting a random phone survey of growers and other industry representatives across the state. Commission Executive Director Chris Voigt says it's a short, oral survey. Voigt: "In the next week we are going to be calling growers and other industry personnel really to get their opinions on what the focus of the Commission should be. What they like. What they don't like. And this is really going to help us focus our work to bring the best value back to the industry." The feedback will be used in a long-range planning conference planned for December. The Commission is hoping for a large response to the phone survey, although Voigt points out not everyone will be getting called. Voigt: "It will be kind of a randomized survey. We've got close to 300 growers in the state and we'll probably end up calling about 50 of them. And that is a good statistical sample. We realize too that with harvest going on it is going to be hard to contact a lot of folks, but we are going to do our best and hopefully get some good responses back from our growers and the rest of our industry." Voigt says responses to the survey will be anonymous and callers will identify themselves as working on behalf of the Potato Commission. Again, the survey will run October 2nd thru the 6th. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow. I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.