MONTE VISTA — Tara Artho is the new Executive Director of the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee and is replacing longtime director Jim Ehrlich, who is retiring at the end of the month. 

Founded in 1941, the Colorado Potato Administrative Committee (CPAC) supports local growers and shippers. As the Federal and State Marketing Order, CPAC helps set quality standards and seeks to innovate in sustainability, best practices, research, and marketing. Together with the growers from the San Luis Valley and beyond, CPAC has overseen expansion into new varieties of potatoes and a multi-level inspection process that ensures over two billion pounds of Colorado potatoes are grown. 

Artho, who grew up on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, brings extensive agriculture-related experience to the position. In addition to spending a decade at the Texas Grain and Feed Association, she was a Board Member for National Grain and Feed, as well as being an Executive Committee Member for the Texas Agricultural Council.  

Regarding her work for the grain and feed association, Artho said, "It was a very productive time, I learned a ton in that role, whether it was how to handle legislative issues, board management, or just learning how to communicate your message properly to a wide variety of people. I gained a lot of experience, dealing with hurricanes and adulterated commodities, statewide freezes that shut down power to members whose livelihood was to manufacture feed to keep animals alive, not to mention navigating challenges in the food chain during a pandemic.” 

Being raised on a farm, but also living the past 20 years in the Dallas area, she is uniquely qualified. 

“Something that I bring to this role that is different than most, I have the perspective of both rural and urban,” she said. “Most people don't get that experience. I can relate to both a farmer in the field, or a legislator who grew up surrounded by asphalt. I have had to walk into the Capitol and tell legislators that there are still many rural places that do not have proper, if any, internet connection. Sometimes its eye opening when you have to tell them that not all Americans have the same reality. There is a large section of our country where you have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to the closest grocery store. And yes, when I grew up on a farm, the closest grocery store was at least 35 minutes away; and you didn't always have access to solid Internet. I bring that perspective when talking to someone who is in a legislative position or talking to someone in a city who may not understand their connection to agriculture…No, groceries do not come from the grocery store." 

As executive director, Artho said, "Working for a marketing order is going to be a little different because it is a quasi-governmental subset. It is different from a normal association that you might be a part of; there are more governmental rules and regulations that we have to follow, the producer's dollars are coming here, and it is our mission to use those dollars to the best of our ability to make sure every dollar spent comes back to them in one way or another. Whether it is gathering data through research programs, getting customers eyes on Colorado potatoes, or making sure the quality in the Valley remains high, grading standards, size standards, whenever we put something out, we want all the players at the table to know everyone here is held to the same high standard. Every producer in the Valley can be confident that their customers will get a quality potato because the marketing order demands that. The folks here want to bring quality potatoes to the families around America as well as other countries. We make that possible because of the marketing order and what we do here at CPAC."