75 Years of Lamb Weston: Ashley Hatfield, Sr Dr of Ag Services, North America on Farming, Fries, and the Future

Nick: 00:00:02

There are a million ways to make money in the food service industry. You just have to find one. On the Titans of Food Service podcast.

I interview real life movers and shakers in the food game who cut through all the noise to get to the top. My name is Nick Portillo and welcome to the Titans of Food Service podcast. Let's jump right into it.

Welcome back to another episode of Titans of Food Service. I'm your host, Nick Portillo. Thank you again for joining me on another episode.

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Okay, today I'm going to be digging into one of the most iconic staples in food service. And what is that? French fries. I'm joined today by Ashley Hatfield.

She's the Senior Director of Ag Services North America for Lamb Weston to talk more about french fries. What sets Lamb Weston apart isn't just their crispy french fries is their deep root in agriculture and innovation.

They grow their potatoes on farmland in the Pacific Northwest, developing proprietary potato varieties optimized not only for the flavor that you love, but consistency, sustainability and performance across the entire supply chain. And this year actually marks Lamb Weston's 75th anniversary. That's pretty darn impressive.

And they're celebrating with a major limited time menu launch this summer.

It's a perfect moment to spotlight how one of America's favorite side dishes is also a vehicle for innovation, from regenerative farming to smarter kitchen solutions. So in the episode, Ashley and I, we talk about all things potatoes, sustainability, how she's working hand in hand with farmers on new practices.

Even about it was cool, I learned. I wear this ring. It's called an aura ring. It attracts my sleep in different metrics. Sleep, sleep, stress, exercise.

And they do very similar smart tracking when it comes to their plants and their crops.

And you'll learn more about that when Ashley talks about how she has sensors on the different plans, tracks things like moisture and water and all these different things. It's pretty, pretty darn cool. And we really go into growing, producing, and manufacturing those golden, crispy fries that we all have come to love.

This is a behind the scenes look at the journey from soil to fryer that you won't want to miss. Without further ado, let's go ahead and welcome Ashley. All right, Ashley, welcome to the Titans of Food Service podcast.

I appreciate you taking time out of your day to come and meet with me.

Ashley: 00:02:33

It's great to be here. Thanks for having me.

Nick: 00:02:35

Yeah, of course, of course. So tell me, I see that you went to school here in California. You went to Cal Poly Slo. Did you.

When you went to school, did you always know you want to be in the agricultural business?

Ashley: 00:02:50

Yeah, no. Great. Great question. I actually grew up on a farm in. In Washington.

So I'm originally from a town near Walla Walla, or as my grandma Bessie Ann would say that the town's so nice, they named it twice. And so. So I grew up on. In farming.

And, you know, I. I knew that it was a big part of my family and culture, but I didn't really know what I wanted to do.

And so one of the biggest experiences that impacted my trajectory in the industry was there was a local asparagus factory who had been in business for seven decades, and it got shut down because of free trade agreements. So it really stuck with me. I wanted to study agribusiness, and I wanted to focus on international ag.

And the best school for agribusiness west of the Mississippi was Cal Poly. So that's where. That's where I went. And it was a wonderful experience. They're very much a learn by doing school.

And then I got introduced to California agriculture, which was incredible. Growing up on a small farm, that's all, you know.

But coming to California, everything grows, and there's so much value that gets added to the food there that it was really inspiring.

Nick: 00:04:12

Totally. I've heard of Walla Walla before. I had a good friend from that I grew up with. He went to Is it Whitman there in Walla Walla.

And, yeah, so he went there. He played baseball. I think the colors are purple, maybe. And so, yeah, I've heard of Walla Walla. I remember coming out of high school, too.

There was another school, Willamette. I don't know if I said that. Right. Yeah, that. But I don't know. I might be Oregon, not Washington, right?

Ashley: 00:04:38

Yeah, no, but really, really amazing communities with a lot of farming heritage around them. And so for food manufacturing, it's wonderful. You have.

You have folks that are very dedicated to the land, the food they produce, and great stories, too, of stewardship and innovation, because, you know, in ag, that's how we stay relevant. Right. Is making sure that we're producing what our customers and operators are looking for.

Nick: 00:05:08

Totally. And when you were in school, I saw that you went to. You studied abroad in Italy, in Bologna.

Did you do additional, you know, ag studies out There too?

Ashley: 00:05:20

I did, yeah. The gastronomic capital of Italy. So, you know, really tough place, right, to. To go to grad school, actually.

So the asparagus commission gave me a research assistantship. So they were trying to figure out, what do we do with this asparagus industry that no longer has a home, how do we develop new markets for it?

So I moved over there and for the better part of the year toured asparagus farms all throughout Europe to try to figure out, okay, what do we do with this Washington green asparagus, like, which markets might be interested. And I quickly found out that there is such a thing called white asparagus that exists in Europe. It's very popular in places like Germany.

And so I was able to come back and share my findings with the industry. And they were able to pivot. Pivot how they were growing potatoes or asparagus and, and look for other ways to use all the crop.

Asparagus is a 20 year in the ground investment. So it's, you know, one of those, one of those situations where it's like, okay, like, how do we reinvent ourselves?

Nick: 00:06:21

You know, a lot of times people make a comparison between California agriculture and Italian agriculture.

You know, we've got, you know, obviously vineyards, we've got tomatoes, we've got so many different products that we grow here in California that are similar to what we grow in Italy.

Did you find when it came to the asparagus, I know that you said a white asparagus, but did you find that it was somewhat similar to what you see here?

Ashley: 00:06:46

Yeah, great, great question. And that, you know, that truly is the challenges.

Green asparagus is grown in, in the central part of California and it's also grown in the Veneto region of Italy. Very similar seasons. Right. They're a little bit earlier. And so a lot of competition in Europe and Washington was a little bit later season.

And there are certain markets, and I think we find this in potatoes too, where in Washington there's really high quality food grown.

And so when it comes to premium markets, they that really appreciate the size, the shape, the consistency of what's grown here, that they're a good fit. So in the case of asparagus, it was Switzerland, of all places. And so. And we see that here at Lime Weston too. Right.

There are customers that they really value continuity of supply, that quality. And it's a bit what we're known for.

Nick: 00:07:41

Yeah. So you grow up in Walla Walla, you go to school at Cal Poly, Sloane, you do some time in Italy. Studying asparagus. How did you get into Lamb Weston?

Ashley: 00:07:53

Yeah, well, when I was at Cal Poly, my first job was in campus dining. And so I shared an office with the sous chef.

And that's when I learned like, there's a lot that goes in the back of the house and the behind the scenes in food service, whether some menu planning or sourcing ingredients, coordinating with distributors. And, and so I was fascinated about like, how much strategy went into every meal. And I just, my eyes just got open to the whole value chain.

So when I was in grad school at Washington State, my professor, he had worked in the potato industry or worked with folks, potatoes and wine, quite the combination. But he had nothing but admiration for Lamb Weston.

You know, he said their presence in Washington was unbeatable, like arguably one of the most productive potato regions in the world. But it wasn't just about geography.

You know, he really believed in the long term vision, how they would collaborate with their customers and engage across the entire supply chain to create opportunities. And he actually had so much confidence in my fit there, he told me I should pay Lamb Weston to go to work for, for them like that first year.

So thankfully that wasn't part of the onboarding process. But, you know, there was a lot of truth in the things he had to say.

And, and so I took the leap and, and actually went to work in a manufacturing facility on the floor, in production, an entire year on graveyard and, and saw, you know, where, where the work happens and what did that look.

Nick: 00:09:32

Like when you were, when you first started?

Ashley: 00:09:35

Yeah, so it was a lot of hands on, overseeing the production of potatoes into French fries from the beginning of where they're delivered all the way to the end to their, shipped out to customers. So it was a lot. As a young person coming out of college, you're also putting them to a leadership role, overseeing hundreds of employees.

And from that perspective, from a professional development, personal development perspective, it was about the best experience I think you can give a young professional. Right. Learning how to work with people and motivate them. And so it was, it was just really an incredible part of my career journey.

And, and now as a leader in agriculture, I reflect on that experience all the time. Right.

Because what I saw was the interconnectedness between, between the farms and the factory and, and the interconnectness extends all the way to the operators. Right. So it really taught me how critical what happens upstream and on our farms can be in the, in the factories.

Nick: 00:10:40

Yeah.

Would you ever go in, you know, when you first started, did you ever go to where you know the product, the potatoes are being grown to meet the farmers or the growers? Did you ever get to see that part?

Ashley: 00:10:53

Yeah, absolutely.

We went through a training program and actually, you know, you have to demonstrate you're competent in understanding how they're grown and what makes a good potato and all the ways that systems are created to build in quality and consistency, food safety, you know, all of the, all of the things that are important in food so that customers and consumers can trust where they come from.

So we had to go through training and get certified before, before we could, we could promote up within the company and again, just one of those experiences that I, I pull on every day in what I do.

Nick: 00:11:28

Yeah. When it comes to where the product comes from, is it mainly here on the western US or is it from other areas as well?

Ashley: 00:11:37

Yeah, in North America, the majority comes from the Pacific Northwest. So Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alberta. And potatoes are also grown in the upper Midwest. So for Lamb Weston, that'd be Minnesota.

And then in North America there's also potato, potato production region in the Northeast. So if you think about potatoes, they like warm days and cool nights and plenty of sunshine and just the right amount of water.

And those are the kind of growing areas that can produce that good of crop.

Nick: 00:12:11

Gotcha it. And so once the, the product is picked, it's sent to your, you know, facilities to be produced into French fries or wherever it goes.

What does that process look like?

Ashley: 00:12:24

Yeah, so we make french fries year round. We grow potatoes one time a year. So it's, it's a bit tricky. Right.

We have to get it right in terms of making sure we're growing the right potatoes and the rice, but spot for the right products and anticipate like what do our customers want, what are they going to sell, what's going to be important to them in the future? So we talk a lot about that, long term planning, menu trends, service requirements, all of those things.

And then we work with our farmers as well because they're making investments in land and equipment and managing their upstream supply on inputs like seed to make sure they have those right things.

So, so we, we do a lot of planning and then the ground is prepped in the fall, potatoes are planted in the spring and they're harvested in the late summer and early fall. And then they're put in storage and they're used out of storage for the remaining season until harvest the following summer.

Nick: 00:13:22

What happens, you know, because I'm sure agricultural, that's a hard word to say. Can be kind of, can be kind of fickle. I'm sure with, with weather the season, if you pick once a year, you grow once a year.

What happens on a bad year?

Ashley: 00:13:38

That's a great question. I mean, I think that's probably the funnest part of our job, right? It's very dynamic. Every season is different.

But it's also the most humbling because no matter how well you control the controllables, I mean, mother Nature ultimately determines what you have to deal with.

And so a lot of it is how we source our potatoes and having diversity, different growing regions that we work with and finding ways to keep relationships going in other parts of the industry. So maybe we need to tap into the fresh market and buy some fresh potatoes. And the opposite can happen too.

Sometimes you just have bumper crops and there's a lot of potatoes and not enough time in the calendar to process them all. So you, maybe you're working with the dehydration market that can make flakes or granules and they can put it in more of a shelf stable product.

So it's a small industry. We all collaborate, we all work together, we all need each other to manage through the volatility.

Nick: 00:14:39

And I know you mentioned Alberta, but is there an international component to this too? Is there potatoes being grown like in South America or Europe or other countries where it's imported?

Maybe not necessarily what Lamb Weston is buying, but just in general.

Ashley: 00:14:53

Yeah, for sure. I mean, the potatoes are globally beloved product.

And French fries, certainly as quick serve restaurants are growing and expanding, are becoming more and more popular. So when you think outside of North America, Western Europe is also a major production area in both of those regions, export globally.

But, but what we're seeing the last maybe five to 10 years is the development of more regional production for local markets. So Lamb Weston is a great example. They've invested in places like China and Argentina and Australia for local production.

Some of those markets are mature in terms of how they grow potatoes. Some of them are still developing.

So there's a lot of best practices that we share, a lot of ways we can help overcome challenges and, and interestingly enough is as different as our worlds are. Wherever you go growing potatoes, we have a lot of the same, the same issues. Right. So we can learn from each other and collaborate.

But certainly the world loves fries and we're very fortunate to be in a category that we could give potatoes purpose and give a product to our operators that they could be profitable with. So it's just a really amazing thing.

Nick: 00:16:13

To be a Part of I recently had a gentleman on and he was talking, he was in production and he was talking about just different opportunities that he, he had been in his company for over 30 years and he was talking about different opportunities that had come around. You know, getting into the K12 segment, getting more into food service and all these different channels and segments.

Do you see over, you know, in the future or an ongoing trend of, you know, need for new, unique, innovative products? And what would those be?

Ashley: 00:16:45

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's probably the most important area for food companies and certainly ones like Len Mustin that are a pure potato company.

Like, we have to continually innovate to make sure we're staying up on, on what's important and what's relevant in our markets. So if you think back the last five years, like the pandemic, the same trends operators were seeing on drive thru and delivery impact. Fries, right?

Fries are amazing. Hot out of the fryer. They're not as amazing sitting in a bag 10, 15 minutes later.

So from the innovation perspective, you know, we see, you know, different formulations that can handle some of that, handling that different. And then a lot of the more recent trends we're seeing are around comfort. And potatoes are a comfort food. Right.

So how do we bring that to our operators and customers? They're also at an incredible value. So how do we take up more of the plate and deliver that to our customers as well?

So there's product innovation, which is really important.

But, but the area that I spend a lot of time in, and I think Lem Weston is also deeply committed to, is innovation in our process, how we work with our customers and our operators. Is there a way, I mean, the back of the house, as you know, there's a lot going on there, right? Like how do we simplify what's going on with them?

How do we make it easier for them to be successful? And so whether it's packaging or whether it's how we cook our potatoes, how do we bring solutions to operators that are still using handcuffed fries?

Right. And with labor expenses and other things.

So I could go on, we could probably talk all day about innovation because there's that much energy around it. But truly, I think the collaboration we have with all parts of the supply chain is what brings it to life.

And solving those problems together is where we see the most success.

Nick: 00:18:58

Yeah, totally. I think being in touch with the supply chain, understanding the operator and user demand, what they're looking for.

Have you seen a change in the type of potatoes that you use or has it stayed pretty consistent with the ones that you use and have used for know in the past?

Ashley: 00:19:19

Yeah, great. Great question. I think in the fresh market, we see this shift, like, away from reds to yellows on the specialty varieties.

In the frozen category, I think what we're seeing is the innovation is really more around flavors and seasonings. And so that the beautiful part about kind of a russeted skin white potato is it's a blank palette for whatever we want to throw on it.

So in that regards, there's been quite a, a bit of stability in that varietal piece. But quality is, is always, you know, in the, in the eyes of the beholder.

So historically, really long french fries were important, and in many cases that's still what makes up a premium potato. And, and we're fortunate to live in an area that has the growing season to produce those. Not everywhere in the world can do that.

And, and that's part of, of that premium part of Lamb Weston's offering.

But when it comes to other trends in potatoes, I think what we're seeing more is people want to understand where the potato comes from and the people that are growing the potatoes and all the care that gets put in on the farms right behind the house of the farmer, what's going on there. And understanding that there's really great practices and good people that are growing and sourcing.

We're sourcing potatoes responsibly is, is really important as well.

Nick: 00:20:45

It's that farm to table movement. I mean, I definitely see it living because I live here in Orange county in California, and I definitely see that more and more. You know, there's.

Because I'm on the sales side and I represent different manufacturers and, you know, when our team goes out, makes presentations to our operator customers, we, we get more and more value from saying this is a California company or this is grown here in the west or this is produced here in, you know, in the Southwest or whatever it may be that people or at least operators, they're getting behind that, that message because then they can carry that message that they put it, broadcast it on their menus or communicate it to, you know, their customers in some way. So we're definitely seeing a movement towards, towards that wanting to have more information on who's growing the product and where it's coming from.

And, you know, is the organics, right, Is become a big thing. Is it organic? Is it not organic? Is sustainably sourced. So I definitely see that on my side for sure.

Ashley: 00:21:50

Yeah, no, that's, it's A conversation especially around sustainability that we've been having for decades. Right. Because, you know, it's, it's a long term commitment and progress is often incremental.

But if you can drive it at a large scale, you can really move the needle on growing potatoes smarter.

So we're pretty fortunate, I think, in agriculture and in the potato industry specifically to have a fair amount of investment in technology and growing practices. And it's an area that industry is always very focused on. So a good example is smart devices. You know how we wear our smart watches or smart ring.

We're figuring out how to do that with potato crops too. I mean, we've always had moisture monitors in the field to say, oh, do we have enough water?

But now we can put like a sensor on the vine to say exactly how much water is that potato using?

So it's, it's pretty incredible when it comes to how do we continue to grow potatoes in the west, where water is more and more scarce and precious, and how can we continue to be good stewards of that resource and make sure we can have, you know, Pacific Northwest regionally grown potatoes and french fries for our customers.

Nick: 00:23:08

It's funny you mentioned the smart wearing. I'm wearing one right now that's my sleep and, and my quality of sleep. How long? I.

It's like, it's, it checks my stress throughout the day and, and my exercise. It's pretty incredible what these. There's like three little sensors underneath it. How it's able to track through my skin. I don't know how it works.

How does it work though, when it's, you know, the sensors on the vines tracking the, the water or the moisture?

Ashley: 00:23:34

Yeah, same thing. It's, it's like, it's a sensor you put on the vine.

There's a micro needle technology and it's measuring, it's measuring the flow of what they call SAP. But it tells you how much water that plant is actually taking up out of the soil.

So if you think about it, it'd be like instead of drinking eight waters or eight glasses of water a day, imagine if your smart ring was like, no, you really only need six today. Like, you're good, you're hydrated, right? That's what we can tell with these sensors is, is like, no, the plant is using the water or it's not.

So let's not water it if it doesn't need to. So it's real time like you said. I mean, you're getting real time feedback, maybe even some data overload occasionally. Sure.

Nick: 00:24:15

Oh, I definitely have that with this ring. There's so many different features. I'm like, I don't know what it's talking about. Looks good, right?

Ashley: 00:24:22

Right. So what do we do with that information? How do we use it to make better decisions about your wellness or. Or the wellness of our crops?

Ultimately, it's all about just having the healthiest plant possible. Just like you want to be the healthiest person possible.

Nick: 00:24:38

What are some of the measurements or readings that you would take? You know, what are some of the main things that you do track with those sensors? I would.

I know you mentioned like, amount of water, but why is that important?

Ashley: 00:24:51

Yeah, for sure. I mean, just like us potatoes do really well when they don't have stress.

And so we want to make sure they have the right nutrients, we want to make sure they have the right hydration. So there's all sorts of technologies that are used.

A really well established one is actually taking the tissue of the mine and crushing it up and looking at the nutrient levels in it. So say it needs more potassium. Right. We can spoon feed more vitamins to the crop while we're growing it to make sure it has enough potassium.

So that's another way we really monitor the nutrient levels, the hydration levels, and we have technology that helps us scout the fields. So remotely monitor the crops or go out there and say, hey, this vine is showing signs of a disease.

So we need to make sure we protect that plant and so it doesn't spread or create a infection. So a lot of. A lot of care, definitely that's enabled by technology.

Nick: 00:25:49

Yeah, that's cool. When you spoon feed it potassium, is it. You do it through the water source, right?

Ashley: 00:25:55

Exactly. Yep. You just put some fertilizer in with the overhead pivot irrigation systems, and then it gets sprinkled on and as you water the potatoes.

Nick: 00:26:04

And I would imagine, you know, in these massive fields where the potatoes are, how are they? Because, you know, Lamb Weston, I'm sure, is buying a lot of potatoes. How are you picking them at mass scale?

Ashley: 00:26:18

Yeah, that's a, that's a great question. Especially where you have a window where everything needs harvested and put away.

And, and so we work with our growers very closely to figure out what is the most optimal schedule to do that. And thankfully, they're experts in how to do it with care, how to make sure that they're sequenced. Right.

The right potatoes are coming directly to the manufacturer during harvest.

And then we're putting very, very best potatoes in the storages that need to last you know, 10 months and then the potatoes that we're going to need to use sooner in more of our short term buildings to make sure that there's no difference in the quality, the flavor throughout the entire process. And we sample all the time in the field, in the storage, at the factory, and that really gives us the data that we need to make those decisions.

And it all comes back to collaboration. Right. Growers see their crops every day. We have field teams that also partner with them to share what we're seeing.

And not just on their farm, but, you know, across the entire continent. And oftentimes that interaction kind of really helps drive the right decisions around the crop.

Nick: 00:27:36

And do you collaborate with the other suppliers, the, you know, I guess in this case your competition when it comes to the agri agricultural side, you know, and the crops, do you communicate across one's, one another or is it, you know, you kind of have your, your separate.

Ashley: 00:27:55

That's a great question. I think there definitely are pre competitive topics, right. That are, are important for collaboration.

Yeah, the potato industry is really well known for tremendous grower leadership and they're well organized in organizations.

So thankfully we often collaborate through our growers where we're supporting joint efforts, be it policy and regulation decisions, nutrition standards. Sustainability is a great example of.

We don't all need to reinvent the wheel on things, but we have a lot of the shared challenges and when we can come together, whether it's as an industry or with Lamb Weston and our growers, that power of partnership is pretty incredible in moving the needle forward and getting to where we need to be on some of these issues. It's never really easy solutions for some of these things. So we need as many minds as possible.

And I think, I would say also global collaboration really helps with that. In Europe, the regulatory environment is much different.

So oftentimes we learn a lot about how to adapt to changes in regulation first in that region and then we can make good investments in being prepared for changes in regulations in North America.

Nick: 00:29:14

And as part of what you do on a daily basis, do you ever make recommendations, you know, when you mentioned policy, does it, you know, to Washington of this is what we're seeing or what, you know, recommendations on, you know, future decision making?

Ashley: 00:29:29

Yeah, that's, that's a great question.

When it comes to policymaking, again, we're very fortunate to have growers that are in leadership roles that we work with every day and are very familiar with each other's challenges. So they're able to advocate on behalf of the entire Industry, including us.

And it takes a lot of just wanting to know each other's business really well. And so I think that's the partnership element that really comes through in terms of understanding how do we make this work for the entire industry.

The potato industry is very integrated. Right. There's not a lot of growers, and they depend on manufacturers, and we depend on our growers. So really, the challenges are ours jointly. And.

And so it's important for us, though, that the folks that are close enough, like the literal boots on the ground, are the ones that impacts the closest. So their voice is something that we really try to empower.

Nick: 00:30:30

Yeah, no doubt. And what about for you? What are some of the most exciting projects that you are currently working on or, you know, on the horizon?

Ashley: 00:30:39

So, one of the. The biggest challenges. I'm. I'm in the second half of my career, right.

I've spent the last 20 years being able to absorb the knowledge and experience of an amazing generation that has. Since, you know, retired or. And so now I find myself in the interwole. A lot of.

I think professionals are where it's our responsibility to, you know, leave it better than we found it, which is a common theme throughout farming and agriculture in the food system. Right. How do we always just make things better?

So when I think about the future and what I'm excited about, it's really creating these resilient systems of how we run our business, how we work with all the parts of our system to best support our customers, and making sure that my impact is everlasting and that the folks behind me can build on that impact. It's. It doesn't leave when I. When I do. Hopefully someday far in the future.

Nick: 00:31:42

Amazing. Well, actually, I just want to say thank you so much for coming on and sharing. I learned so much. I had no idea. You know, it's funny, every time I.

When I started this podcast a few years ago, I didn't. I.

My community was really like salespeople that I worked with, and I've met so many interesting people over the years and yourself included, and I've learned so much. So I just want to say thank you for. For coming on and sharing a little bit about yourself and Lamb Weston and what you're up to and your passions.

I really enjoyed our conversation. So thank you.

Ashley: 00:32:16

Yeah, it's been great. Thank you for. For having me and appreciate it, of course.