On April 16, over 5,000 Purdue University students—almost 10% of the student body—participated in Potato Fest, a campus event that featured potatoes fueling performance and engaged students with samples and cooking classes. The event drew 100+ new members to Team Potato, and nutrition education staff at Purdue called it a “phenomenal response.”
Why it matters: The event gave Gen Z (ages 18-28) the opportunity to learn more about the nutritional benefits of potatoes.
Go deeper: Purdue has a large student body and a strong reputation as a research university. Many of its faculty members are prominent leaders in nutrition.
Potato inspiration: Chef RJ Harvey, Director of Culinary at Potatoes USA, and Executive Sous Chef Aurora Hollenbeck shared their extensive potato knowledge with students in cooking classes hosted at Purdue’s recreation center. The classes featured Gen Z-friendly recipes, including:
During the event, Potatoes USA team members encouraged students to incorporate more potatoes into their cooking and diets and worked to dispel myths about potato nutrition.
Students also participated in a potato-themed race where they could compare their times. It was powered by the popular fitness tracking app Strava, which Potatoes USA has used for other successful fitness campaigns.
Results: Over 5,000 students participated, resulting in over 100 new Team Potato sign-ups. The event also had strong social media reach.
What they’re saying: Purdue staff shared positive student comments, including:
“I’ve been avoiding potatoes; I didn’t know they were okay to eat.”
“I didn’t know you could do this much with a potato!”
“This was awesome, will or when will they be coming back?”
Students also shared that RJ and Aurora were “fantastic role models,” “relatable and cool,” and “effective with their communication.”
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