PETA to Idaho Potato Commission: Join Us in Seeking White House Easter Egg Roll Spud Swap

For Immediate Release:
March 18, 2026

Contact:
Hannah Nelson 202-483-7382

Ahead of the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, PETA sent a letter today to Jamey Higham, President and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission, with a spud-tacular suggestion: join PETA in encouraging the First Lady to modernize the celebration by swapping eggs for animal-friendly Idaho^® potatoes.

PETA points out that dyeing potatoes at Easter is more popular than ever—and a White House Easter Potato Roll would boost Idaho’s potato farmers while leaving hens in peace and ensuring that every tot who doesn’t eat eggs for ethical, environmental, health, or religious reasons can join the festivities. In the egg industry, hens often spend their entire lives in cages smaller than a letter-sized sheet of paper, unable to stretch even one wing.

“Easter should be a celebration of renewal and joy for everyone—and choosing potatoes over eggs would give birds a break while sprouting smiles across the country,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA encourages the Idaho Potato Commission to help us root for a new, a-peel-ing tradition that swaps tired old Easter eggs for Idaho’s superior spuds.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA also offers a free vegan starter kit on its website for anyone ready to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Higham follows.

March 18, 2026

Jamey Higham

President and CEO

Idaho Potato Commission

Dear Mr. Higham:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 10.4 million members and supporters globally, including many thousands in Idaho—with a suggestion for an appeeling new way to promote potatoes Grown in Idaho^®: Would you please join us in encouraging the first lady to modernize the White House Easter Egg Roll by replacing it with an annual White House Potato Roll? This would be a terrific way to support Idaho’s potato farmers and would be welcomed by every tot who doesn’t eat eggs for religious, cultural, or environmental reasons or because they object to the way animals, including hens, are raised and killed these days. Please allow me to elaborate.

Our suggestion is not half-baked: While PETA has been a dyehard fan of Easter potatoes for some time, the trend has taken off so well over the last few years that it’s impossible for anyone in the potato business to ignore. Media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, FOX News, iHeartRadio, and many others have featured stories about dyeing potatoes instead of eggs. Last year, the topic trended on social media, with countless how-to videos on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Gen Z, whose global purchasing power is expected to grow to $12 trillion by 2030, generally prioritizes sustainability, health, and ethical consumption. You may know that dyed Easter potatoes can be eaten, producing no waste and still allowing families to enjoy spudtacular traditional activities, such as rolling, seeking, and decorating them.

Another compelling reason to urge the FLOTUS to choose potatoes is that it would protect animals from suffering. It can take up to 36 hours in typically hellish conditions for a hen—who spends her entire life in a cage smaller than a letter-sized sheet of paper or crammed onto a densely packed shed floor—to produce just one egg. Mother hens chirp to their babies while they’re in the shell, and the chicks peep back, forming a deep bond before the chicks are even born. In starch contrast, potatoes don’t harm any sentient being and would encourage revelers to show kindness to others.

We’re rooting for you to help us make potatoes a permanent part of Easter fun at the White House and beyond. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder