June 2024 Badger Common'Tater

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

POWER OF POTATOES On School Cafeteria Plates

WPVGA HOSTS CANADIAN Reverse Trade Mission

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Is Applicable to Your Operation

FOOD + FARM PARTNERS WITH Farmshed to Stock Area Pantries

Paul Miller Farms

The sun setting over a Paul Miller Farms field during carrot harvest has been captured beautifully by Ian Miller’s friend, Aaron Schmidt.

On the Cover: It’s probably safe to assume that a harvest moon showed itself after this spectacular sunset was captured over Paul Miller Farms in late September. The photo was taken by Ian Miller’s friend, Aaron Schmidt, at dusk during carrot harvest on a field near the Paul Miller Farms headquarters in Hancock, Wisconsin. Ian is this issue’s interviewee.

8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW:

As the farm manager/owner of Paul Miller Farms, in Hancock, Wisconsin, Ian Miller takes pride in his family’s history and daily operation. The multi-generational potato and vegetable growing business was founded by the farm’s namesake, Paul Miller, who was inducted into the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Hall of Fame in 2021-’22 and has been active in the industry for 60 years. Ian, who started working on the farm full-time after high school, has never looked back.

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WPVGA Board of Directors:

PresideNt: Charlie Mattek

Vice PresideNt: JohN Bustama Nte

Secretary: Alex Okray

Treasurer: WeNdy Dykstra

Directors: Mike BagiNski, Ra Ndy Fleishauer, JohN HopfeNsperger, Josh KNights & J.D. Schroeder

Wisconsin Potato Industry Board:

PresideNt: Heidi Alsum-Ra Ndall

Vice PresideNt: ANdy Diercks

Secretary: Nicola Carey

Treasurer: Keith Wolter

Directors: JohN Bobek, JohN FeNske, Jim Okray, Eric Schroeder & Tom Wild

WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors:

PresideNt: Matt SeleNske

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Vice PresideNt: Etha N OlsoN

Secretary: Morga N Smolarek

Treasurer: Paul Salm

Directors: Melissa Heise, Brady Patoka, Scott Scheer, Sally Suprise & Bra NdoN Taylor

Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement

Association Board of Directors:

PresideNt: Jeff SuchoN

Vice PresideNt: Charlie HusNick

Secretary/Treasurer: Mitch Mattek

Directors: ANdy Schroeder & CloVer Spacek

Wisconsin Potato Growers

Auxiliary Board of Directors: PresideNt: Heidi Schleicher

Vice PresideNt: DatoNN Ha Nke

Secretary/Treasurer: Becky Wysocki

Directors: Jody BagiNski, EriN Meister, Dakotah Smiley & Misti Ward

Mission Statement of the WPVGA: To serve the potato and vegetable industry of Wisconsin through education, research, promotion, governmental action and sustainability leadership.

Mission Statement of the WPVGA Associate Division: To work in partnership with the WPVGA as product and service providers to promote mutual industry viability by providing technology and information resources.

Badger Common’Tater is published monthly at 700 Fifth Avenue, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409

WPVGA Staff

ExecutiVe Director: Tamas Houliha N Ma N agiNg Editor: Joe Kertzma N Director of PromotioNs & CoNsumer

EducatioN: Da N a Rady

FiN a Ncial Officer: KareN RasmusseN

ExecutiVe Assista Nt: Julie BrauN

Program Assista Nt: Ja Ne GuilleN

Spudmobile EducatioN a Nd Outreach

AdmiNistrator: George Neuber

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ADVERTISING: To advertise your service or product in this magazine, call (715) 630-6213, or email: Joe Kertzman: jkertzman@wisconsinpotatoes.com. The editor welcomes manuscripts and pictures but accepts no responsibility for such material while in our hands.

MARK YOUR Calendar

Planting Ideas

I always have fun going through old photos from multi-generational family farms when I meet with growers for interviews or impromptu visits. There were plenty such photos when I visited Dennis West of Nuto Farm Supply, Inc. of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and interviewed him for the December 2023 issue of the Badger Common’Tater. In the article, I used seven historic photos of the West family, who’ve been raising potatoes in the area for four generations dating back to 1929. Recently, Dennis unearthed another great image, above, of the 1956 “Wisconsin State Potato Show,” in Antigo. The cars, clothes, hand painted sign and advertisement for Ortho pesticide transport one to another era.

I got to visit another farm being run by the second and third generations—Paul Miller Farms, of Hancock. There I met Paul’s grandson, Ian Miller, and took some pictures of potato planting before Ian’s dad, Todd, took me around the farm for a brief tour, and even accompanied me to Gramma Miller’s Farm Market where the family sells fresh produce, flowers in season, and other goods. Enjoy the “Interview” featured in this issue.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet some incredible people over the past month who have provided me with plenty of inspiration and material for the magazine. The WPVGA hosted a Canadian Reverse Trade Mission, April 14-17, with growers from Canada and representatives of trade associations and produce companies traveling to the state for farm, agribusiness, Food + Farm Exploration Center, and University of Wisconsin tours and presentations. Representatives from most provinces attended.

The Food + Farm Exploration Center was central to another couple events, one May 3, when the WPVGA Association Division hosted a Spring Student Recruitment Day. A follow-up to the Student Grower Ed Recruitment effort of inviting university and technical college students to the Grower Education Conference & Industry Show earlier this year, this time, high school students were included in the mix of those potentially pursuing careers in agriculture. See “Eyes on Associates” herein. The Food + Farm Exploration Center held a media event, May 9, to announce its partnership with Central Rivers Farmshed to provide fresh food to area communities. As part of a grant made possible by the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, Farmshed will wash and package vegetables grown at the exploration center and distribute them to local food pantries.

Please email me with your thoughts and questions. If you wish to be notified when our free online magazine is available monthly, here is the subscriber link: http://wisconsinpotatoes.com/blog-news/subscribe.

N1435 Cty Rd D

Antigo, WI (715) 623-2689 farm@sbfi.biz johnt@sbfi.biz

NAME: Ian Miller

TITLE: Owner and farm manager

COMPANY: Paul Miller Farms

LOCATION: Hancock, WI

HOMETOWN: Hancock, WI

YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: Five years as farm manager, and 13 years as an irrigation and IT (information technology) tech

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: Heartland Farms

SCHOOLING: Tri-County High School and Mid-State Technical College

FAMILY: Wife, Kayte, and children, Blake (10), Joslynn (7), and Allie “Peanut” (4)

HOBBIES: Farming, spending time with family, and golfing (when I have time)

Interview IAN MILLER, owner and

farm manager, Paul Miller Farms

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

Like a beacon or badge of honor, the sign at the intersection of Beechnut Drive and 4th Avenue in Hancock, Wisconsin, points the way to Paul Miller Farms and reads, “In 2022, this farm produced 7,241 tons of potatoes, 17,530 tons of carrots, 5,217 tons of sweet corn, 2,267 tons of snap beans, and 578 tons of peas for the world.”

There’s another sign a short distance away on Beechnut announcing one’s arrival at Gramma Miller’s Farm Market, open May-October, where the Miller family sells fresh produce and flowers in season, and other goods. A four-acre field is dedicated to specialty crops for the farm market.

Combined with the “Paul Miller Farms” sign, the multi-generational potato and vegetable growing operation is a welcoming place and one with a storied history in the Central Sands area of the state.

The farm’s namesake, Paul Miller, was inducted into the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Hall of Fame in 2021-’22 and has been active in the industry for nearly 60 years.

Paul was a field supervisor for the Green Giant Company in Arkansas and Oklahoma before leaving, in 1967, to become farm manager for Badger Growers, a 1,000-acre green bean and sweet corn operation located in Hancock at the time.

HIS OWN FARM

In 1974, he leased some land and started his own farming operation. In addition to raising snap beans and sweet corn, Paul grew potatoes for

Above: As owner and farm manager of Paul Miller Farms in Hancock, Wisconsin, Ian Miller wears many hats, as the GPS technician, for one, and controlling day-today operations, maintaining the irrigation systems, coordinating spraying and fertilizer applications, and running the potato planter, harvester, and other equipment that needs to be operated throughout the summer.

American Potato, which later became Basic American Foods.

In 1990, he bought all assets of Badger Growers and made Paul Miller Farms, Inc. into an 1,100acre irrigated potato and vegetable operation.

Paul Miller Farms has grown alongside the family and includes Paul’s son, Todd, daughter, Michelle, and grandsons, Jordan and Ian, the latter of whom is this issue’s interviewee.

Ian qualifies, “My father, Todd, manages our farm market and controls the distribution of anhydrous ammonia to other farms around the area. My aunt, Michelle, is the secretary/treasurer for our organization. She also helps with managing the farm market.”

“My cousin, Jordan, runs our sprayer and one of our carrot harvesters,” Ian explains. “He also helps with the potato planting process.”

“My cousin, Makenzie, is starting to learn the bookkeeping end of things and helps with our fresh peas harvest operation,” he adds, “and my cousin, Austin, is learning things from the mechanical side of the farm.”

What is your own history with Paul Miller Farms? I started working full-

time after high school. We had been growing potatoes for Ore-Ida and continued with McCain Foods when they took over.

We started growing carrots for Birds Eye foods in the mid-’90s and have worked with Green Giant, Seneca Foods, Lakeside Foods, Razorback Farms, Hartung Brothers, and Midwestern Potatoes over the years.

Did you grow up on the farm? Yes, I grew up helping with what I could after school and in the summertime. After high school, I took a more

Left: Brussels sprouts are grown along with several other specialty crops on a four-acre plot specifically planted each year for fresh produce to be sold at Gramma Miller’s Farm Market, in Hancock.

RIght: A bird’s-eye view of Paul Miller Farms shows an enormous pile of carrots, the largest crop grown by the operation annually.

essential role as a farm hand, learning the irrigation end of our operation and starting to really understand all the steps for growing crops from my grandfather.

This is where I learned most of the practices that we still employ today. We have improved on these aspects over the years with the help of technology, but they are still the same basic steps.

Do you have any favorite memories

of the farm from when you were young? My favorite memory is when I was around 9 or 10 and I helped unload potatoes that were cut for seed. This was my job when I got home from school. I would hop in a belted trailer to pull boards and unload seed potatoes.

What are some of your daily duties as farm manager? My main job since I returned to the farm 13 years ago has been to maintain the irrigation

Above: Ian Miller plants Snowden potatoes destined for the Top Tier Ingredients potato flake and flour plant in Hancock, Wisconsin.

Farmers love to line up their trucks, and the Paul Miller Farms family is no different.

systems. I have also been the GPS technician since that day.

Now, in the last 5 years, I have adapted to the role of controlling day-to-day operations. At the same time, I also coordinate all our spraying and fertilizer applications. I run our potato planter and harvester, and any other equipment that needs to be operated throughout the summer.

What are your main crops and how many acres of each? Carrots are our main crop, raising around 800 acres per year. We grow 450-500 acres of potatoes, 800-1,000 acres of corn, beans, and peas, and we also raise 25-30 acres of fresh market peas per year.

We plant a small amount of fresh market peas every day or two, and then harvest, wash, bag and deliver them around the state daily starting in mid-June.

Who are your main customers for potatoes and vegetables? Most of our carrots get delivered to the Birds Eye food plant in Darien, Wisconsin. We also have a small contract with Del Monte Foods for carrots.

“Watching everything go full circle is very satisfying to me. With running the planter, irrigation, and harvester for potatoes, I get to see every step firsthand.” – Ian Miller

Unique operations need unique solutions.

Above: The sign says it all at the corner of Beechnut Drive and 4th Avenue, in Hancock, pointing the way to Paul Miller Farms. continued on pg. 12

Almost all our potatoes get delivered to McCain Foods. Depending on our available acreage, we do send potatoes to Midwestern Potatoes, in Plainfield, for fresh market processing. All our peas (aside from fresh market), beans, and corn get delivered to Seneca Foods for different plants throughout the state. What varieties of potatoes does Paul Miller Farms currently raise? We primarily grow Russet Burbank potatoes for McCain Foods. When we have available acres for the year,

we send Goldrush to Midwestern. This year, we are raising a few acres of Snowdens for the Top Tier Ingredients dehydration facility, in Hancock.

How many total acres will you be harvesting, and in what crop sequence? We will be harvesting 25 acres of peas starting around June 15th until about July 6th. After that, we go into harvesting 470 acres of potatoes starting the first week of September.

Shortly after that, we will begin our carrot harvest (end of September to early October). This will last until sometime around Thanksgiving or the first week of December. Seneca Foods usually starts harvesting our peas, beans, and corn in the middle of June.

Do you have new equipment or technologies that you are either excited to use or have been using? We’ve had the same technology for the past few years—GPS-guided tractors for all our field operations, and our carrot planter, the potato planters, and seeding and liquid applications are controlled through our Trimble Guidance screens.

All liquid applications for row crops (hilling, spraying, etc.) are also controlled through the GPS screen. The one thing that we have added over the last few years is a new irrigation system that will hopefully make my job a little easier so I can focus on other aspects of the farm.

Above: The three-row ASA-Lift carrot harvester is shown sitting idle and in action at Paul Miller Farms.

Left: Farm progress takes on a whole new meaning in this three-panel photo of Ian and Kayte Miller’s children, from top to bottom, Blake, Joslynn and Allie.

Does your father, Todd, still deal in ASA-Lift vegetable harvester parts and equipment? As of November 2023, we are no longer the ASALift parts dealer in North America. (Spudnik is owned by Grimme, and Grimme also owns ASA-Lift, so Big Iron Equipment is the local dealer now.)

What’s your own favorite part of the growing season? My favorite part of the whole operation is seeing the stages that it takes to produce crops, going from seed you stick in the ground to cultivation practices to the maintenance/watering progression of the crop and harvesting the final product.

continued on pg. 14

Top: Four generations of the Miller family include, from left to right, Todd, his son, Ian, holding his own son, Blake, and the farm’s namesake, Paul.

Bottom: Any number of John Deere tractors can be seen at Paul Miller Farms hooked up to implements ranging from carrot bed shapers to spreaders and everything in between.

Watching everything go full circle is very satisfying to me. With running the planter, irrigation, and harvester for potatoes, I get to see every step firsthand.

What has Paul Miller Farms gotten better at as far as potato and vegetable growing in the time

you’ve been on the farm? We have improved efficiency in most aspects since I've been here, from watering and fertilizer application to more precise seeding during planting.

I have cut inputs almost in half over the last four years. Better understanding crop water needs

through my work with moisture probes, I am not wasting water applied through the irrigation system.

Can some of your equipment be adapted and used for both potato and vegetable planting and harvest? We have separate potato and carrot equipment for each crop. Some parts can be interchanged, but each piece of equipment is specific to that crop.

What are the biggest challenges of being a potato and vegetable grower today? The biggest challenges that we and almost all farms face are Mother Nature and the rising costs of equipment and inputs.

When it comes to coping with Mother Nature, you’re at her mercy. As far as rising costs go, we are trying to produce the same quality crop with fewer inputs, and over the last few years, we have been somewhat successful at doing this.

How many people does Paul Miller Farms employ? We have seven fulltime and 30 part-time employees.

How far does your land stretch in any direction? We are one of the luckier farms in the area. The farthest field that we own is only about five

Though the original reason for opening Gramma Miller’s Farm Market was to sell peas, visitors can find a variety of fresh produce, flowers, garden decor, and baked goods, among many other offerings.

Left: An aerial view shows potato harvest in full swing at Paul Miller Farms.

Right: Ian Miller has quite a little helper in his daughter, Allie, as the two inspect carrot quality in a Paul Miller Farms field.

miles away. We rent land from other farms in the area for carrot ground, and we have raised crops up to 20 miles from our main farm.

I see that Gramma Miller’s Farm Market is still going strong. Who runs it, and is it mainly a fresh produce and floral retail store? Our farm market is managed by Todd and Michelle. We have a small four-acre “garden” where we grow some of our own produce to sell at the market.

Things we sell are fresh produce, flowers, garden decor, and fresh baked goods. Our main reason for opening the market was the sale of our fresh peas.

Are you immediately thinking about harvest operations after planting, and what needs to be done now to ensure a quality crop come late summer and fall? After planting, my mind goes to timing of fertilizer applications, cultivation applications, spray applications, and application

of water. There are so many aspects that fall between planting and harvest to produce a quality crop. Harvest does cross my mind, mostly all the work that needs to be done before harvesttime, but that is about as far as those thoughts go until mid-August or so.

What do you hope for the fall harvest this year and/or for the future of Paul Miller Farms? I hope that Mother Nature will be kind to us this fall for harvest and we can get the crops out in a timely fashion. As far as the future of Paul Miller Farms, I’m optimistically looking forward to the growth of our farm, our acreage, and ability to be as efficient as possible.

Is there anything you’d like to add, Ian? Thank you for choosing me for this interview. It is a great honor. I would like to give a special thank you to my wife, for without her, this would not be possible.

I’d also like to thank all the people who have worked at Paul Miller Farms to help make it what it is today. I wish everyone a safe and successful growing/harvest season!

Ian Miller says without his wife, Kayte, “this would not be possible.”

Power of Potatoes on the Plate

Study shows spuds play a beneficial role in encouraging school-age children to eat more vegetables

Submitted by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education

Study shows serving kid-friendly forms of potatoes with other vegetables in a cafeteria setting increases overall vegetable intake.

A new study published in Nutrients academic journal (https://www.mdpi. com/journal/nutrients) illustrates

how potatoes may play a beneficial role in encouraging school-aged children to eat more vegetables.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans currently recommends children ages 3-18 consume between 2.5-3 cups of vegetables per day to meet their total

vegetable goals. Yet, the average school-age child eats only about 1 cup daily.

“That’s why we wanted to learn more about how school meal offerings may influence kids’ eating behavior and possibly encourage greater vegetable consumption,” explains principal investigator Gene Ahlborn, Ph.D., associate professor,

Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University.

The study found children ate more total vegetables when peas and carrots were served in combination with smiley face potatoes, suggesting that pairing kid-friendly forms of potatoes with other vegetables can promote greater overall vegetable consumption.

Shaped into happy faces, the product kids seem to like is made with mashed potatoes and sunflower oil to create a slightly crunchy exterior and soft interior.

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YOUR VEGGIES

“Getting kids to eat their vegetables is always a challenge,” Ahlborn says. “Potatoes not only add nutrients like potassium directly to the plate, but they may also help encourage kids to explore other veggies that they’re served alongside and thereby help them get closer to their overall nutrition needs.”

Top: Gene Ahlborn, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University, says the goal of the study was to learn more about how school meal offerings may influence kids’ eating behavior and possibly encourage greater vegetable consumption. Bottom: The study found that children ate more total vegetables when peas and carrots were served in the same bowl as potato smiley faces, suggesting that pairing kid-friendly forms of potatoes with other vegetables can promote greater overall vegetable consumption.

Through controlled mealtime observation, the research team evaluated how different potato presentations and preparation styles impacted the amount of vegetables school-age children consumed in a cafeteria setting.

While seasoned potatoes proved to be less appealing to the 7-13-year-old participants, and the potato smiley faces served separately from the peas and carrots did not encourage greater total vegetable consumption, meals in which potato smiley faces were served with the peas and carrots in the same bowl led to a measurable increase in total vegetables eaten.

Ahlborn and colleagues also found that serving potato smiley faces in a cafeteria setting led to reduced vegetable plate waste compared to the control meal.

“This underscores the wide-reaching impacts of school menus. We want the vegetables on school lunch trays to fuel kids’ bodies, not fill the trash can,” Ahlborn adds.

CUMULATIVE BENEFITS

Considered together, these findings suggest serving kid-friendly preparations of potatoes with other vegetables could lead to cumulative benefits not only to students’ dietary patterns, but also school cafeterias’ food waste reduction efforts.

These results align with other research findings showing that adolescents who consume potatoes are more likely to have higher

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– Gene Ahlborn,

Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Science, Brigham Young University

diet quality, nutrient intake, and adequacy, therefore encouraging potato consumption may be a sound strategy to improve nutritional status.1

Dr. Ahlborn studied children’s dietary behaviors and consumption patterns during a series of mealtimes that took place within a controlled, simulated environment designed to mimic a school cafeteria.

During each session, children were given a base meal that consisted of 2% milk, chicken nuggets, ketchup, and applesauce, along with the experimental meal component (which reflected different presentations and preparations of mixed peas and carrots).

Researchers weighed the food pre- and post-meal to assess plate waste and analyzed total vegetable consumption.

The experimental meal component

came in five variations of mixed peas and carrots (MPACs) including:

1. MPACs and a whole wheat bread roll served separately (control condition)

2. MPACs and potato smiley faces served in separate bowls

3. MPACs and seasoned diced potatoes served in separate bowls

4. MPACs and seasoned diced potatoes served in the same bowl

5. MPACs and potato smiley faces served in the same bowl

These small changes to presentation and preparation style had measurable impact on participant vegetable consumption and were illustrated in study findings. When potatoes were on trays, children ate more peas and carrots than when they were served alongside a separate bread roll.

Participants consumed the most vegetables and calories when peas/

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carrots and potato faces were served in the same bowl (452 calories total, and 8.77 grams more vegetables than compared to when peas and carrots were combined with rosemary potatoes in the same bowl).

This was a minor difference compared to the control meal, with just 21 additional calories and 5 additional grams of fat (all of which was unsaturated).

Strengths of the study included removal of parents from the immediate study environment to minimize potential bias during mealtime consumption, and food intake and plate waste was measured in real-time, compared to less accurate dietary recall methods.

While researchers took steps to create a controlled environment mimicking a school cafeteria, the experiment took place in a food lab,

which did not account for duration of mealtimes, timing of lunch before or after recess, nutrition education, or other factors related to mealtime eating behaviors at school.

Full details can be found in the published article, “The effects of potato presentation on vegetable intake in school aged children,” in Nutrients (https://doi.org/10.3390/ nu15214496).

Funding was provided by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education. The funders did not play any role in the design, data collection, analysis, or interpretation of this research.

Reference

1. Agarwal S, Fulgoni VL. Intake of Potatoes Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality, and Improved Nutrient Intake and Adequacy among US Adolescents: NHANES 2001–2018 Analysis. Nutrients 2021, Vol 13, Page 2614. 2021;13(8):2614. doi:10.3390/NU13082614

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Researchers took steps to create a controlled environment mimicking a school cafeteria.

WPVGA Hosts Canadian Reverse Trade Mission

Most provinces in Canada represented by growers, associations and produce companies

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and grower members hosted a group of potato farmers, seed farmers, trade associations and produce company representatives from most provinces in Canada for a Canadian Reverse Trade Mission, April 14-17.

Attendees included William Zylmans of W&A Farms in British Columbia; Tracy Shinners Carnelley from Peak of the Market, Manitoba; Michael Thomas Kavanaugh of Kavanaugh Farms in New Brunswick; Kevin Brubacher of the Ontario Potato Board; Greg Donald, Prince Edward Island Potato Board; Michelle Flis of Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre du Quebec; and Victoria Stamper, United Potato Growers of Canada.

Over the course of two and a half days, the group enjoyed tours and visits to Okray Family Farms, Wysocki Family Farms, the Food + Farm Exploration Center, The Little Potato Company, University of Wisconsin

Canada; Bill Zylmans, W&A Farms in British Columbia; Michelle Flis of Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre du Quebec; Kevin Brubacher, Ontario Potato Board; Mike Kavanaugh of Kavanaugh Farms in New Brunswick; and Greg Donald, Prince Edward Island Potato Board.

(UW)-Madison, Alsum Farms & Produce, and Gumz Muck Farms.

On their Central Wisconsin journey,

they visited large producers of potatoes, carrots, celery, kidney continued on pg. 20

Canadian Reverse Trade Mission attendees visited Okray Family Farms in Plover, Wisconsin, which produces 1,750 acres of potatoes, thousands of acres of beans, peas and corn for processing, and packs potatoes for surrounding farms. From left to right are Tracy Shinners Carnelley from Peak of the Market, Manitoba; Victoria Stamper, United Potato Growers of

Visitors from Canada had the opportunity to see potato planting firsthand at Okray Family Farms. In the second image, Rich Rashke (center), farm manager, gives a rundown of the operation to, from left to right, Mike Kavanaugh, Michelle Flis, Kevin Brubacher, Victoria Stamper, and Greg Donald.

beans, onions, peas, pumpkins, snapbeans, soybeans, and sweetcorn; witnessed potato planting and seed potatoes being cut; and enjoyed tours of a chip potato washing facility; and state-of-the-art storage, packing, and shipping operations.

During their visit to Russell Labs at UW-Madison, Canadian visitors were introduced to the Wisconsin Healthy Grown© program by Program Coordinator Deana Knuteson, and the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program by Associate Director Brooke Babler.

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS

They also enjoyed brief program introductions by WPVGA base-funded researchers, outreach specialists, professors, and department chairs Russell Groves (UW Department of Entomology) and Amanda Gevens (UW Department of Plant Pathology).

The Wisconsin potato industry is known as a national leader in sustainable production and has developed the Healthy Grown program, allowing growers to compete in an international

Above: Gathered outside the Wysocki Family of Companies (WFC) main office are, from left to right, Greg Donald, Victoria Stamper, Bill Zylmans, Tracy Shinners Carnelley, Michelle Flis, Kevin Brubacher, Mike Kavanaugh, Kevin Schleicher, who is the WFC director of sales and marketing, and Dana Rady, WPVGA director of promotions and consumer education.

Left: Russell Wysocki (left) gives a plant tour to the Canadian contingent and Dana Rady (second from right).

marketplace increasingly demanding food grown using ecologically friendly practices.

The WPVGA is fully utilizing funds from an Export Expansion Grant awarded by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WDATCP)

to cover expenses for the Canadian Reverse Trade Mission.

The WPVGA and grower members also took advantage of previous WDATCP Export Expansion Grants to attend the 2023 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA)

continued on pg. 22

Left: Tracy Shinners Carnelley poses under a wall mural in the aptly named Colorful Plate Café at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover.

Right: To say Canadian Reverse Trade Mission attendees had fun at the Food + Farm Exploration Center is an understatement. Here, Bill Zylmans reminisces about driving this same model of Ford tractor on his own farm when he was younger.

The Little Potato Company, including Kyle Currie (left), Doug Nelson (third from right), Jeremy Wakerhauser (second from right) and Derek Stoddard (right), hosted visitors from Canada during the Reverse Trade Mission. The slightly bent knees became part of the Canadian pose as the tour progressed.

Hosts Canadian Reverse Trade Mission. . . continued from pg. 21

Convention and Trade Show in Toronto, Canada. The Association exhibited a second time at the CPMA Show, April 23-25, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Top: During their visit to Russell Labs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Canadian visitors were introduced to the Wisconsin Healthy Grown© program by Program Coordinator Deana Knuteson (first image), and the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program by Associate Director Brooke Babler (second photo).

Right: Getting creative as photo subjects, the group from Canada poses on the balcony above the Alsum Farms & Produce sign. From left to right are Bill Zylmans, Michelle Flis, Greg Donald, Tracy Shinners Carnelley, Mike Kavanaugh, Victoria Stamper, and Kevin Brubacher.

Below: Michelle Flis of Les Producteurs de Pommes de Terre du Quebec observes potatoes being sorted and graded at Alsum Farms & Produce.

Larry Alsum (left) of Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, Wisconsin, talks to attendees of the Canadian Reverse Trade Mission about fluming potatoes from storage to the washing shed before sorting, grading, packing, and shipping.

Additionally, the WPVGA and grower members attended the 2024 Expo ANTAD in Guadalajara, Mexico, in March, and the Association looks forward to hosting a Mexico Reverse Trade Mission in September of this year.

Above: Rod Gumz (back to camera, right) takes Canadian Reverse Trade Mission attendees through the bagging, packing, and storage facilities at Gumz Farms.

Right: Visiting Gumz Farms in Endeavor, Wisconsin, are, front row from left to right, Tracy Shinners Carnelley, Michelle Flis, Dana

New Products

Grimme Introduces New Receiving Hoppers

Developments include throughput capacity, crop protection, and equipment variety

The new generation of the proven GRIMME RH 20, RH 24 and RH 28 receiving hoppers features numerous developments in terms of throughput capacity, crop protection, convenience, and variety of equipment, which are visible through the design of the machine.

With the new receiving hoppers, the hopper floor speed can be set in a wide range from 0.2 to 6.0 meters/ minute. The considerably deeper pockets of the hopper floor result in

an optimized conveying effect and enable the hopper to be emptied quickly and completely.

The revised Capacity Control feature now enables the hopper floor speed to be controlled by specifying the throughput rate in metric tons per hour.

To increase the performance and improve the crop flow, the incline angle of the hopper belt was reduced. The wider front section provides an increased intake volume

and makes it easier to maneuver trailers to the hopper.

Approaching is also simplified by the maneuvering aid with “traffic light control.” The new LED working lights allow operators to work comfortably, even in the dark.

Operation of the hopper is simple and intuitive with the help of an IBX 300 ISOBUS operator unit. Operation can be extended using the CCI 800 ISOBUS operator terminal.

Various assistance systems take the strain off the user when operating the machine. All relevant settings such as roller speed, roller spacing, and tilt angle are now visualized in an even more user-friendly way and can be easily reproduced.

CROP PROTECTION

A new “Remain Control” function measures the remaining crop layer

Above: The modern design of the Grimme RH 20, RH 24 and RH 28 receiving hoppers offers visual windows in the front sections, as well as freely accessible connections and operating elements.

Left: Cushioning in the front section and the soft stuffing of crossbars on the hopper floor ensure improved crop protection.

in the hopper. When refilling the hopper, the crop does not fall directly onto the hopper floor, but onto a defined, small amount of crop. This significantly improves crop protection.

Thanks to the revised design of the roller spacing adjustment, the soil cleaning and pre-grading rollers can be adapted even better to the respective operating conditions.

The “VarioClean” function enables high cleaning performance, especially in heavy and sticky harvesting/ handling conditions. An additional transition step has been installed within the roller package for soil removal, which also loosens up the crop flow.

In addition, the rollers in front of and behind the step can be aligned slightly upwards, which extends the dwell time of the crop on the rollers and thus increases the cleaning time.

Another new feature is that the

PU spiral rollers can rotate against the crop flow in the “Turbo-Clean” function. Most of the cleaned soil is guided towards the cross conveyors and bunker floor, but not onto the

Contact: Jim or John

SNOWDEN • ATLANTIC • LAMOKA

HODAG • MANISTEE • LADY LIBERTY

MACKINAW • PETOSKEY • NY163

continued on pg. 26

Above: The considerably deeper pockets of the hopper floor result in an optimized conveying effect and enable the hopper to be emptied quickly and completely.

25

crop cross conveyor. This reliably prevents any accumulations of soil in the potato store.

The RH 28 scores with a high throughput rate thanks to the 2.8-meter-wide soil cleaning rollers. The new RH 24 XT version is also available as an efficient alternative for storing potatoes. In this model, there is a large sorting table behind

the cleaning rollers, which can optionally be combined with an optoelectronic sorting unit.

Another new machine is the receiving hopper type RH 24-60 S, which rises in a straight line. The machine can be equipped with an onion distributor, an additional presentation belt (i.e. a transfer belt between the hopper floor and roller installation) and plain

Turn Up the Summer Heat with Unique Potato Offerings

RPE debuts Tasteful Selections American Chophouse and Garlic Parmesan potato combo trays

As a category leader, RPE boasts an extensive selection of potato varieties, from classic russets to vibrant yellows, convenient micro trays with specialized shippers, and baby potatoes in every hue and size.

Setting the standard for innovation and catering to consumer preferences, RPE brings back the beloved American Blend from Tasteful Selections®, just in time for summer and 4th of July celebrations.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with our valued customers to bring the best of summer potatoes to their shelves,” says Rachel Atkinson-Leach, vice president of brand and category excellence at RPE. “Our diverse selection ensures there’s something for every summer meal, from crispy fries to easy-prep micro trays and everything in between. Together, we can make this summer a spudtacular one!”

Suggested items to promote throughout the summer include Russet and Tasteful Selections®

bite-size potatoes.

MICRO TRAY COMBO

Consider featuring the Tasteful Selections® Griller Shipper Micro Tray Combo, which is comprised of unique and popular American Chophouse and Garlic Parmesan flavors, perfect for cross-merchandising near burgers or proteins for the grill.

Embrace the patriotic spirit of the 4th of July and showcase the exclusive Tasteful Selections American Blend, proven to drive sales with its starspangled medley. Adding red, white, and blue balloons to displays can help grab shoppers’ attention while driving home the patriotic theme of the products.

As the potato industry leader, RPE ensures reliable year-round supplies of russet, red, yellow, and baby potatoes.

Tasteful Selections®, a pioneer in potato innovation, continues to introduce new flavors and packaging sizes to meet evolving consumer

rollers, which are made of steel. It is particularly suitable for sensitive crops such as onions and carrots.

For more information, visit https://grimme.com/en, or contact Big Iron Equipment, attn: Zach Mykisen, 715-344-3401, zach@bigironequipment.com, www.bigironequipment.com.

needs. Its diverse range of baby potato types and varieties caters to consumers’ meal-time aspirations, further enhancing the appeal of summer potato offerings.

For seasonal recipe inspiration, visit https://www.tastefulselections.com/ and https://farmerspromise.com/ to access a plethora of ideas.

Potatoes USA News

USDA Appoints Potatoes USA Board Members

Appointments include 30 producers and two importers to fill three-year terms

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of 32 members to Potatoes USA’s Board of Directors. The appointees include 30 producer members and two importers, each filling three-year terms that will expire February 28, 2027.

The nomination process for board members is conducted annually. Candidates are proposed by the industry and are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture after a thorough review.

The Potatoes USA Board of Directors guides the organization’s efforts to promote and support the potato industry. The Board sets strategic goals and objectives for the organization and allocates resources to various marketing, research and education initiatives.

The Board also monitors the performance of these programs and adjusts them as necessary to ensure they are effective and impactful for the potato industry, including growers, processors, and other stakeholders.

New Board Members

• Jaclyn Green – Edison, California

• Cliff Shaw – Monte Vista, Colorado

• Daniel J. Corey – St. Augustine, Florida

• Brad Reed – Pingree, Idaho

• Derek Peterson – Rexburg, Idaho

• Jaren Raybould – St. Anthony, Idaho

• Jordan C. Thomas – Rupert, Idaho

• Nate McBride – Rupert, Idaho

• R. Gabriel Boldt – Idaho Falls, Idaho

• Steve Elfering – Meridian, Idaho

• Trevor Searle – Burley, Idaho

• Adam DeGroot – Saint Anne, Illinois

• Danny Deprey – Mars Hill, Maine

• John Halverson – Arbyrd, Missouri

• Tara May – O’Neill, Nebraska

• Hunter Gibbs – Swan Quarter, North Carolina

• Andrew Moquist – Crystal, North Dakota

• Kathy Sponheim – Urbana, Ohio

• Jason Davenport – Boardman, Oregon

• Jonathon Springstead – Boardman, Oregon

• Travis Meacham – Moses Lake, Washington

• Sanjiv Kakkar – Princeton, New Jersey (importer member)

Reappointed Board Members

• Jace Jensen – Idaho Falls, Idaho

• Ryan Tucker – Shelbyville, Michigan

• Brian Mahany – Arkport, New York

• Camburn Shephard – Crystal, North Dakota

• H. Bruce Richardson, Jr. – Capeville, Virginia

• James Baker – Moses Lake, Washington

• Michael M. Pink – Pasco, Washington

• Shelley R. Olsen – Othello, Washington

• Wendy Dykstra – Friesland, Wisconsin

• Clifton Smith – Bancroft, Wisconsin (importer member)

More information about the Potatoes USA Board can be found at www. PotatoesUSA.com or on USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) National Promotion Board web page, https://www.ams.usda.gov/rulesregulations/research-promotion/ potato?utm.

Wendy Dykstra of Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, Wisconsin, was re-appointed to serve on the Potatoes USA Board of Directors.

Eyes on Associates

By WPVGA Associate Div. President Matt Selenske, Allied Coop’s Pest Pros Division

Hello June. I’ve got to say that I really love summers in Wisconsin. Granted, I only have summers in southeast Missouri to compare them to, and probably there is no comparison. It was always so sticky after harvest in Missouri when you finally had some extra time to enjoy outdoor activities. That extra discomfort certainly took some of the

enjoyment out of my golf game!

Speaking of golf, the annual Putt-Tato Open is next month. I know I have covered it in the last few columns, but I need to get one last plug in for the largest Associate Division fundraiser of the year.

The Putt-Tato Open is taking place July 10 at Lake Arrowhead Golf

Course in Nekoosa. Information on registering or becoming a sponsor can be found in the full-page ad within this issue, in the Tater Talk e-newsletter, or by contacting Julie Braun at 715-623-7683 or jbraun@ wisconsinpotatoes.com. The registration deadline is July 1, so don’t hesitate.

On May 3, the WPVGA Associate Division and a small ad hoc committee hosted a Spring Student Recruitment Day at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover. This was a follow-up to the Student Grower Ed Recruitment effort of inviting university and technical college students to the Grower Education Conference & Industry Show earlier this year.

This time, high school students were included in the mix of those potentially pursuing careers in agronomy, ag engineering, biotechnology, data science, and other agricultural topics.

STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE

Fourteen students attended, meeting at the Food + Farm Exploration Center for a brief introduction by WPVGA Executive Director Tamas

WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan (top-left) welcomes high school, college, and tech school students to the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover, Wisconsin, as part of the Spring Student Recruitment Day, May 3, 2024.

Houlihan before boarding a bus for Wysocki Family of Companies. There they toured the potato packing facility as well as the chip plant, both in Bancroft.

Back at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, the college and high school students were given time to explore all that the immersive center has to offer. They enjoyed a catered lunch

in the Kitchen Lab, and after lunch, participated in an industry panel discussion moderated by Natasha Paris, regional crops educator, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.

The panel focused on career opportunities in the potato and vegetable industry. Participants on the panel included those working

Left: Tammy Reepsdorf, agronomist for Wysocki Family of Companies, explains to students how the company tests harvest samples of potatoes from every line and field for size, quality, and specific gravity so they know the quality of each crop going into a storage bin.

Right: Spring Student Recruitment Day attendees enjoyed a tour of the Wysocki Family of Companies potato packing shed.

continued on pg. 30

for area potato and vegetable operations, processors, associations, and agribusinesses who freely gave advice about skillsets needed in the industry as well as how to be successful in life and their chosen professions.

Special thanks to Dr. Mike Copas Jr., who initially proposed the idea for

a Student Grower Ed Recruitment Program in conjunction with the Conference & Industry Show, and for his panel contribution. Mike shared how his simple desire to be either a meteorologist or even a comedian took him on a circuitous route to his final educational choices and current position as senior

Use Chameleon, Impact and Foam Cutter every time you spray to ensure the best results from your pesticide application. Don’t take chances with cheap, “soapy” surfactants.

Chameleon: Scientifically formulated to maximize the effectiveness of agricultural chemicals.

Impact: Promotes better tuber development by breaking soil clods, breaking hardpan and loosening the soil. Impact also prevents dry pockets in the hill by enhancing water infiltration.

Foam Cutter: A concentrated defoamer that saves tank fill up time and prevents pesticide spillage.

Pam Sankey (left) welcomes Spring Student Recruitment Day attendees, including Danielle Dykes of Del Monte, second from left, who was one of the panelists in the discussion with students, to the Wysocki Produce Farm chip plant that serves Frito-Lay and other regional potato chip processors.

Right: Participants of the Spring Student Recruitment Day enjoyed a tour conducted by Pam Sankey (center, with Mike Copas behind her) of a potato storage bin at the Wysocki Produce Farm chip plant.

agronomist for RPE, Inc.

As the day was wrapping up, I visited with three of the interns in attendance who I have hired for the summer and received nothing but positive comments from them. They appreciated the effort we were putting forth and were impressed at how so many people from different backgrounds wound up in our industry.

We are working toward making this an annual event where we can spotlight what we love about the industry and the career opportunities within, and to attract the next generation of precision irrigation specialists, research agronomists, or general farm managers.

Until next month.

Matt Selenske WPVGA Associate Division President

Left:

Outside the Wysocki Produce Farm chip plant, high school, college and technical college students took the opportunity to pose, with potatoes in hand, alongside Danielle Dykes (left) of Del Monte, and Pam Sankey (right) and Mike Copas (second from right) of Wysocki Family of Companies and RPE, Inc.

Dr. Mike Copas (right), senior agronomist for RPE, Inc., shows students some of the machinery used in raising potatoes at Wysocki Produce Farm.

Students enjoy an immersive experience in an ag simulator tractor cab at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover.

Food + Farm Exploration Center Teams with Farmshed to Feed Communities

Community Foundation Donates $12,000 toward collaboration with goal of stocking food pantries

The Food + Farm Exploration Center is teaming up with Central Rivers Farmshed of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, to provide fresh food to area families in need.

As part of a “Farm Fresh and Free” grant made possible by the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, Farmshed will be able to wash and package vegetables grown at the exploration center and then distribute them to area food pantries.

The grant and partnership were officially announced during a media event, May 9, at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover, where attendees heard remarks from organizational leaders as well as featured guest Sen. Patrick Testin (R-WI).

“This partnership with Farmshed

will allow us to take the vegetables grown in our demonstration fields used for education and share them with our community when they are harvested,” says Heath Dornfeld, operations and exhibits director of the Food + Farm Exploration Center.

“We will be able to feed minds and bodies.”

Vegetables coming straight from the fields at the exploration center require minimal processing and packaging, so food banks will accept them for distribution.

Farmshed’s service of small-scale processing was a great solution. Processing of the food will then allow for the distribution to the Farm, Fresh and Free partner pantries.

“Farmshed and the Food + Farm Exploration Center share a common

need to better connect the communities they serve with the food that nourishes them, and give back through providing access to whole, healthy foods,” says Trevor Drake, executive director of Farmshed.

Farmshed is in the process of becoming a co-packer for its partners, working with farmers, helping them

Above: During a media day at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover, Wisconsin, the Community Foundation awarded a $12,000 check to Central Rivers Farmshed and the Farming for the Future Foundation and Food + Farm Exploration Center for their collaboration in providing fresh produce to area food pantries. From left to right are Jenny Riggenbach and Marlee Samuels of the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin, Trevor Drake, Central Rivers Farmshed, and Heath Dornfeld and Andy Reitz of the Food + Farm Exploration Center.

tap into markets, and giving back to the community through food security at the same time.

WHOLE, FRESH, HEALTHY FOOD

“Everyone needs to know where their food comes from, but not everyone has access to whole, fresh, healthy food,” Drake says. “We work with several Wisconsin counties and their food pantries, and they’re used to receiving whole, fresh, healthy food from us.”

“Through sharing resources,” he details, “this project will annually provide not only our community with learning about how food gets from the field to the processor, but also those at risk with empowering nourishment.”

“So, this is a perfect synergy,” Drake adds, “and makes a perfect partnership. We look to where we can obtain grants, and this worked out with the Community Foundation.”

continued on pg. 34

Sen. Patrick Testin (R-WI) addresses media day attendees at the Food + Farm Exploration Center, saying, “The Farmshed and Community Foundation joining together comes down to people rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Food security is a real issue, and there is a need for fresh produce to stock the shelves of area pantries. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Food + Farm Exploration Center Teams with Farmshed to Feed Communities . . . continued from pg. 33

Planting had begun in the demonstration fields of the Food + Farm Exploration Center prior to the media event, with guests having the opportunity to step outside and tour the fields if they wanted.

This year, sweet corn, snap beans, potatoes, peas, and cucumbers were planted. The exploration center team of educators will provide programming that connects lessons learned in the Ag Stem Gallery to the outside work being done in the field. The demonstration fields provide a key connection in strengthening our food system.

Now, through the partnership with Farmshed and grant money from

“Everyone needs to know where their food comes from, but not everyone has access to whole, fresh, healthy food.”

– Trevor Drake, executive director, Central Rivers Farmshed

the Community Foundation, the vegetables grown at the exploration center will not only be used to feed the minds of visitors and teach them

During the media day, Andy Reitz, executive director of the Food + Farm Exploration Center, said, “It’s been a fun project working with Trevor Drake of Farmshed. The exploration center has been growing vegetables for educational purposes and U-Pick harvest days, and we wanted to donate the produce to the community. In the end, Farmshed and the Community Foundation helped make that happen.”

where their food comes from, but they will also nourish neighbors in need.

Farmshed will be taking many of the vegetables and distributing them to area food pantries.

Visitors to the exploration center will learn about the science modern farmers use to produce the very food served in the Colorful Plate Café of the Food + Farm Exploration Center, and then head out into the fields and see it all happening.

The Food + Farm Exploration Center strives to educate current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability. The mission of Farmshed is to grow a more resilient local food economy.

About Food + Farm Exploration Center

The Food + Farm Exploration Center is a science and technology center.

The 50,000-square-foot building sits on 24 acres, centrally located in Plover. With over 60 hands-on exhibits, demonstration farm fields, and meeting and event space, the exploration center is a destination for learning, exploring, and celebrating agriculture. It is also home to the world’s largest potato masher and the Colorful Plate Café.

People UW Names Superintendent of Turfgrass Research Station

Dave Marach will plan and direct operations according to research study objectives

By Nicole Miller, news manager, UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Dave Marach joined the staff of the University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS), in January 2024, as superintendent of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Education Facility.

In this role, Marach is responsible for planning and directing day-to-day operations according to research study objectives, contributing to protocols for existing and future research, and assisting in training and workshops for various audiences.

He reports to Mike Peters, director of the UW Agricultural Research Station network, and works closely with Paul Koch, associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology, and Doug Soldat, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Soil Science.

What is your educational/ professional background, including your area(s) of specialization/ focus? I have a double major in environmental science and biology with a plant emphasis from UWGreen Bay. I was formerly the superintendent at Northbrook Golf and Grill in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, for 15 years, along with a handful of other stops during my 30 years in the turf industry.

What attracted you to this position/ the college? I was attracted to the position because I’ve always wanted

to learn how to manage turf with the environmental impact in mind. I felt my last few years at Northbrook gave me just a taste of what can be done when you put the environment at the top of your decision-making process and still produce quality results.

What are you most looking forward to as you start your position in CALS? I look forward to sharing my experiences in managing turf on a golf course with the researchers and public in a different style of turf management to lessen the impact on

for a number of years.

What are your hobbies and other interests? I love anything outdoors and will now have time to get reacquainted with some of them: hunting, fishing, running and, yes, golf. But I am

you grow up? I grew up in the small town of Clintonville, where my dad was also a golf course superintendent

How should people contact you? People can contact me at dave. marach@wisc.edu.

Dave Marach joined the University of Wisconsin-Madison CALS staff in January 2024 as superintendent of the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research and Education Facility.

Kenneth Fox Passes Away

Founder of Fox Packaging leaves an enduring legacy in the industry

With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Kenneth Fox, founder of Fox Packaging. Kenneth passed away on Wednesday April 17, 2024, at the age of 91.

Kenneth was a true pioneer in the packaging industry. His incredible journey, unrelenting dedication, and unmatched commitment to excellence have left an enduring legacy in our industry and in our hearts.

Sixty years ago, Kenneth Fox started what would be known today as Fox Packaging. Kenneth’s journey to becoming a worldwide flexible packaging supplier started from very humble beginnings.

He was a burlap and mesh bag salesman for a company out of Kansas City, Missouri. With his family in Kansas City, Kenneth’s sales territories included North Dakota, Florida, and Texas. Territories so far from home meant he spent most of his time on the road.

Kenneth made the difficult decision to move his wife and four children to South Texas and start manufacturing packaging on his own. Six sewing machines in the back of a melon shed were the beginning of what would become Kenneth Fox Supply Company (Fox Packaging today).

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

Kenneth’s entrepreneurial spirit allowed him to identify niche markets and discover solutions to problems not yet realized. The openness and acceptance of the Texas produce industry in those days gave him the opportunity and resources he needed to get his start.

His pioneering spirit and dedication to quality laid the foundation for the company’s success as he emphasized the importance of family and relationships.

Throughout his career, Kenneth remained guided by the principles of integrity, innovation, and family. He instilled these values in every

aspect of Fox Packaging’s operations, ensuring that the company not only thrived, but also served as a beacon of excellence in the industry.

Kenneth is survived by his wife, Elaine Fox; his children, Valerie Mehis (Jim), Lori Goldman (Bruce), Keith Fox (Bruni), and Aaron Fox (Danielle); 10 grandchildren and seven (soon to be nine) great-grandchildren. Kenneth is preceded in death by his parents, Anna and Louis Fox, and his son, Craig Fox.

Continuing with Kenneth’s vision are his sons, Keith Fox (president of Fox Packaging), Aaron Fox (executive vice president, Fox Packaging, and president of Fox Solutions), and four of his grandsons, Lucas, Jacob, Dylan, and Noah Fox.

As we mourn the loss of an industry leader, we celebrate Kenneth’s enduring legacy and honor the impact he has had on our industry. Kenneth Fox was laid to rest April 19, 2024, in McAllen, Texas. Details regarding memorial services will be shared as they become available. May Kenneth’s memory forever be a blessing.

Kenneth Sherwin Fox August 13, 1932 – April 17, 2024

Kevin Sigourney Passed Unexpectedly

He was a past president of the Wisconsin Potato

Kevin Sigourney, age 59, of Coloma, Wisconsin, passed away unexpectedly Friday, April 26, 2024, at his home.

Kevin was born the fifth of six children to Bryce and Blanche (Howard) Sigourney on April 13, 1965.

He graduated as an accomplished student-athlete from Tri-County High School with the class of 1983. He continued his love for athletics into adulthood by bowling and playing baseball for Sneaky Pete’s.

Kevin was a hardworking man that dedicated his life to his career and providing for his family. He worked at Green Giant from the age of 16 until he founded Sigourney Farm at the age of 29. He was the owner of Sigourney Farm of Coloma for 30 years.

Kevin was a longtime member of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), sitting on the Board of Directors, including as president of the Board in 2009.

He was a proud supporter of the community by donating his time and financial support to many organizations.

FAMILY & FARMING

Kevin married Jacklyn Warzynski on August 26, 1989. Together they raised two children, Claire and Ethan. During their 35-year marriage, they grew Christmas trees and raised Black Angus. Together they grew their farm into the legacy it is today.

Kevin thoroughly enjoyed his outdoor activities. He loved snowmobiling and ice fishing at “The North 40.” He also took many hunting trips out west and fishing trips to Canada accompanied by friends and family.

He is survived by his loving wife, Jackie Sigourney; his daughter, Claire (Andrew) Pooch, his son, Ethan

& Vegetable

(Christopher) Sigourney, his pride and joy, his grandson, Shia Pooch; his siblings, Mitchell (Patti) Sigourney, Eileen Sigourney, Charlene (Jim) Small and Corey Sigourney; his sister-inlaw, Sylvia Sigourney; and by nieces, nephews, other relatives and many special friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bryce and Blanche Sigourney, his brother, Edward Sigourney, his niece Sydney Small, and his mother-in-law, Glenda Warzynski.

Growers Association

Kevin J. Sigourney April 13, 1965 – April 26, 2024

Visitation was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 7-8, 2024, at the Stahl Funeral Home in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and a funeral service took Cemetery, in Coloma.

Badger Beat

Funding Supports Water Quality Research and Outreach

Wisconsin Central Sands programs significantly bolstered by Rural Partnership Institute Grant

By Jed Colquhoun, Steven Hall, and Paul Mitchell, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison

We’re excited to announce that Central Sands water quality research and outreach efforts are currently undergoing great expansion. We have garnered significant grant support from the University of Wisconsin’s Rural Partnership Institute funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

This grant will put a diverse set of research projects on the ground in the region while also driving outreach to get science-based information into the hands of local communities to support informed decision-making and drive practice changes that

improve water quality.

The purpose of this article is to look through the windshield and not the rear-view mirror. Water quality risks on coarsely textured, low organic matter (sandy) soils are well known and well established.

In this project, we’re looking forward to opportunities to engage broad communities in developing and adopting solutions that promote resilient agriculture while protecting the groundwater below.

More specifically, the project includes multiple research and outreach objectives and activities described here.

Objective 1. Conduct applied research on solutions that have the greatest potential to improve groundwater quality, are feasibly adoptable by growers and economically viable.

The high vulnerability of Central Sands groundwater to agricultural nitrate contamination results from multiple factors, including: 1) poor capacity of sandy soils to retain

Above: Potato requires a large amount of nitrogen to be productive, but substantial uncertainty exists about optimal nitrogen rates and associated yield and profitability.

water, nutrients, and organic matter; 2) high nitrogen requirements for potato and other specialty crops; and 3) high rainfall variability, leading to unpredictable nitrogen credits from irrigation water and large episodic nitrate leaching events.

We will research and test solutions addressing each of these factors from 2024 through 2026. We briefly describe the specific research areas here.

Develop innovative agricultural solutions to retain nitrogen and decrease leaching. Many project team members already have individual projects that show promise for increasing N uptake or retention by crops to reduce nitrate leaching. We seek to fully develop, refine, and upscale these projects with the goal of broader adoption by growers.

These solutions include: Cover crops and intercropping systems. We will test the viability and efficacy of intercropping systems that include different cover crop species between potato rows. Preliminary work indicates that some intercropping species establish

well, are reasonably compatible with grower practices, and do not suppress yields.

We will expand measurements in continued on pg.

existing trials to rigorously quantify their potential to decrease nitrate leaching.

Organic matter amendments to immobilize nitrogen. Adding organic materials with high carbon and low nitrogen content is a promising strategy to temporarily immobilize excess nitrate in soil microbes and in soil organic matter.

These organisms and organic materials decompose over time, slowly releasing nitrogen to provide nitrogen credits to subsequent crops, or to be immobilized again by cover crops.

We will test the efficacy of two novel strategies: 1) injecting lignocellulose waste from local paper mills below the crop root zone using widely available subsoil fumigation equipment, and 2) surface applying crude glycerol (a waste product of biodiesel production) as a “liquid cover crop” following peak potato growth.

Both are non-toxic products compatible with crop production. The first strategy aims to trap nitrate that

leaches below the root zone, while the second aims to temporarily trap nitrate within the root zone after the period of major crop nitrogen uptake.

Both strategies have promising initial data and buy-in from growers, but we need to quantify their impacts on crop production and nitrate leaching at field scale.

Optimize nitrogen use in highvalue, high need crops. Potato requires a large amount of nitrogen to be productive, but substantial uncertainty exists about optimal nitrogen rates and associated yield and profitability.

Robust and transparent data on yield response to nitrogen, and implications for profits, are critical for communicating potential water quality benefits of improved nitrogen management with growers.

Efforts in this area will include: Building and analyzing a yield response dataset. Optimizing nitrogen inputs relies on high quality nitrogen response trials. Over the past decade, we have conducted over 40 site years of nitrogen

response trials on crops in the Central Sands. We will analyze the data systematically to identify optimum nitrogen rates for each crop.

For potato, we will refine our current analysis that accounts for impacts on tuber sizes and assess tradeoffs between nitrate leaching and optimum rates.

This work will provide foundational data-based assessments of nitrogen management in the area, allow development of modeling-based approaches to manage nitrogen, and identify research gaps to improving nitrogen management.

Using hyperspectral remote sensing, robotics, and AI-driven modeling to optimize crop nitrogen management. Drone- and robot-based platforms for hyperspectral remote sensing and machine learning algorithms will be used to study crop responses to nitrogen and to optimize nitrogen rates.

Among its key advantages, precision agriculture can collect and analyze large volumes of data in real-time, including the spatial-temporal variations in crop nitrogen status within and across fields. These datadriven insights will build on the nitrogen optimization work to move towards in-season real-time crop nitrogen management.

Real-time accounting for irrigation nitrogen credits and nitrate leaching In the Central Sands, growers frequently irrigate crops with groundwater containing high levels of nitrate that vary over space and time.

The nitrogen in irrigation water can provide a significant portion of total crop needs, but growers presently lack a simple method to estimate this nitrogen credit in real time and then to reduce subsequent fertilization rates.

Conversely, during high rainfall events, applied nitrogen and

pesticides are vulnerable to leaching. In the absence of local, near-term weather data and forecasts, growers are challenged to manage irrigation, to time fertilizer applications to reduce leaching, and to account for nutrient losses from leaching.

In response, this project will: Develop real-time nitrate measurement on irrigation pivots and a simple app to calculate nitrogen credit. Nitrate application in irrigation water will be measured at each well using a purpose-built Cloud-enabled device that integrates a flow meter, solar panel, a modem, and a low-cost spectrometer to measure nitrate concentration.

All flow, temperature, and spectral data will be sent to a web-based repository and processed into a realtime nitrogen credit through a web application accessible to farmers.

Integrate local weather and soil data from WiscoNet to support nitrogen management. WiscoNet is a new state-wide environmental monitoring network that will include approximately six stations in the Central Sands to provide real-time data to improve management of irrigation and nitrogen.

Stations will provide 5-minute updates of weather variables (wind speed, humidity, temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation) and soil moisture and temperature at 5-, 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-centimeter depths. The data will track short-term trends in soil moisture in the rooting zone and overall growing conditions.

Evapotranspiration (ET) will also be estimated to provide data to manage the timing and amount of irrigation water applied.

Assess community economic and environmental benefits. Multiple approaches will be used to assess the socioeconomic and environmental benefits of these new practices to rural Central Sands communities reliant on groundwater.

First, changes in nitrogen use, crop production and farm profits will be estimated for the Central Sands region based on observed and projected farmer adoption of the new practices described above. These impacts will then be expanded to account for multiplier effects in the regional economy and employment.

Second, costs incurred by private well owners to drill new wells or treat existing wells due to high groundwater nitrate levels will be estimated using the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ record of Well Completion Reports. As nitrate levels decline, these avoided costs will become benefits from groundwater quality improvements.

Third, survey data from the American Water Works Association will be used to estimate the costs and benefits to public water systems of groundwater quality changes by linking actual abatement costs and utility rate charges passed on to residents in the region.

Objective 2. Provide local communities with research-

based information on water quality solutions and drive onfarm behavioral change to these solutions.

A multi-faceted, dynamic outreach approach based on existing, renewed, and new partnerships will be used to communicate research solutions to diverse audiences.

Wisconsin Water Stewards

Stakeholder Advisory Group We will reengage with partner organizations that have diverse interests to form a stakeholder group that will engage communities and help ensure project solutions are useful and grounded.

We have precedents for such groups, such as the Central Sands group established in the 2010s to address declining water quantity, the NR 151 Technical Advisory Committee, and the Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum in 2022.

We will expand the stakeholder group through key new members to address water quality, with a particular focus on groundwater nitrate.

In-season field research tours. These tours, offered to both the public and agricultural stakeholders, will

include the research projects outlined above. Events will be shared among the stakeholder group and advertised locally.

Water Stewards video series. Short, professionally produced videos will feature interviews with stakeholder partners integrated with dynamic field research updates. These videos will combine community and research elements and allow the project to reach beyond those able to participate in person, thereby diversifying the outreach audience.

Water Stewards Innovation Farms.

In the project’s last field season, research solutions deemed viable based on results from Objective 1 and selected in consultation with the stakeholder group will be demonstrated on a larger scale on commercial farms with project partners.

This key element will allow for peer-to-peer influence that drives behavioral change and technology adoption. Field tours will be conducted on the commercial farms in collaboration with project staff, further engaging the public and agricultural communities.

As you can see, there will be several opportunities for potato growers, processors, watershed groups and others in the Central Sands to become involved in this project.

They can vary the intensity of their engagement, ranging from attending a field day and watching outreach videos to becoming a Water Steward Innovation Farm host, and engaging with researchers to refine and adopt management practices to improve water quality.

We encourage, welcome, and appreciate their participation. Stay tuned for more details as this exciting place-based project gets underway!

WPVGA Associate Division

24th Annual Golf Outing & Barbeque

Lake Arrowhead Golf Course

Nekoosa, Wednesday, July 10, 2024

We will golf rain or shine!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: July 1, 2024

The WPVGA Associate Division will host the 24th Annual Golf Outing at Lake Arrowhead Golf Course in Nekoosa. The golf outing is followed by a splendid dinner barbeque and raffle prize drawings.

The golf format is a four-person scramble with a shotgun start limited to the first 42 foursomes and sign up is on a first-come basis, so sign up soon! Don’t miss out! Registration will start at 9:00 a.m. and the scramble will begin with a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. Cost is $80/person which includes 18 holes of golf with cart. Proper golf etiquette is expected.

Lunch is available for all golfers that day courtesy of an associate sponsor. The dinner barbeque is held immediately following golf and is open to everyone in the industry whether you choose to golf or not.

Tickets are required. ‘Barbeque only’ ticket price is $30/person. Make checks payable to WPVGA. Please contact Julie Braun, 715-623-7683, if you have any questions.

o Yes! I will golf. I am registering ______ golfers. (Fee for golf only is $80 per person. This does not include barbeque.)

o I wish to order _______ Barbeque Tickets at $30.00 per ticket.

o I would like to sponsor a hole at the golf outing. My donation of $_________ is enclosed.

Leader Name: Company Name:

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: July 1, 2024

Marketplace

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions and Consumer Education

Wisconsin Potatoes Returns to CPMA 2024

Relationships forged

Canadian Produce Marketing Association Show

“Who you know is more important than what you know. Relationships are key.”

The number of times I’ve heard the

makes them tick. Build camaraderie. After all, you never know where those relationships will lead!

I’d be very surprised if reading this article is the first time you’ve heard that. And I’d be equally surprised if, in your own way, you weren’t passing this tidbit down to others you know and love.

I can say with certainty that I have seen this play out in my own lifetime, and I saw it play out in April in Canada.

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) set out to continue building relationships when it returned to the 2024 Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Show in Vancouver, British Columbia.

While the association made its debut at CPMA 2023 after receiving a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer

Mark Finnessy

center) of

Above:

(back

Okray Family Farms, in Plover, and Heidi Alsum Randall (back right) from Alsum Farms & Produce, in Friesland, welcome visitors to the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) booth at CPMA 2024, April 24-25, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Protection (WDATCP), the WPVGA Promotions Committee returned for a second year to build on what was created previously. Naturally, CPMA 2024 was a much better and completely different vibe.

That vibe can be attributed to a Canadian Reverse Trade Mission (RTM) that WPVGA hosted, inviting a group of seven Canadians to Wisconsin the week prior (see the related feature article in this issue).

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Two of the seven people from Canada who attended the RTM are potato growers, and five are leaders on potato boards within their respective provinces and, consequently, have ties to the growers they represent in terms of future business discussions with the Badger State.

Several of those who participated in WPVGA’s RTM were also present at CPMA 2024. Thanks to the hospitality that Wisconsin showed the group during the RTM, those who were present at CPMA 2024 brought colleagues and acquaintances by the Wisconsin Potatoes booth to say hello.

As such, CPMA 2024 was a much more fluid show given the personal relationships that were forged and built upon.

More than 4,000 people attended CPMA 2024 held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, April 24-25. According to the CPMA website, 630 exhibitors represented more than 300 companies, with 148 of these being international exhibitors from 12 countries. There were also 78 new CPMA members exhibiting.

Representing Wisconsin were Mark Finnessy of Okray Family Farms, in Plover, Heidi Randall from Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, and WPVGA Director of Promotions Dana Rady. The Wisconsin crew was even able to have dinner with Bill Zylmans, a grower and owner of W&A Farms in British Columbia.

It was a welcome feeling to be able to go back to Canada and truly know people while also visiting with some new friends, and WPVGA looks forward to maintaining and building upon these relationships down the road.

CPMA 2025 will be held, April 8-10, in Montreal.

Above: The Wisconsin group dines with grower Bill Zylmans (right), owner of W&A Farms in British Columbia. Zylmans was one of seven Canadians who participated in Wisconsin’s Reverse Trade Mission that occurred the week prior to CPMA 2024. From left to right are WPVGA Director of Promotions Dana Rady, Mark Finnessy of Okray Family Farms, Heidi Alsum Randall from Alsum Farms & Produce, and Bill.

Exploring AI and Predictive Analytics in Your Organization

AI applicability ranges from autonomous driving to image recognition and analysis

By Troy Hollings, Gregory Chambers, and Alexander White, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

Digital transformation can bring significant opportunities for your organization. It’s an evolution that spans dashboard creation, data estates and warehouses, and the

potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics.

Consider how your agribusiness can understand and harness

transformative technologies like AI and predictive analytics. Let’s walk through the trends, see how the two are being used in the business world, and review potential challenges.

The rapidly evolving world of AI and predictive analytics: From the early days of explicit instructions to the current era of machine learning and deep learning, AI has made significant strides, and many anticipate those advancements will continue.

AI is not just a passing trend. The growth of the Cloud is making storage and computing power more costeffective and accessible, further fueling the proliferation of AI.

Computer vision enables AI to understand visual information from the world. As a result, AI can detect and interpret objects at an exceptional rate, enhancing its applicability in real-world scenarios ranging from autonomous driving

to image recognition and analysis.

Large language models are set to play a significant role in shaping the future of AI. Models such as ChatGPT have already showcased their potential in natural language processing.

As large language models continue to evolve, they may offer increasingly sophisticated capabilities, enhancing the functionality of AI and contributing to its broader adoption and utility.

BRINGING AI TO THE MASSES

It’s becoming more common to incorporate AI into existing tools, making AI models more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.

This democratization is akin to the evolution of computers, which transitioned from being sequestered in guarded spaces to the advent of handheld devices, enabling everyday individuals to take advantage of the technology.

The more individuals and organizations use AI, the more valuable the technology becomes.

AI and predictive analytics are being integrated into organizations that want to move beyond basic data analysis. Such technology offers tangible benefits where businesses can save significant time and resources, enabling employees to focus on more critical tasks.

Consider these diverse business use cases:

• Document automation using computer vision models allows businesses to extract and summarize data to process invoices and contracts. This process also integrates human review to check the accuracy and reliability of the extracted information.

• Large language models are used to generate content, provide email responses, and assist in language translation, enhancing overall

operational efficiency.

• A large language model could predict employee turnover with an accuracy of 98.8%, demonstrating the immense potential of AI in data analysis and business decisionmaking.

• Integrating large language models into data analysis can help interpret and visualize data, as well as generate a comprehensive report

to present to leadership.

Understanding and implementing AI effectively in a business context is a common challenge. This includes understanding how AI can help, knowing how to implement it, managing data, and keeping up with the fast pace of AI developments.

The model is only as good as the underlying data, so data quality

SPUDNIK Harvester

Exploring AI and Predictive Analytics in Your Organization . . . continued from pg. 47

is a primary concern. Many organizations struggle with getting their data in a suitable format for AI analysis, and data quality directly impacts the accuracy and reliability of AI models.

As businesses seek to incorporate AI into their existing tools and processes, issues can arise. Integrating AI models into your current infrastructure can be complex and requires thoughtful planning for smooth implementation.

Data is critical for AI. Prioritize developing robust security measures to safeguard sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access. Carefully address potential AI security risks to maintain the integrity of AIdriven processes.

AI and predictive analytics could bring your organization enormous benefits, but you must also address

Computer vision enables AI to understand visual information from the world. As a result, AI can detect and interpret objects at an exceptional rate, enhancing its applicability in realworld scenarios ranging from autonomous driving to image recognition and analysis.

SOLUTIONS FOR

At Compeer Financial, we’re defined by you — your hopes for the future as well as your needs today. Our Food & Agribusiness team leverages industry expertise across the entire food value chain to provide flexible and innovative solutions that support our clients’ growth. And we’re equipped with the funding capacity to position your business for success every step of the way. As agriculture continues to evolve, so will we, together.

By prioritizing data quality, addressing integration issues, and implementing stringent security measures, your organization can navigate the complexities of AI adoption and harness its potential for driving innovation and growth.

HOW WE CAN HELP

CliftonLarsonAllen’s digital team can help you take the next steps in your digital transformation journey.

Our data analytics and insights professionals can help you understand how to automate tasks, centralize data, and develop an enterprise vision with analytics to better align with your strategic goals. For more information, contact Jim Halvorsen, jim.halvorsen@ CLAconnect.com or 715-221-3037.

The information contained herein is general in nature and not intended, and should not be construed, as

legal, accounting, investment, or tax advice or opinion provided by CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) LLP to the reader. For more information, visit https://www.CLAconnect.com.

– Troy Hollings digital growth director, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

CLA exists to create opportunities for our clients, our people, and communities through industryfocused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services.

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP is an independent network member of CLA Global. See https://www.CLAglobal. com/disclaimer.

Investment advisory services are offered through CliftonLarsonAllen Wealth Advisors, LLC, an SECregistered investment advisor.

NPC News

Potatoes Retain Classification as a Vegetable

Bipartisan effort prevents spuds from being reclassified as a grain

Long-time potato industry champion U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)

Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, who told her, vegetable, and not a grain.”

“This decision followed a bipartisan letter she authored with Sen. Michael Bennet [D-Colo.] opposing any reclassification of potatoes as a grain

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category or, just as importantly, made interchangeable with grains,” Mattive adds.

CONCERNS RAISED

“Over a year ago, we raised concerns after learning that the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee began reviewing potato’s interchangeability with or reclassification as a grain,” he continues.

“We take seriously any effort to treat potatoes differently than other vegetables—this is not the first time the potato industry has needed to push back against federal efforts to limit potato consumption,” Mattive explains.

“While this is good news,” he acknowledges, “NPC will continue to monitor the DGA writing process

to ensure the federal government focuses on increasing Americans’ vegetable consumption rather than picking winners and losers in the vegetable category.”

In a report by The Hill, the reporter put the effort into context, noting that, “In 2011, when the USDA proposed a limit of two servings of starchy vegetables a week, the potato industry fought back with the backing of senators from potatogrowing states. The Senate approved a measure blocking the USDA from imposing caps.”

Sen. Collins’ announcement was quickly picked up by national media, including stories that ran in news outlets The Hill, Fox News, and Bangor Daily News.

Potato LEAF Announces Leadership in the Field Participants

The Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) is excited to announce the 18 participants of the inaugural class of the Leadership in the Field program. The program, in cooperation with the Gettysburg Foundation, will gather July 15-18 at the hallowed Gettysburg National Military Park for an immersive lesson in leadership centered around the ordinary people who were asked to do extraordinary things during the battle of Gettysburg.

Character, communication, team building, humility, flexibility, resilience, strategic or visionary thinking, problem-solving under pressure, and accountability are just a few of the many lessons to be learned at Gettysburg.

“We had a great set of candidates to consider for the program that reflects the diversity of the U.S. potato

industry,” states Wendy Dykstra, a Potato LEAF board member who served on the selection committee.

“The Board looks forward to hearing about their experience and seeing the participants put their new skills to work to further advance the U.S. potato industry,” Dykstra adds.

As one 2023 Leadership Institute participant commented on their Gettysburg experience that was a part of their journey through New York and Pennsylvania,

“I have attended several leadership training courses over the years and Gettysburg was something that resonated with me more than any of the other training.”

2024 Participants

Colorado

Heather Campbell, Potatoes USA

Jason Tillman, Monte Vista Potato Growers

Cliff Shaw, RPE, Inc.

Idaho

Cody Richins, Wada Farms

Robert Bergh, Nutrien Ag Solutions

Massachusetts

Colin Szawlowski, Valley Spud

Chris Szawlowski, Valley Spud

Michigan

Ben Sklarczyk, Sklarczyk Seed Farm

Chris Long, Michigan State University

North Dakota

Bernie Mullen, H&S FreshPak

Pennsylvania

Hunter Snyder, Masser Farms

Mark Moyer, Keystone Potato

Dawson Mast, Mast Farms

Washington

Jared Balcom, Balcom & Moe

McKaila Balcom, Balcom & Moe

Wisconsin

John Hopfensperger, Bushmans’, Inc.

Larry Alsum, Alsum Farms & Produce

Becky Eddy, University of WisconsinRhinelander Agricultural Research

Station

WPIB Focus

Wisconsin Potato Industry Board Election Open

Eligible growers can write in or vote for a candidate in their respective district

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has certified three nominees that are eligible to be elected to the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board.

Candidates were nominated during the period that ended March 29, 2024. Potato growers have until June 15, 2024, to vote on the following candidates:

District 1 Nominee: Eric Schroeder, Deerbrook Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Kewaunee, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn counties.

District 2 Nominee: James Okray, Stevens Point Marathon, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, and Waushara counties.

District 3 Nominee:

Roderick Gumz, Endeavor Adams, Buffalo, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du

Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago, and Wood counties.

DATCP mailed ballots to eligible potato growers the week of May 10, 2024. Growers that have not received a ballot can request one by contacting DATCP Market Orders staff at DATCPMarketOrders@wisconsin. gov.

Eligible growers can vote for the candidate in their respective district or write in the name of another eligible producer. Completed ballots must be emailed or mailed to DATCP, Market Orders Program, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53708 and postmarked on or before June 15, 2024.

Elected producers will serve threeyear terms beginning July 1, 2024.

About the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board

The Wisconsin Potato Industry Board

is composed of nine producers in three districts across the state, with one at-large member elected every third year.

The Board oversees the collection and use of approximately $2 million in assessment fees paid by Wisconsin potato growers. This funding is used to support the potato industry through research, education, and promotion of Wisconsin-grown potatoes.

DATCP administers elections for Wisconsin commodity marketing boards. To learn more about market order boards, visit https:// datcp.wi.gov/Pages/About_Us/ MarketingBoards.aspx.

Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison

Now News

Thank You, Farmers!

Two $5,000 Appreciation Grants available to qualifying family farms

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) would like to say “Thank You” for your tireless effort.

We have an opportunity to partner with an anonymous donor to extend two $5,000 Appreciation Grants to family farms that are raising children on the farm and passing on a passion for agriculture and land stewardship to the next generation.

While our donor recognizes the value of farms of all sizes, there is no doubt that smaller farms have been fading fast in recent years. That

is the segment of the industry that our donor would like to extend this gesture to.

Who should apply?

1. If you have minor children who you are raising on your farm and are included in your day-to-day operations (at an age-appropriate level, of course!)

2. If your farm consists of 1,500 acres (rented or owned) or less

We invite you to request an application via email at: appreciationgrant@yahoo.com

and return it by June 28, 2024. Any questions should also be directed to the appreciation grant email address.

Winners will be notified via email by July 12, 2024, and an announcement will be made in the weekly WPVGA Tater Talk e-newsletter. Tamas Houlihan, executive director of the WPVGA, will coordinate with the winners to distribute their grant funding.

Above: Tomatoes are washed and drying at Nicklaus Farms, in 2019, in Irma, Wisconsin.

Biome Makers Touts World’s Largest Soil Database

Global soil genomics company’s database surpasses 24 million microorganisms

Biome Makers, a global soil genomics company, announces its soil database has surpassed 24 million microorganisms, further expanding the world's largest database of soil data paired with artificial intelligence (AI).

As this powerful database grows, it continuously enhances its ability to feed actionable intelligence to the industry, critical to recovering soil health and growing more resilient crops and nutritious food.

Housed inside Biome Makers’ BeCrop® Technology, an AI tool sifts through millions of microorganism references and answers the most impactful agronomical questions, such as information on detecting disease risks, predicting yield improvements, and evaluating adoption of regenerative agriculture.

The data includes that from soil samples collected across six continents and 56 countries over the last decade.

“We’re proud to be the only company in the world that can provide the most accurate predictions and recommendations regarding specific soil and crop conditions for the agricultural industry,” states Alberto Acedo, cofounder and chief security officer at Biome Makers.

Biome Makers’ soil intelligence has positively impacted more than 21,000 farmers on their sustainability journeys and over 2,000 agribusinesses, including Syngenta, Bayer, and UPL, among others, leading to enhanced yield improvements and reduced on-farm costs.

LEADER IN SOIL GENOMICS

“As an investor in Biome Makers, we’re happy to see the company’s soil database surpassing 24 million microorganisms, further solidifying

its position as a global leader in soil genomics,” says Ting-Ting Liu of Prosus Ventures.

“This milestone underscores Biome Makers’ commitment to providing actionable intelligence to the agricultural industry,” Liu adds,

“ultimately leading to improved soil health and more resilient crops.” The company’s technology offers valuable insight for ag-input manufacturers and retailers in developing and recommending the

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continued from pg. 55

right inputs, in addition to assisting other industries like Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs) companies in building supply chain resilience and addressing scope three emissions.

“Our ability to integrate the world’s largest soil database with industryleading technology means that we can support the whole agroecosystem with precise recommendations that ultimately result in improved yield, lower costs, and provide a clear path forward to the future of sustainable farming,” states John Appel, head of commercial, North America, at Biome Makers.

Biome Makers is on a mission to empower farmers and recover soil health worldwide.

As a part of this commitment, the company is continuing to open this technology through API connection, making it accessible to researchers,

scientists, and industry experts to unlock the potential of soil data and create a more sustainable and resilient future for the planet.

To learn more about Biome Makers, visit https://biomemakers.com/.

For media inquiries and collaboration opportunities, please contact Jamie Nix, jamie.nix@biomemakers.com, 202-912-0976.

WE PARTNER WITH YOUR TRUSTED ADVISORS

As agriculture has evolved, the nature of the industry has become more complex and regulated. At Ruder Ware our attorneys act as legal counsel for producers and businesses providing products and services for the agriculture industry, and partner with a client’s current trusted advisors, such as accountants and lenders. Contact us today to see how our team approach yields the best results for your farm or business. ruderware.com | visit our blogs at blueinklaw.com

Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Grants Awarded

Gov. Tony Evers and DATCP announce grants for methods that optimize nitrogen

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), has announced that 18 projects are receiving grant funding for the 2024 Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP).

These grants aim to refine and enhance the understanding of new methods that optimize commercial nitrogen applied to agricultural fields, helping to protect vital soil and water resources.

“Improving water quality is as much of an environmental and conservation issue as it is a public health and economic issue for our state,” says Gov. Evers.

“Since day one, my administration has been working hard to combat harmful contaminants and ensure clean water for all Wisconsinites, and producers across the state have been leading on this issue,” Gov. Evers stresses.

“Thanks to this critical funding,” he adds, “we are building upon that good work by supporting farmers in finding innovative practices that help protect water quality and advance producer-led conservation efforts.”

“Our land and water resources are the foundation of Wisconsin’s $104.8 billion agriculture industry, and this program provides farmers with additional tools to further protect and maintain those resources,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski.

“Researching and pioneering new approaches to applying commercial nitrogen can help benefit our state’s farms and natural resources,” Romanski remarks.

The NOPP was designed to encourage agricultural producers to develop innovative approaches to optimize the application of commercial nitrogen for a duration of at least two

growing seasons.

FIELD STUDIES

The selected producers must collaborate with a University of Wisconsin (UW) system institution, which will monitor the grant project

on-site and conduct commercial nitrogen optimization field studies.

Funding for the NOPP and the cover crop insurance premium rebate program, which assists farmers

Among several WPVGA Grower and Associate Division members awarded 2024 Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Grants (including Coloma Farms, Isherwood Family Farms and McCain Foods), Insight FS received funds for evaluating variable nitrogen rate as a means of reducing commercial nitrogen rates.

with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres, was announced in August 2022.

These programs were created under 2021 Wisconsin Act 223, legislation put forth by the bipartisan Water Quality Task Force and signed into law by Gov. Evers in April 2022.

Building on these efforts to conserve and protect Wisconsin’s soil and water resources, the 2023-’25 biennial budget signed by Gov. Evers provided $1.8 million in each year on a one-time basis to continue the NOPP and cover crop insurance program.

The grant structure allowed agricultural producers to work together and apply under a single application, with each individual producer eligible to receive a maximum award of up to $40,000.

In addition, a total of $200,000 will be awarded to the UW system for monitoring and research assistance. The application period for the program closed on Jan. 31, 2024.

DATCP received 21 funding applications totaling more than $1.09 million in requests. The grant recipients, whose awards total more than $800,000, and their planned projects include:

Albright Brothers | $39,798

Test nitrogen rates with solid manure.

Number of producers on project: 1

Paul Bibby | $12,956

Determine the effect of nitrogen on sunflower yield, profit, and agronomic traits.

Number of producers on project: 1

Peter Bonin | $24,378

Study nitrogen use per bushel of corn, with nitrogen-fixing bacteria applied at planting in furrow.

Number of producers on project: 1

Chippewa Valley

Forage Council | $195,560

Evaluate maximum return to nitrogen rates for corn grain after manure application.

Number of producers on project: 6

Coloma Farms | $39,768

Test glycerol rates to decrease nitrogen leaching in potatoes during the growing season.

Number of producers on project: 1

Diversified Seed Producers | $40,000

Increase nitrogen optimization in organic production of corn with inter-seeded clover.

Number of producers on project: 1

InDepth Agronomy/

Golden E Dairy | $39,996

Validate corn nitrogen rates in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Number of producers on project: 1

Insight FS | $37,403

Evaluate variable nitrogen rate as a means of reducing commercial nitrogen rates.

Number of producers on project: 1

Isaac Isherwood | $32,877

Optimize nitrogen in potatoes to reduce nitrogen leaching on sandy soil.

Number of producers on project: 1

SUPPORT YOUR FELLOW

MEMBERS

When you need goods or services, please consider asking our Associate Division Members for quotes or explore what they have to offer. Together, we make a strong organization and appreciate how wonderful we are as a group.

Nick Kleiber | $21,800

Determine economical nitrogen rates on no-till corn in Sheboygan County.

Number of producers on project: 1

Kris Lien | $6,727

Identify optimum nitrogen rate following hog wean to finish manure.

Number of producers on project: 1

McCain Foods | $80,000

Optimize nitrogen use for potatoes in Central Wisconsin.

Number of producers on project: 2

Muddy Bottom Farmers | $68,359

Determine the economic rate of nitrogen and the impact of cover crops.

Number of producers on project: 3

Prairie Vista Cranberries | $20,744

Evaluate nitrogen application timing variations at Prairie Vista Cranberries.

Number of producers on project: 1

Salzwedel Cranberry Marsh | $37,652

Test frequency of spoon-fed fertilizer application in cranberry production.

Number of producers on project: 1

James Stute | $39,819

Determine if a cereal rye cover crop changes the optimum nitrogen rate in corn.

Number of producers on project: 1

Vilas Cranberries | $30,237

Assess nitrogen reduction and application timing for root development.

Number of producers on project: 1

Dean Weichmann | $31,956

Conduct nitrogen crediting from timed termination of alfalfa cover crop.

Number of producers on project: 1

Additional information on the Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Grant Program can be found by visiting https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/ CommercialNitrogenOptimization PilotGrantProgram.aspx.

“Researching and pioneering new approaches to applying commercial nitrogen can help benefit our state’s farms and natural resources.”

– Randy Romanski DATCP Secretary

DINNER SPONSOR $2,500

• Company name/logo on two banners placed in prominent areas

• Company name/logo on dinner ticket & one beverage cart

• Company name and logo in Badger Common'Tater

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

• Registration and dinner for four golfers

LUNCH SPONSOR $2,000

• Company name/logo on one banner and lunch ticket

• Company name/logo on one beverage cart

• Company name/logo in Badger Common'Tater

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

• Registration and dinner for four golfers

GOLDRUSH SPONSOR $1,500

• Company name/logo on one banner

• Company name/logo in Badger Common'Tater

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

• Registration and dinner for two golfers

CONTACT KAREN RASMUSSEN for more details (715) 623-7683

Make checks payable to WSPIA

Friday, June 21, 2024

Bass Lake Country Club W10650 Bass Lake Road

Deerbrook, WI 54424

SILVERTON SPONSOR $1,000

BUSHMAN’S RIVERSIDE RANCH

• Company name/logo on one banner

• Company name/logo in Badger Common'Tater

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

• Registration and dinner for one golfer

SUPERIOR SPONSOR $500

• Company name/logo banner and in Badger Common'Tater

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

OCCUPIED HOLE SPONSOR

$300

• Company name on hole sign

• Rights to occupy a hole on the course and provide giveaways* *If alcohol is being served, it must be purchased through the golf course

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

BASIC HOLE SPONSOR $200

• Company name on hole sign

• Verbal recognition and name on sign at event

MAIL PAYMENT TO: WSPIA, P.O. Box 173 Antigo, WI 54409 Since 1998, this tournament raised over $189,000, which was donated to Wisconsin potato research.

Hyland Lakes Spuds Inc.

Ali's Kitchen

Dish Makes for a Fabulous Sunday Dinner

Hearty but not heavy, Peruvian Chicken and Potatoes recipe features fresh herbs and flavors

Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary

An easy one-pan meal that only takes 15 minutes to prepare, this Peruvian Chicken and Potatoes dish is hearty and filling, yet the fresh flavors and herbs keep it from being too heavy. It makes for a fabulous summer Sunday dinner!

Directions for Green Sauce

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Directions for Peruvian Chicken & Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, oil, cumin, paprika, and oregano. Add the chicken and potatoes to this marinade and mix thoroughly, being sure to coat the chicken and potatoes well.

continued on pg. 62

INGREDIENTS:

Peruvian Chicken & Potatoes

• 2 large russet potatoes (cut into large cubes)

• 4 chicken thighs

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1/4 cup soy sauce

• 2 Tbsp. lime juice

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp. cumin

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Place the chicken and potatoes into a baking dish. Be sure to position the potatoes around and between the chicken. You want to avoid laying

INGREDIENTS:

• 1

• 2 green onions (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1 Tbsp. lime juice

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

them on top to ensure the chicken can become nice and crispy.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, then tent the pan with foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, and the potatoes are tender with a fork.

If you’d like, you can set the oven to broil and cook the chicken (uncovered) for an additional 3-5 minutes to achieve an even crispier chicken skin with a golden-brown color.

Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.

Garnish with green sauce and lime slices before serving. Enjoy!

In the heart of potato country. Serving all of Agriculture.

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