December 2023 Badger Common'Tater

$28/year | $2.50/copy | Volume 75 No. 12 | December 2023

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

ANNUAL REVIEW ISSUE & LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 PLANTING SEASON 2023 WISCONSIN Potato Crop Report HEAT & DROUGHT Stress in Potatoes HOW MUCH NITROGEN Is In My Irrigation Water?

ADVANTAGES TO AUTOMATING Your Accounts Payable Process

INTERVIEW:

DENNIS WEST

Nuto Farm Supply Inc.

Dennis West, co-owner of Nuto Farm Supply Inc., in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, checks on Russet Burbank potatoes in storage.

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On the Cover: Raising Russet Burbank potatoes north of the 45th parallel in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, Dennis West of Nuto Farm Supply says the spuds store well in the operation’s climate-controlled bins.

With a shipping season that doesn’t begin until mid-October and storage capacity of approximately 40 million pounds, Nuto Farm Supply can ship superb quality potatoes well into August, often storing for 10 months.

8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW: A fourth-generation grower, shipper and packer in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the Nuto Farm Supply family includes, from left to right, Dennis, Sue, Carolyn, Adam, Donn, Emily, and Taylor West. At 92 years old, Donn “Hokey” West can still be found at the office on any given workday. Hokey introduced the Kitchen Kleen label in the 1950’s, and to this day, Nuto Farm Supply only packs Russet Burbanks in that brand so consumers can count on consistent taste and texture.

DEPARTMENTS: ALI'S KITCHEN.................... 73 AUXILIARY NEWS............... 40 EYES ON ASSOCIATES......... 48

18

30

36

FULL 2023 WISCONSIN POTATO CROP REPORT

MARKETPLACE

BADGER BEAT

State sees above average yields and excellent quality

Spud Bowl fans treated to delicious Wisconsin baked potatoes and French fries

Enforcing the Endangered Species Act may soon limit pesticide use for growers

FEATURE ARTICLES: 24 HEAT & DROUGHT STRESS causes physiological defects in tubers & damages crops 42 OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE nitrogen use efficiency & budget it through irrigation 67 AUTOMATING ACCOUNTS PAYABLE can save time and significantly reduce errors 4

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR...... 6 NEW PRODUCTS................ 72 NOW NEWS....................... 61 NPC NEWS......................... 56 PEOPLE.............................. 58 PLANTING IDEAS.................. 6 POTATOES USA NEWS........ 70 WPIB FOCUS...................... 60

Seed Potatoes Certified and Foundation WHITES

• Atlantic • Snowden • Superior

REDS

• Dark Red Norland • Red Prairie

Call Mike Shafel (715) 216-4531

sunnydaleseed@yahoo.com Farm Office: 715-627-7401

W9751 HIGHWAY I BRYANT, WISCONSIN 54418 WPVGA Board of Directors: President: Randy Fleishauer Vice President: Charlie Mattek Secretary: John Bustamante Treasurer: Alex Okray Directors: Mike Carter, Wendy Dykstra, Bill Guenthner, Josh Knights & J.D. Schroeder Wisconsin Potato Industry Board: President: Heidi Alsum-Randall 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

Vice President: Andy Verhasselt Secretary: Sally Suprise Treasurer: Paul Salm Directors: Melissa Heise, Ethan Olson, Scott Scheer, Morgan Smolarek & Brandon Taylor Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board of Directors: President: Matt Mattek Vice President: Jeff Suchon Secretary/Treasurer: Clover Spacek Directors: Charlie Husnick & Andy Schroeder Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors: President: Heidi Schleicher Vice President: Datonn Hanke 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 Houlihan Managing Editor: Joe Kertzman Director of Promotions & Consumer Education: Dana Rady Financial Officer: Karen Rasmussen Executive Assistant: Julie Braun Program Assistant: Jane Guillen Spudmobile Education and Outreach Administrator: George Neuber

WPVGA Office (715) 623-7683 • FAX: (715) 623-3176 E-mail: wpvga@wisconsinpotatoes.com Website: www.wisconsinpotatoes.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/WPVGA

Subscription rates: $2.50/copy, $28/year; $45/2 years.

Foreign subscription rates: $35/year; $55/2 years.

Telephone: (715) 623-7683 Mailing address: P.O. Box 327, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409 Or, subscribe free online: http://wisconsinpotatoes.com/blog-news/subscribe/ 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.

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5

MARK YOUR

Calendar DECEMBER 12

WISC. HEALTHY GROWN MEETING Hancock Ag Research Station, 9 a.m.

Hancock, WI

JANUARY 2024 8-9

POTATOES USA WINTER MEETING Austin Convention Center Austin, TX

10-11

POTATO EXPO 2024 Austin Convention Center Austin, TX

FEBRUARY 6-8

2024 GROWER ED CONFERENCE & INDUSTRY SHOW Holiday Inn Convention Center Stevens Point, WI

26-3/1

2024 NPC WASHINGTON SUMMIT Washington Marriott at Metro Center Washington, D.C.

MARCH 26-28

62nd ANNUAL WPS FARM SHOW Experimental Aircraft Association grounds Oshkosh, WI

MAY 18-21

NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SHOW McCormick Place Chicago, IL

JUNE 21

WSPIA SPUD SEED CLASSIC GOLF OUTING Bass Lake Golf Course Deerbrook, WI

23-26

12TH WORLD POTATO CONGRESS Adelaide, South Australia

JULY 10

2024 PUTT-TATO OPEN GOLF OUTING Lake Arrowhead Golf Course Nekoosa, WI

11

HARS FIELD DAY Hancock Agricultural Research Station Hancock, WI

31

RARS FIELD DAY Rhinelander Agricultural Research Station Rhinelander, WI

AUGUST 23-26

WISCONSIN FARM TECHNOLOGY DAYS Country/Rock Fest Grounds Cadott, WI

OCTOBER 17

6

5TH ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS SHOOT Wausau Skeet and Trap Club Wausau/Brokaw, WI BC�T December

Planting Ideas I guess it’s only fair that someone takes a picture of the

photographer, as I’m usually the one behind the camera who then later places images of people in the magazine. I’m a friendly photographer and journalist, though, and tend to make friends and have fun at the events that I attend, such as Alsum Farms & Produce’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, August 11-12. After I ran complete coverage (and photos) of the event in the September 2023 issue of the Badger Common’Tater, Wendy Alsum-Dykstra emailed me the above image. I was taking a picture of Spudly and 3-year-old Easton Shoup of Randolph, Wisconsin, during the celebration. Easton is a much cuter subject than I am, though.

Included in the “Marketplace” column of this issue is coverage of the 37th Annual Spud Bowl, September 9, at Goerke Field, in Stevens Point.

During what has become an anticipated annual tradition, Spud Bowl Committee members give out free baked potatoes, French fries, and root beer to attendees of the football game, this year between the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers and the St. Norbert Green Knights. The approximately 600 baked potatoes were courtesy of Wysocki Produce Farm, while McCain Foods donated 1,200 servings of French fries, and Stevens Point Brewery provided Point Root Beer.

There’s another photo of me (darn the luck) in Marketplace alongside Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Executive Director Tamas Houlihan.

With no shortage of events this time of year, the “Eyes on Associates” column herein is a recap of the 4th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot, October 19, at the Wausau Skeet & Trap Club, in Brokaw. Thirty teams of 113 participants traversed the 75-target course, and 20 volunteer coaches who are members of the club assisted novice and veteran shooters alike. A fundraiser for the WPVGA Associate Division, proceeds from the Sporting Clays Shoot are earmarked to support the industry throughout the year.

See “Auxiliary News” for a story and images of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary selling baked potatoes at Harvest Fair, September 2729, at the State Fair grounds in Milwaukee. This is the second year the Auxiliary has taken a booth at Harvest Fair to sell baked potatoes and raise funds.

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.

Joe Kertzman

Managing Editor jkertzman@wisconsinpotatoes.com

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Foundation & Certified Seed Potatoes

Interview DENNIS WEST, co-owner, Nuto Farm Supply Inc.

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater NAME: Dennis West TITLE: Co-owner COMPANY: Nuto Farm Supply Inc. LOCATION: Rice Lake, WI HOMETOWN: Rice Lake YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: 40+ PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: n/a SCHOOLING: Rice Lake High School, Barron County Campus ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Grower member of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association AWARDS/HONORS: State and National Outstanding Young Farmer Awards FAMILY: Wife, Sue West, and sons, Derek, Taylor, and Adam West HOBBIES: Hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, and water skiing 8

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The warm days and cool nights north of the 45th parallel in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, aid in the growing and storing of Russet Burbank potatoes, according to Dennis West of Nuto Farm Supply.

“As for potatoes, we only grow Russet Burbanks, and they’re all late season,” West, a third-generation grower, shipper, and packer, says.

“We don’t start harvesting until the middle of September, and just got done with harvest on October 12th.”

Known for the Kitchen Kleen brand of russet potatoes, Dennis is the coowner of Nuto Farm Supply, running the operation with his brother, Brian, father, Donn “Hokey” West, who is 92 years young, and Dennis’ sons, Taylor, and Adam.

Hokey, who got his nickname from playing hooky from school to spend time on the farm, can still be found

at the office on any given workday.

There is photographic proof of his hooky-playing days, with pictures of Hokey sitting on boxes of potatoes on a trailer when he was as young as 4 years old.

Dennis is proud of his family’s history and accomplishments, particularly a new packaging and grading shed with all-new equipment, and he agreed to answer questions for readers.

Above: Known for the Kitchen Kleen brand of potatoes, Dennis West is the co-owner of Nuto Farm Supply, a grower, shipper and packer of Russet Burbanks in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

I understand Nuto Farm Supply is a 4th-generation potato grower, shipper, packer, and started in 1929.

Can you give me a brief one- or twoparagraph history of the farming operation? In 1929, my grandfather, Barron West, began farming with his brothers in Sarona, Wisconsin (just north of Rice Lake), to supplement his income as a gas station owner during the Depression.

My father, Donn “Hokey” West, joined him in the 1950’s. At that time, Barron and Hokey branched out on their own and moved to Rice Lake to grow potatoes.

My brother, Brian, and I joined in during the ’70s. Over the years, Hokey, Brian and I expanded our farm 20 miles south to a sandy, glacial outwash near Chetek.

sons, Taylor and Adam West, began farming with us and have taken on much of the responsibility of growing and selling the crop, as well as overseeing the construction of our new packing shed.

Speaking of the packing shed, does it incorporate new technologies, and if so, what are those? Our new packing shed is amazing. We are excited that it contains multiple artificial intelligence systems, automatic

palletizing, and new stainless tanks and conveyers.

All the new technology greatly increased our packing capacity along with relieving our labor strains that had arisen over the past few years.

We used to employ 10-12 graders and were struggling for years to find help. Now three people working as graders give the potatoes a final check before packing and shipping. continued on pg. 10

NUMBERS. PEOPLE.

It takes balance.

The fertile soil in that area has helped us grow tasty, beautiful, well-stored potatoes.

Approximately 10 years ago, after completing college at the University of Wisconsin-Madson, two of my Above:From left to right, Adam, Taylor, Donn “Hokey”, Dennis and Brian West run the day-to-day operations at Nuto Farm Supply in Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

We’ll get you there.

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9

Interview. . .

continued from pg. 9

It was also exciting and fun to finally get to work on what we had visualized as our ideal warehouse.

We worked in conjunction with Rietveld Equipment out of Illinois, whose representatives came to our location, took measurements of the building, and discussed plans on what we visualized.

Within a week, they set up Zoom meetings between people from our warehouse and those in Illinois, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and India, all discussing the best layout for our technology. It was great to be able to work with everyone at once to set up the warehouse that best fit our needs.

What is your storage capacity and how long can you store potatoes?

Our storage capacity at our packing facility is approximately 40 million pounds, and we have additional temporary storage if needed.

Because we only grow Russet Burbank potatoes, our shipping season doesn’t begin until midOctober.

Since Burbanks store so well in our climate-controlled bins, we can ship superb quality potatoes well into August (storing for 10 months).

involved but have been transitioning more and more responsibilities to Taylor and Adam over the years.

Are you, Brian and Hokey all still full-time with Nuto Farm Supply?

Brian and I are still very much

Hokey is now 92 years old and comes to work daily to keep an eye on everything.

10 BC�T December

Above: Bagging potatoes has come a long way at Nuto Farm Supply from the early days of manual field labor to the modern Volm M12 V automatic bagger/ packager that is set up to run two lines simultaneously. continued on pg. 12

Interview. . .

continued from pg. 10

Are there other family members involved in the operation, and what are each of your titles or specialties? Brian is a certified crop adviser and concentrates on planting, growing, and harvesting the crops.

He also markets our rotational crops, primarily field corn and soybeans.

My son, Adam, is an agronomist.

His focus is growing a great crop of potatoes from planting through harvest, but he also plays a vital role with corn and soybeans.

Taylor specializes in potato warehouse management, which includes storage, washing, packing, shipping, as well as potato sales and marketing. This was (and still is) my main area of work.

Hokey's wife, Carolyn, Brian's wife, Michele, and my wife, Sue, have been a crucial part of our farming operation throughout the years, pitching in wherever needed with bookwork, trade shows, advertising, seed corn, etc.

The Kitchen Kleen Russet Burbank potatoes are washed before being conveyed from a warehouse to the new packing shed at Nuto Farm Supply.

12 BC�T December

Left: Russet Burbank potatoes are sorted off the field in this historic photo at Nuto Farm Supply.

Right: Taylor West, shown here at a control panel in the new pack shed, specializes in potato warehouse management, which includes storage, washing, packaging, and shipping, as well as sales and marketing.

Taylor's wife, Emily, and Adam's fiancé, Kenzie, have their own fulltime jobs outside of the farm but are always willing to help in any way that they can.

Why do Russet Burbanks grow so well in Rice Lake Wisconsin? Does it have to do with the soil or being north of the 45th parallel? The Rice Lake/Chetek climate offers warm days and cool nights, which produce a great tasting Russet Burbank potato.

Also, the soil is a mixture of silt loam/ sandy silt loam that grows a great tasting potato that stores well.

What is your total acreage? We farm close to 5,000 acres of crops each year, of which 625 acres are potatoes, 800 are dedicated to soybeans and roughly 3,000 acres are planted in corn. The remainder consists of hay/ pasture, which provides habitat for animals.

We are also part of the Midwest

Food Alliance, which is dedicated to promoting sustainable farming practices, and we have partnered with our local electrical co-op to plant butterfly and pollinator sanctuaries on 15 acres of land.

How did the Kitchen Kleen brand evolve, and has it come to denote quality or be recognized nationwide?

My father, Hokey, introduced the Kitchen Kleen brand label in the 1950’s. We only pack Russet Burbanks in that brand so that consumers, chefs, etc., will always have consistent taste, texture, and cook time in every bag or box they use.

“Our new packing shed is amazing. We are excited that it contains multiple artificial intelligence systems, automatic palletizing, and new stainless tanks and conveyers.”

–D ennis West

We conducted an extensive regional ad campaign in the 1990’s that included TV, billboard, and radio advertising to promote the taste and quality of Kitchen Kleen potatoes.

How many people does Nuto Farm Supply employ? We have approximately 30 full-time and 15 or more part-time employees who work with us in our farming, growing and packing operation.

We are truly blessed to have a group of people who are dedicated to producing and delivering a quality potato. It is a privilege to work with so many conscientious, talented people. It’s because of them that everyone can enjoy Kitchen Kleen Potatoes. We couldn’t do it without them.

You are a late-season potato grower.

Why, and where do you, therefore, fit into the marketplace? We begin harvest in mid- to late-September and try to finish by October 10th.

Once the potatoes are in storage, we put them through a three-week curing process where we run air and humidity through them. This is important with a Burbank to ensure that it can withstand the washing process and remain healthy once in a box or bag.

Once the curing process is finished, we begin shipping and continue to continued on pg. 14 BC�T December 13

Interview. . .

continued from pg. 13

ship up until July, approximately 10 months.

Do you have a shipping arm of the operation, and if so, how many trucks? We have trucks, but mainly for fieldwork and hauling. Some of our customers have trucks in our area and will backhaul their own product.

If we need to find a truck, we use independent local truckers that we work with closely.

Have packaging demands from retailers and consumers changed over the years, and if so, in what ways? I remember loading bag after

bag of 100-pound sacks on trucks as a kid, and now I can’t recall the last time we even packaged one that large. Consumers are purchasing for convenience and quick consumption, so they are pushing for smaller bags and easy-to-make meals.

Along with bag size, being locally grown is also a driving force to what decisions consumers make at the store, so a Wisconsin-grown Russet Burbank helps reduce the carbon impact for the Midwest.

What about quality control—what are you doing to ensure fresh, clean,

In the 1960’s, Nuto Farm Supply delivered potatoes within a 150-mile radius of Rice Lake.

14 BC�T December

Above: Nuto Farm Supply’s new packing shed includes multiple artificial intelligence systems such as the automatic and optical sorters and graders shown here.

bruise-free potatoes? Does it start in the field, and if so, in what way?

Quality always starts in the field.

Adam and Brian spend countless hours discussing and deciding everything from field rotation to the way the fields are worked in the spring, a meticulous irrigation plan in the summer and how to gently harvest in the fall. continued on pg. 16

Donn “Hokey” West, who is presently 92 years young and still goes into the office most days, sits (top-left) on a load of potatoes.

Reportedly getting his nickname, Hokey, because he played hooky from school to spend time on the farm, this may be photographic evidence.

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Interview. . .

continued from pg. 14

Having conscientious people controlling the equipment makes all the difference in the world.

Once in storage, proper air and humidity is necessary to keep the potatoes fresh, and our new packing line has many updates to ensure

minimal drops to produce a bruisefree potato.

What do you foresee on the horizon for the farm in terms of technology, operation and progression? We have been very ambitious over the last few years. We are now going to perfect

Above: Bagging and packaging technology at Nuto Farm Supply extends to an Upmatic bagging machine in the first image, and an IPLA palletizer in the second photo.

what we have and continue to focus on delivering a superb-quality, greattasting potato.

The West family began supplying RPE LLC, of Bancroft, with 8-10-ounce Burbank Reserve potatoes packaged in 5- and 10-pound poly bags under RPE’s renowned nationwide commodity brand, Farmer’s Promise.

Above: Hokey West is shown (left) in the 1950’s with a load of 100-pound sacks of Kitchen Kleen Potatoes.

Left: Potatoes are harvested by hand, in the late 1940’s, at a Nuto Farm Supply field in Radisson, Wisconsin, just northeast of Rice Lake.

16 BC�T December

2023 Wisconsin Potato Crop Report Growers report above average yields and excellent quality despite hot, dry weather

By WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan The 2023 Wisconsin potato crop got off to a late start due to cold and wet weather in April. Planting was delayed by a week to 10 days, primarily due to cold conditions.

The month of May was the fourth driest on record in Wisconsin.

Dry conditions and very warm temperatures persisted throughout the summer, although there were a few timely rainfalls.

By late July, 93% of the state was in a moderate to severe drought.

With the extensive use of irrigation, however, the crop turned out very well, with above average yields and excellent quality, including large tuber size.

Disease severity values were nonexistent through mid-June. Overall, pest pressure was not severe, and

there was no late blight in Wisconsin in 2023.

Wisconsin had a good harvest season.

Warm days and cool nights led to excellent tuber bulking conditions.

The first few days of September saw hot temperatures shut down harvest, but then conditions turned ideal for the next two weeks.

Rain fell steadily from September 2325, and high temperatures returned the first few days of October, again slowing down harvest. Much cooler temperatures arrived on October 6, with highs in the 50s, and ideal harvest conditions followed for the next week to 10 days.

NO FROST DAMAGE There was no frost until very late in October, and there were no reports of frost damage to potatoes.

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Growers report that yields are average to above average and quality is excellent. Statewide yields average about 435 hundredweight (cwt.)/acre on 66,000 acres of potatoes.

This puts the state’s production at 28.71 million cwt., an increase of 1.935 million cwt., or 7% compared to last year.

Total planted acres are up from last year, which was reported to be approximately 63,000. The increase in production is primarily due to the increase in acreage of about 3,000 acres compared to 2022, along with stronger yields. Yields are up approximately 10 cwt./acre across the state over last year.

This estimation is a result of conversations with growers and is lower than the estimate made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of 29.8 million cwt. The USDA continues to overestimate Wisconsin potato production.

The USDA acreage estimate for Wisconsin in 2023 is 68,500. The USDA yield estimate for Wisconsin in 2023 is 435 cwt./acre.

GENERAL REPORT A few Wisconsin growers in the central and southern portions of the state began planting between April 10 and 15 this year, but most growers waited out the cold, wet weather.

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18 BC�T December

May saw warmer temperatures and a lot of potato acres went into the ground. These conditions put the Wisconsin potato crop about a week to 10 days behind schedule, although the crop caught up quickly.

AREA REPORTS Northwest Wisconsin – The growing season was described as above average despite a late start due to snow and cold weather. Half the season was dry and the other half wet.

The Antigo seed potato region had good planting weather after wet conditions in early May. By mid-tolate May, conditions for planting were good throughout the state.

By late May and early June, there was a long stretch of dry weather with warm temperatures. Drought conditions continued throughout the summer, with very few days of rain.

May through August precipitation throughout Central Wisconsin was just over nine inches, compared to the average of over 17 inches.

Thanks to outstanding irrigation management by growers, the crop turned out to be excellent, with very little disease pressure or fertilizer loss.

The Antigo seed area reported one of the highest yielding seasons in memory. Frost was not an issue during harvest this year anywhere in the state.

Statewide, growers reported

Yields were up across the board in Wisconsin, with seed growers in the Antigo, Eagle River and Rhinelander area reporting a lot of oversize potato profiles, particularly on Plover Russets, Atlantics and Reveilles (the latter shown here).

average to above average yields with excellent quality and large tuber size.

Storages were full and pack-out rates exceptional.

The weather was good for harvest.

Growers reported that most fields had excellent yields, with an overall average of 510 cwt./acre (primarily russets). The size profile is larger than usual, with 15-20% greater than 10 oz. Quality is very good. There was no disease pressure, nor issues with storage.

Antigo, Rhinelander, Eagle River – Growers reported a slight delay to the planting season with many farms beginning in mid-May and completing planting by early June. Overall, the planting conditions were reported as being very good.

The growing season was hot and continued on pg. 20

BC�T December 19

2023 Wisconsin Potato Crop Report. . . continued from pg. 19

dry. Other than one wet week in September, harvest conditions were good throughout September and well into October. Growers reported good tuber bulking after vine kill.

Yields were up across the board with some varieties reaching 600 cwt./ acre. Seed growers reported a lot of oversize potato profiles, particularly on Plover Russet, Atlantics and Reveilles. Several growers reported yields ranging from 400-500 cwt./ acre. Overall, average yields were about 425 cwt./acre.

Wisconsin’s 2023 certified seed potato area has 9,725 acres of certified seed. This is an increase of 380 acres (4%) compared to 2022.

The seed area for major chip potato varieties increased by 355 acres, or 6.3%, to 5,955 acres. That included a 189-acre increase in the state’s FritoLay seed area and a 167-acre increase

“Statewide, growers reported average to above average yields with excellent quality and large tuber size. Storages were full and pack-out rates exceptional.”

– Tamas Houlihan,

WPVGA Executive Director

in other chip potato varieties.

acres to 392 acres.

ATLANTICS & LAMOKAS The Atlantic seed area increased by 76 acres, while the Lamoka seed area dropped by 77 acres.

The area certified for major red potato varieties increased by 44 acres, or 4.7%, to 985 acres. A 55acre increase in the Red Prairie seed area was partially offset by a 17-acre reduction in the Dark Red Norland seed area.

Wisconsin’s russet table potato seed area fell by 26 acres, to 1,522 acres.

That included a 55-acre drop in Silverton and a 53-acre increase in Russet Norkotah acreage.

The Goldrush seed area fell by 34

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Wisconsin’s seed area for major yellow potato varieties totaled 304 acres, up from 259 acres a year earlier. Colomba and Yukon Gold remain Wisconsin’s top yellow varieties. In the processing sector, the Caribou Russet certified area rose by 9.4%, to 309 acres.

Frito-Lay varieties represent the highest number of certified seed acres (2,710), followed by Atlantic (944), Lamoka (690), Silverton (623), Snowden (602), Dark Red Norland (468) and Goldrush (392).

Central Wisconsin/Stevens Point/ Plover/Amherst – Despite the late start, growers reported average to above average yields with good to excellent quality. It was a good harvest season in this area.

Average yields were 450-475 cwt./ acre on russets, with some fields hitting 500-550. Some Burbank yields hit 550 cwt./acre, but the average was closer to 475 on Burbanks and Umatillas.

The size profile on Burbanks was larger than desired, but smaller on Silvertons. The Caribou variety was continued on pg. 22

20 BC�T December

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2023 Wisconsin Potato Crop Report. . . continued from pg. 20

reported to have good size and yields, with a high of 575 cwt./acre.

Reds and yellows had very good yields, with one Little Potato Company red variety hitting 450-500 cwt./acre. There was some Colorado Potato Beetle pressure and some early die.

Central Wisconsin/Plainfield/ Bancroft/Nekoosa – Growers reported average to above average yields and good quality. There was variability by field and variety, with yields anywhere from 400 to 550 cwt./acre.

Central Wisconsin/Hancock – Growers reported an average to above average crop with a good size profile and roughly 30% 10-ounce potatoes and above.

Chip crop yields were in the usual 500 cwt./acre range with good quality.

Processing potatoes yielded average

Above: The seed potato area certified for major red potato varieties increased by 44 acres, or 4.7%, to 985 acres. A 55-acre increase in the Red Prairie seed area was partially offset by a 17-acre reduction in the Dark Red Norland (examples shown) seed area.

Goldrush • Russet Norkotah • Manistee Atlantic • Snowden • Reveille

22 BC�T December

2023 CROP USAGE BREAKDOWN

(in Hundredweight and % of Overall Crop)

Seed Potatoes 4,019,400 14% Chip Potatoes 7,751,700 27% Frozen/Fry 6,316,200 22% Fresh Potatoes 10,622,700 37% Total 28,710,000 100% to above average at 450-460 cwt./ acre, although one grower reported lower yields than expected, averaging closer to 400 cwt./acre with a small size profile.

Central Wisconsin - Coloma/Grand Marsh – Yields were reported to be average to above average at about 400-450 cwt./acre with excellent quality. Overall, yields were reported to be about 10% above average.

The size profile was considerably larger than last year and much bigger than expected. Growers had to irrigate considerably more than usual.

Some scab was reported on reds and Atlantics, but there was very little disease pressure overall. Bins are full with no issues to date.

Southern Wisconsin - Spring Green/ Endeavor – Yields are higher than last year with an average of 510-515 cwt./ acre on russets and golds. Creamer red yields were closer to 200 cwt./ acre.

The quality is above average on all varieties. There were no major scab issues and hollow heart is better than normal. Some reds and yellows in the area yielded about 10% more than last year along with greater size, heavier to A’s than B’s. Growers reported this crop being one of the largest they’ve seen.

Very dry conditions in early July were followed by two inches of rainfall that helped the crop turn around.

High temperatures delayed harvest by about two weeks, but there is no disease to speak of, and growers filled their storages more than normal.

BC�T December 23

Heat & Drought

Stress in Potatoes Inputs containing plant hormones and betaines could mitigate potato response to heat stress

By The Crop Smith and Paul van Eijck, PotatoPro.com (https://www.potatopro.com/) Extreme weather events pose a significant challenge to potato cultivation. Heat and drought stress reduces productivity, causes physiological defects

in tubers, and damages crops.

However, recent studies have shown that natural technologies containing plant hormones and betaines might be able to mitigate or control potato

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24 BC�T December

Above: Extreme weather events, including heat and drought stress, pose a significant challenge to potato production.

plants’ response to heat stress.

In the United Kingdom (U.K.), the top 10 warmest years since 1884 have occurred in the last two decades.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the U.K. is 40.3 degrees Celsius (104.5 Fahrenheit), set in Lincolnshire, on July 19, 2022.

On the same day, 35 degrees C (95 F) was exceeded for the first time in Scotland. And while multiple records were broken in 2022, the Met Office had forecasted 2023 to be hotter still.

Drought and heat stress is problematic in potato cultivation as modern varieties are adapted to grow at temperatures between 14 degrees C (57 F) and 22 degrees C (72 F). Potato productivity is reduced at higher temperatures, typically whenever 25 degrees C (77 F) is exceeded during the day.

HOW HEAT AFFECTS YIELD Potato plants under abiotic stress conditions suffer a disturbance in normal hormonal regulation, plant metabolism and photosynthesis.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated, causing membrane damage and cell death.

As a consequence, the rate of photosynthesis is reduced, the movement of assimilates from the leaves to the developing tubers is disrupted, and biomass accumulation is compromised.

The result is inhibition of tuberization and secondary tuberization (also called secondary growth), reduction in tuber bulking, and ultimately loss of yield. Heat stress also causes physiological defects such as early skin set, which is often followed by skin cracking and a loss of tuber quality.

The earlier a heat wave occurs, and the longer it lasts, the more negative its impact. However, there are natural technologies that can minimize these losses to heat stress.

In the Lincolnshire Trial, yield for the treated potatoes was 29.2% higher than the control.

Another trial was conducted in Norfolk, with CS1 as one of the treatments on Russet Burbank potatoes, an indeterminate variety, showing a yield increase of 40%.

In this case, the trial was on freedraining loamy soil and was irrigated.

In the Norfolk trial, CS1 foliar sprays

were combined with other biostimulants, including a microbial treatment. There is evidence to suggest that using a range of biostimulants can be more effective than a single-product application program. continued on pg. 26

SCIENTIFIC TRIALS In 2022, independent, scientific trials were conducted on the Melody potato cultivar, a partially determinate variety, in Lincolnshire, on loamy coastal soil. The trial was not irrigated.

The treatment was a simple program of in-furrow application using a highquality, seaweed-based bio-stimulant, CS1, followed by six low-volume foliar sprays of the same product at regular intervals throughout the life of the crop.

The 2022 growing season in the U.K. experienced three heat waves, one each month in June, July, and August, which were crucial tuber formation and bulking periods for the crop. However, the impact of the prolonged heat stress was reduced in the treated plants.

An interim investigation of the roots revealed that the untreated plants were at the hook stage, but the treated plants were beginning to form small tubers.

BC�T December 25

Heat & Drought Stress in Potatoes. . . continued from pg. 25

Above: Potato plants under abiotic stress conditions suffer a disturbance in normal hormonal regulation, plant metabolism and photosynthesis.

Left: In an interim assessment of the foliage in the Norfolk Trial, the treated plants appeared darker and denser than the untreated plants.

LEAF & ROOT ASSESSMENT In an interim assessment of the foliage, the treated plants appeared darker and denser than the untreated plants.

This suggests a higher leaf area index and an increased level of chlorophyl in the leaves of the treated plants. Numerous studies have demonstrated increased photosynthetic activity following seaweed extract foliar application.

Interim investigation of the roots revealed that the untreated plants were at the hook stage, but the treated plants were beginning to form small tubers.

This suggests that the treatment had advanced the physiological stage of the crop. In theory, this should lead to the development of more tubers that are larger and heavier, as tuber development will occur over a longer period in the crop cycle. This was confirmed at harvest.

26 BC�T December

BIOMASS & SKIN ASSESSMENT Immediately prior to harvest, soil samples from the untreated and treated plots were taken and sent to an independent laboratory to investigate differences in soil biomass. Increases in moisture content, bacteria and fungi were observed.

“Understanding and implementing effective methods to mitigate stressful growing conditions are now priorities for farmers and growers, not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world.”

A clear improvement in skin finish was observed where 43% of the untreated control was affected by black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani), but only 6% of the treated crop showed any symptoms.

– The Crop Smith and Paul van Eijck, PotatoPro.com

The irregular black/brown masses on the surface of the tuber are the sclerotic, or resting bodies, of the disease.

They are superficial and do not affect the tuber quality, however

they do perpetuate the disease and inhibit plant establishment from the tuber if used as seed.

A visual comparison was made with the final tubers at harvest, and a clear continued on pg. 28

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Heat & Drought Stress in Potatoes. . . continued from pg. 27

difference was apparent.

In line with the interim root assessment, the treated plants delivered a higher number of heavier and larger tubers. Most of the tuber size increase was seen in the midrange potatoes.

Prior to harvest, when soil samples from the untreated and treated plots were taken and sent to an independent laboratory, increases in soil moisture content, bacteria, and fungi were observed.

FINAL RESULTS In this trial, the application of beneficial microbes, plus regular applications of CS1, resulted in an increase of yield on maincrop potatoes. A highly significant yield increase of 40% was observed.

As with all field trials, these results were influenced by local climatic conditions and the biological, physical, and chemical condition of the soil, meaning that results will differ from trial to trial. Soil-plantclimate interactions are complex.

A deeper understanding of the effects of bio-stimulants on all aspects of the ecosystem is required to improve future methodologies in sustainable food production.

However, these results from the 2022 heat-stressed potato trials in Lincolnshire and Norfolk strongly suggest that seaweed-based biostimulants can help reduce potato yield losses due to abiotic stress and may improve crop quality.

As the frequency and magnitude of heat stress episodes intensify due to global climate change, we need to adapt.

Understanding and implementing effective methods to mitigate stressful growing conditions are now priorities for farmers and growers, not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world.

Right: The application of beneficial microbes plus regular applications of CS1 resulted in an increase in potato yield.

28 BC�T December

In the Norfolk Trial, treated plants delivered a higher number of large, heavy tubers.

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Marketplace

Wisconsin Potatoes Steal the Show at Spud Bowl Industry sponsors treat football fans to free baked potatoes and French fries

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions and Consumer Education

It’s much harder to have a bad day when you get something for free, especially if that free item includes potatoes.

September 9 was one such day at Goerke Field, in Stevens Point, for

the 37th Annual Spud Bowl football game between the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Stevens Point Pointers and St. Norbert Green Knights.

anticipated Spud Hunt, where attendees tried to locate 50 “golden potatoes” hidden throughout the stadium. Those who were successful received a prize!

The day began with the highly

The Spud Bowl Committee, including volunteers, representatives from the Wisconsin potato industry and UW-Stevens Point students, then joined forces to hand out free baked potatoes, French fries, and root beer to all attendees.

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30 BC�T December

Above: During the 37th Annual Spud Bowl, UW-Stevens Point Pointers quarterback Jacob Leair faked a handoff to wide receiver Evan Loduha and took the ball himself while playing the St. Norbert Green Knights.

The Pointers pulled off a 31-28 victory during the Spud Bowl game, September 9, at Goerke Field.

WPVGA mascot, Spudly, whose hands are visible at right, shows the little cheerleaders how it’s done at the 37th Annual Spud Bowl game, September 9.

Chet Biadasz (left) and Alex Okray (right) of the Spud Bowl Committee prepare French fries donated by McCain Foods during the Spud Bowl game at Goerke Field, in Stevens Point, on September 9.

The approximately 600 baked potatoes were courtesy of Wysocki Produce Farm, in Bancroft, while McCain Foods of Plover donated 1,200 servings of French fries and Stevens Point Brewery provided Point

Root Beer and Point Diet Root Beer. It truly doesn’t get much better.

Plus, the Pointers pulled off a 31-28 victory over the Green Knights. For years, the event has combined the continued on pg. 32

Spud Hunt winner Kendyl Winecke, 3 years old, won a T-shirt after finding a golden potato before the Spud Bowl game.

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BC�T December 31

Marketplace. . .

continued from pg. 31

popularity of a true American sport with America’s favorite vegetable.

While this game has changed in various ways over the years, one thing has remained constant— the ability to feature Wisconsin agriculture by handing out free baked potatoes.

Those in attendance could choose

between a free serving of fries with ketchup or a baked potato with butter and sour cream, or both, all while enjoying a UW-Stevens Point football game.

The game proved a good matchup, with each team answering the other through a quality play or score. While free food and football have been

Spud Bowl staples, so has showing support for continued education.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS For 36 years, UW-Stevens Point, in conjunction with businesses representing all sectors of the Wisconsin potato industry, has raised awareness about the importance of local agriculture and funded scholarships for area students. This year, five deserving students each received $1,200 to put toward their education.

More than $118,000 has been awarded to UW-Stevens Point students in scholarships over the years thanks to agricultural Above: Recognized at the 37th Annual Spud Bowl, five UW-Stevens Point students each received $1,200 scholarships thanks to the support and donations of area agricultural businesses representing all sectors of the Wisconsin potato industry. The scholarship recipients are, from left to right, Mollie Lemke, Zalexis Mannigel, Alyssa Kirsling, Samantha Simonis, and Brady Wentz.

Left: WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan (left) and Badger Common’Tater Managing Editor Joe Kertzman (right) have fun showcasing all the benefits of Wisconsin potatoes at the Spud Bowl.

32 BC�T December

businesses and organizations inside and out of the Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry that sponsor the Spud Bowl each year (see the sponsor list herein).

Recipients must meet the GPA (grade point average) requirements, be involved in their community, live within the UW-Stevens Point service area, have a farm or agriculture background, and demonstrate financial need.

Thank you to Spud Bowl liaison Ann Ninnemann, who is also the UWStevens Point women’s hockey coach.

It’s an event that many look forward to every year and one that creatively

features the true heart of Wisconsin agriculture.

Farmers pour their hearts and souls into feeding families while conserving continued on pg. 34

Appreciation goes out to those who volunteered at the Spud Bowl, such as Cliff and Carole Gagas for baking the potatoes and Chet Biadasz who took care of frying the French fries.

Left: Free servings of Wisconsin baked potatoes courtesy of Wysocki Produce Farm and French fries, from McCain Foods, are always a hit at the annual Spud Bowl game.

Dianne Somers and Dale Bowe serve the baked potatoes at left in the bottom image.

Right: Spudly just can’t contain his excitement, nailing a high ankle kick at the 37th Annual Spud Bowl.

BC�T December 33

Marketplace. . .

continued from pg. 33

Marv Hafenbreadl and Anne Cuomo (left) serve free Point Root Beer to Spud Bowl football fans at the game.

Mother Nature’s resources. They want the public to eat their potatoes and vegetables in more ways, more often.

Since the Spud Bowl is in the heart of Wisconsin’s fresh and processed

Spudly isn’t shy about sidling up to football fans during the Spud Bowl game.

potato production area, it provides the perfect opportunity to connect people with the story of how potatoes get from growers’ fields to families’ forks!

UW-Stevens Point students and Spud Hunt winners Alexis Podrez and Jack Dingle chose stress potatoes as their prizes for finding “golden potatoes” within the Goerke Field stadium. The stress potatoes go along nicely with free French fries they enjoyed at the Spud Bowl.

34 BC�T December

Top Left: While WPVGA Director of Promotions Dana Rady uses the Spud Gun to launch a promotional T-shirt into the Spud Bowl crowd, WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan (left) leans away in case of backfire, and Spudly puts his hands up in either excitement or surrender (no one’s sure, as he can’t tell us).

A football fan gets slightly annoyed with Spudly skipping in line to get a free baked potato and French fries at the Spud Bowl, in Stevens Point.

Thank You to This Year’s Spud Bowl Sponsors: AgCountry Farm Credit Services; Allen Supply Company, Inc.; Allied Cooperative; Anderson O’Brien, LLP; Big Iron Equipment; BioLife Plasma Services; BMO Harris; Bushman Potato Sales Inc.; Bushman Specialties; Central Door Solutions, LLC; Chet Biadasz; CliftonLarsonAllen; Compeer Financial; Gagas Farms Inc.; Guth Farms, Inc.; Hamerski Farms, Inc.; Hot 96.7; International Bank of Amherst; Isherwood Family Farms; Jay-Mar, Inc.; Lands’ End Inc.; Len Dudas Motors; McCain Foods; Mortenson Brothers Farm, Inc.; Nutrien Ag Solutions; Okray Family Farms; Omernik & Associates, Inc.; Paragon Potato Farms; Plover River Farms Alliance; The Portage County Bank-Almond; Portage County Dairy Committee; Potato Plant, Inc.; Prevail Bank; Riesterer & Schnell, Inc.; Roberts Irrigation; Rural Mutual Insurance-Jenni Zinda-Mancl; Sentry; Soik Sales; Spectra Print; Spectrum Insurance Group; State Bank Financial; Stevens Point Brewery; TH Agri-Chemicals, Inc.; Team Schierl Companies; Volm Companies; Warner & Warner, Inc.; Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and the WPVGA Associate Division; Wisconsin Public Service Corp.; WoodTrust Bank; Worzella & Sons, Inc.; and Wysocki Family of Companies

Above: Deserving UW-Stevens Point students were presented with scholarships at halftime of the Spud Bowl. From left to right are WPVGA mascot Spudly; Spud Bowl committee member Cliff Gagas; WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan; Spud Bowl committee members Alex Okray and Nick Somers; scholarship winners Brady Wentz, Samantha Simonis, Alyssa Kirsling, Mollie Lemke, and Zalexis Mannigel; and UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson.

Below: Volunteers serving French fries, baked potatoes and root beer to Spud Bowl fans are, from left to right, Brady Patoka, Ann Hoffman, Wayne Solinsky, Rich Wilcox, Nick Somers, Alex Okray, Cliff Gagas, Tamas Houlihan, Carole Gagas, Dave Pias, Dianne Somers, Dale Bowe, Anne Cuomo, Ann Ninneman, Sara Aadalen, Marv Hafenbreadl, and Dan Sanke.

BC�T December 35

Badger Beat Enforcing the Endangered Species Act May Soon Limit Pesticide Use With understanding of the situation, those interested can participate or be represented in the process

By Jed Colquhoun, professor and Extension specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Horticulture

For many years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has struggled formidably to consider requirements of the Endangered Species Act when registering or re-registering pesticides.

However, recent court orders have stimulated EPA to develop proposals to streamline the process and the result is likely to change pesticide registrations in the very near future.

is required to determine if the use would have adverse effects on plants and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species and their habitat.

With these broad implications in mind, the intent of this article is to make an extremely complex situation somewhat understandable, such that with awareness, those interested can participate and be represented in the process.

This process is called an “effects determination” or “biological evaluation.” There can be three outcomes to this evaluation: 1) no effect; 2) may affect, but not likely to adversely affect; or 3) may affect, and likely to adversely affect species or their critical habitat.

First, some background. When the EPA registers a new pesticide or reregisters an existing use, the agency

Determinations that fall within either of the “may affect” categories (#2 or #3) trigger a consultation between

36 BC�T December

Above: Aerial and other pesticide applications could be limited or made more complex under new EPA-proposed strategies to address Endangered Species Act compliance.

EPA and “the Services”—the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

After consultation, the EPA may then require pesticide changes on the full label if all geographies need to be included or on special bulletins that affect only specific geographies where the species or habitat occur.

Now, here’s the rub. These biological evaluations are very detailed and typically take 4 to 12 years to complete for each pesticide. There are thousands of pesticides registered in the United States. And there are over 1,700 threatened or endangered species, and each combination of pesticide and species needs to be considered individually.

The resulting “glacial pace” of progress has resulted in the EPA being sued several times for not complying with the Endangered Species Act.

As the agency notes in the introduction to the “Draft Herbicide Strategy” discussed below, “Even if EPA completed this work for all of the pesticides that are currently subject to court decisions and/or ongoing litigation, that work would take until the 2040s, and even then, would represent only 5% of EPA’s ESA obligations.”

In December 2022, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals effectively said “enough,” noting that the EPA was “engaging in a whack-amole strategy to comply with the Endangered Species Act.” In short, the agency was told to spend less time defending lawsuits and more time developing a streamlined solution. And the court gave the EPA a short time to do so.

The herbicide strategy, for example, is required to be finalized and implemented by the end of March 2024.

“In some cases, existing mitigation strategies [such as vegetated ditches and flat fields] will likely be enough to still use most if not all pesticides with minimal impact.”

– Jed Colquhoun,

professor and Extension specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Horticulture

THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Generally, the proposed solutions combine population level strategies with a menu of mitigation measures that could be adopted to protect the species and habitat.

More specifically, there are three efforts recently underway at EPA to accomplish this goal: the Federal Mitigation Pilot Project, the Vulnerable Species Pilot Project, and

the Herbicide Strategy.

In the Federal Mitigation Pilot Project, the EPA is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, and other groups such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to come up with a list of mitigation measures that could reduce adverse effects on listed species and their habitats. continued on pg. 38

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BC�T December 37

Badger Beat. . .

continued from pg. 37

This pilot includes three pesticides (glyphosate, imidacloprid, and pyraclostrobin) and 12 listed species and their critical habitats.

These discussions among agencies and partner groups appear to be continuing.

In the Vulnerable Species Pilot Project, 27 particularly vulnerable species were selected for protection

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from adverse pesticide-related effects. These species also have distinct and limited geographical spread in localized areas across the country.

In this case, EPA intends to communicate required protections for these species and their habitats using the online “Bulletins Live!

Two” system. These bulletins list the Pesticide Use Limitation Areas, or the specific geographical areas affected, and the mitigation strategies that are required within these locations.

The mitigation strategies could include spray drift and/or runoff reduction strategies, or in some cases, complete avoidance where no pesticides can be used within specific geographical areas. The agency’s goal is to finalize these mitigations by the end of 2023.

The Draft Herbicide Strategy likely represents the broadest potential impact of the current three efforts and therefore deserves a bit more description. This strategy would address agricultural herbicide use in the lower 48 states. Uses outside agriculture, such as residential and aquatic, are not included.

The initial focus is on herbicides because they account for the greatest amount of annual pesticide use by far, and the vast majority of that is in agriculture, but it’s anticipated that agricultural insecticide and fungicide use will be addressed soon after this effort using the herbicide strategy as the template.

The herbicide project specifically addresses the major routes of herbicide off-target movement: spray drift and runoff/erosion.

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38 BC�T December

plants that listed animals need for food or habitat would be impacted; 2) identify mitigation measures to reduce those impacts; and 3) identify the geographic locations where the mitigation measures would be required.

The amount of mitigation required would be specific to the herbicide, use site, and use pattern.

For spray drift, first a maximum buffer distance is established based on application characteristics such as droplet size and aerial versus ground boom delivery. That buffer distance can then be reduced by adopting mitigation measures from a list or getting credit for those already implemented (like wind breaks).

The list of drift mitigation strategies is quite specific, including aspects such as droplet size, wind speed, hooded sprayers, and relative humidity.

HERBICIDE RISK LEVEL For runoff and erosion, first a point level is established for how much mitigation is necessary based on the risk for each herbicide. The risk level for each herbicide ranges from 0 (low risk) to 9 (high risk).

Applicators and farmers can then select from a menu of mitigation strategies to meet that necessary point level. Some strategies are worth 1 point (lower likelihood of success) up to 3 points (high likelihood for success).

Examples of mitigation strategies include cover crops (1 point), terrace farming (2 points), vegetated ditches (1 point), and grass waterways (1 point).

The current effort considers 900 listed threatened or endangered species as well as their critical habitats (i.e., plants that support listed species).

There are a few exceptions to the runoff/erosion mitigation requirement, such as for tile drained fields, those under a verified conservation plan, and when the field is more than 1,000 feet from affected species.

The strategy describes three steps: 1) identify whether listed plants or

The third step is to identify the geographic extent where spray drift

and runoff/erosion mitigation is required.

In some cases, such as where a listed animal generally relies on plants for food or habitat, the mitigation requirements would apply across agriculture in the lower 48 states and be listed on the full pesticide label.

In other cases where the affected species are geographically limited, the mitigation requirements would only apply to those areas and be listed online in “Bulletins Live! Two.” In some situations, both scenarios could exist where general requirements applicable to all agriculture in the lower 48 states are included on the main pesticide label and more specific geographic requirements in the online bulletins.

other cases, growers and applicators will likely need to adopt and account for additional buffers and mitigation strategies.

There will also likely be situations where specific pesticides can’t be used, or mitigation strategies are too costly or impractical to adopt.

In all these scenarios, pesticide use certainly will be made more complicated by the burden of checking general labels and possibly the online geography-specific bulletins for requirements, and documenting that they’ve been met.

There’s still much to be learned about

Above: Jed Colquhoun (front and center) gives an update on water quality and weed management research during the 2023 Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day in Hancock, Wisconsin. Photo courtesy of Troy Fishler

these projects and the details will be important as they become clearer.

There are also likely to be some changes in the proposals based on public comment.

At this time, it’s important that the agricultural community stays updated on the process and involved as much as is possible.

So where does this all go from here? Given the complexity of the situation and large volumes of public input in the process, it’s difficult to get detailed right now on specific pesticide use limitations.

However, pesticide label changes to address Endangered Species Act compliance are expected when new pesticides are registered, and existing uses reregistered.

In some cases, existing mitigation strategies (such as vegetated ditches and flat fields) will likely be enough to enable continued use of most if not all pesticides with minimal impact. In BC�T December 39

Auxiliary News

By Datonn Hanke, vice president, WPGA

Hello, everyone,and

welcome back to Auxiliary News.

The snow may be falling, but I’m going to take you back to fall for just a bit. The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary sold baked potatoes at the Harvest Fair for the second year in a

row, and I’d love to tell you about it.

The Harvest Fair was held Friday, September 27 through Sunday, September 29 at the State Fair grounds in Milwaukee.

potatoes, which of course were a hit! So many people were excited to know that they could get their baked potato fix not only at the State Fair, but also at the Harvest Fair.

The Auxiliary had an outdoor booth where we sold our delicious baked

We would like to give a big thank you to everyone who volunteered to work

Above: For the second year in a row, the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary had an outdoor booth and sold baked potatoes at the Harvest Fair, in Milwaukee, Sept. 27-29.

40 BC�T December

at our booth. We are so grateful to all of you. I highly encourage anyone who has never attended the Harvest Fair to make the trip. It’s the perfect fall event for the whole family.

If volunteering at the Harvest Fair or Wisconsin State Fair sounds like fun to you, please reach out to the WPVGA office for more information.

We would love to have you!

Please keep an eye on the calendar for some fun upcoming networking events the Auxiliary Board has planned. Again, we welcome your attendance.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas with your families and friends!

Until next time,

Datonn

Vice president, WPGA

Ready and willing volunteers at the Harvest Fair in Milwaukee include, from left to right, Janina Petrick, Datonn Hanke, Dana Burns, and Marie Reid.

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BC�T December 41

How Much Nitrogen is in your Irrigation Water?

In this article, we will discuss the There are opportunities to presence of nitrate in irrigation water opportunities to budget nitrogen increase nitrogen use efficiency and through irrigating. This will make farms more efficient in using nitrogen by budgeting it through irrigation and reduce over-fertilization, which in

By Guolong Liang, outreach specialist, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Division of Extension Ag Water Quality Program Have you wondered if there’s nitrate in your irrigation water? In Wisconsin, most commercial vegetables require

irrigation to sustain yield, yet nitrogen in irrigation is often not credited as a source of input.

turn will protect groundwater.

Nitrogen in groundwater is present in the form of nitrate. On commercial vegetable farms with coarse-textured soils, high-capacity groundwater pumping wells are commonly Above: Guolong Liang (standing at right), outreach specialist for the UW-Madison Ag Water Quality Program, introduced undergraduate Finn Johnson (left), Ph.D. student, Taqdeer Gill (second from left), and master’s degree student Ophelia Tsai (hat and brown overalls) at the 2023 Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day. The topic of their presentation that day was “Using Precision Agriculture in Vegetable Nitrogen Management.”

Photo courtesy of Troy Fishler Figure 1: Illustrated is the nitrogen cycle in an irrigated cropping system, as adapted from “The Nitrogen Cycle for General Cropping Systems” by the Nutrient and Pest Management Program at UW-Madison.

42 BC�T December

used for irrigation.

As a result, nitrate-N in groundwater re-enters the nitrogen cycle in irrigated fields through irrigation.

In Figure 1, irrigation N, like other inputs including N from fertilizer and manure, can add nitrogen to the soil pool.

In 2020, Dr. Chris Kucharik and Tracy Campbell from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Department of Agronomy conducted a survey of six farms in the Wisconsin Central Sands region. The survey found NO3-N levels ranging from 4-to-45 milligrams/liter (mg./L) in irrigation wells.

Crop

Seasonal Total Irrigation (inches)

Irrigation NO3-N (mg./L)

Irrigation N Addition (lbs. N/acre)

Potato

14

20

64

Sweet Corn

7

20

32

Pea

4

20

18

Table 1: Irrigation nitrogen (N) is charted from typical common vegetable cropping systems in Central Wisconsin. The irrigation NO3-N concentration used here equates to averages measured in the Central Sands region.

64 pounds of nitrogen per acre can be added. For peas and green beans with 4-7 inches of irrigation

water with the same nitrate-N concentration, 20-30 pounds continued on pg. 44

The level of nitrogen from the same wells remains relatively stable year to year, even though it can vary from well to well. To determine nitrogen levels in your irrigation water, test different wells annually.

CALCULATING N FROM IRRIGATION You can calculate the amount of nitrogen from irrigation through the following formula: Irrigation N (lb. N/acre) = Irrigation amount (inches)* Irrigation water NO3-N concentration (mg./L)* 0.23 For every inch of irrigation water containing 10 mg./L of NO3-N, 2.3 pounds of nitrogen per acre is added through irrigation.

The amount of irrigation N varies across wells with different nitrate-N levels and crops with different water needs. Table 1 presents nitrogen applied through irrigation for several typical common vegetable crops grown in the Central Sands.

Considering nitrogen from irrigation can optimize your crop production.

In Table 1, potatoes typically require 10-14 inches of irrigation water to prevent reduced yield and quality caused by water stress.

With 14 inches of irrigation water containing 20 mg./L of NO3-N, BC�T December 43

How Much Nitrogen Is in Your Irrigation Water? . . . continued from pg. 43

of nitrogen can be added through irrigation.

As a result, failing to include irrigation nitrogen can lead to the risk of overfertilization.

Applying nitrogen fertilizer according to crop needs reduces the potential for groundwater nitrogen leaching, especially in well-drained soils.

For example, over-fertilization increases nitrogen leaching potential exponentially while yield plateaus in potatoes (Figure 2).

After crop N demand is met, excessive fertilizer nitrogen will likely leach to the groundwater. This is why it is important to account for all sources of nitrogen, including from irrigation.

Figure 2: As fertilizer N rate increases, potato yield plateaus while leachable N exponentially rises.* Leachable N is calculated through a Nitrate Leaching Calculator developed by Kevin Masarik from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. *Data of yield response to fertilizer from Ruark & Zegler (2018).

3a

IRRIGATION SCHEDULING Adjusting fertilization N rates requires evaluating irrigation scheduling and crop N demand first. In this article, we will use examples of potato production on coarse-textured soils to illustrate N addition from irrigation water during the growing season.

1. Calculate the overall N additions from irrigation during the growing season. UW’s current N rate recommendation considers the amount of nitrogen within irrigation water.

3b

However, since nitrate-N in irrigation water varies from well to well and amount of irrigation varies from year to year, it is important to understand nitrogen from your individual wells to plan nutrient applications more mindfully.

Figure 3 presents a typical irrigation plan within potato production systems in the Wisconsin Central Sands region.

In this example, an average of 1.7 pounds of N per acre was applied via irrigation every three to four days.

44 BC�T December

Figure 3: Irrigation and rainfall amount of an average-to-wet potato season is charted in Figure 3a, and a dry season in Figure 3b. The cumulative irrigation N curve shows that irrigation N accumulates during the growing season (orange line). Rainfall was also plotted as gray columns in both charts. Total rainfall in 3a was 17 inches, and 9 inches in 3b.

Over the entire growing season, 64 pounds of nitrogen was added through 14 inches of irrigation water with a N concentration at 20 mg./L, and close to 80 pounds of nitrogen was added via 19 inches of irrigation in a dryer season.

2. Adjust individual N application rates by accounting for the irrigation N addition. By comparing the N from irrigation and fertilizer (Figure 4), you can gain insights on opportunities to optimize fertilizer use.

In Figure 4a, after the last fertigation on July 28, 23 pounds of N was added through irrigation, while crop N uptake slows down in late season generally. Therefore, account for irrigation N addition from previous events to optimize fertilizer N rates.

In a dryer summer, the total N from irrigation becomes more significant due to frequent irrigation scheduling. continued on pg. 46

Figure 4a: The graph gives a comparison of irrigation nitrogen addition with cumulative nitrogen input throughout a typical potato growing season. This example includes the application of 17 inches of irrigation water with a NO3-N concentration of 20 mg./L. The graph also shows seven nitrogen fertilizer applications (red bars), including three side-dressing and four fertigation events. The cumulative irrigation nitrogen addition (blue line) demonstrates that irrigation continuously adds nitrogen throughout the growing season. The cumulative nitrogen input (orange line) is calculated by combining fertilizer application amounts and irrigation nitrogen amounts. Not accounted for in this example is the amount of nitrate that might leach after heavy rainfall.

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How Much Nitrogen Is in Your Irrigation Water? . . . continued from pg. 45

Let’s compare two scenarios: a season with 17 inches of rain (Figure 4a) and a dryer season with 9 inches of rainfall (Figure 4b).

The irrigation amount difference between the two seasons is 5 inches. A difference of 5 inches of irrigation water at a 20 mg./L of N concentration adds an extra 23 pounds of N per acre.

As a result, more frequent irrigation due to dryer weather provides greater opportunities to optimize in-season fertilizer use by following UW recommendation rates.

Using N in irrigation as part of the nutrient management plan requires more research. We need to investigate the realistic credit irrigation N offers in different cropping systems on various soil types.

Figure 4b: In contrast to Figure 4a, which represents an average-to-wet year (17 inches of rainfall), this graph shows the irrigation nitrogen addition for potato production in a dry year (9 inches of rainfall). The annotation remains the same as in Figure 4a. By the end of the season, potential to use N in irrigation reaches close to 80 lbs. N/acre.

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WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES 46 BC�T December

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Also, during a growing season, it is challenging to reduce nitrogen fertilization rate due to unpredictable irrigation needs under variable weather.

The exercise presented in this article currently serves as a tool to help hindcast nitrogen addition from irrigation.

For most growers in Wisconsin, considering nitrogen addition from irrigation is a new concept. It’s important to be aware that fertility not only comes from fertilizer bags, but also may come from irrigation water.

Here are some recommendations to think about nitrogen addition from irrigation: • Test nitrate concentration in water from multiple irrigation wells: To accurately quantify the nitrogen

“It’s important to be aware that fertility not only comes from fertilizer bags, but also may come from irrigation water.”

– Guolong Liang, outreach specialist,

UW-Madison Division of Extension Ag Water Quality Program

addition from irrigation, conduct annual or biennial testing of nitrate levels in water from each well used to supply irrigation water.

Take water samples from irrigation wells at or after the second irrigation event to avoid biases.

This will help you understand the variability of nitrogen levels and

make informed decisions regarding nitrogen management.

•B udget and reflect on N content in irrigation water: This hindcast approach offers an opportunity to optimize N use to crop needs, and minimize nitrogen leaching to groundwater, particularly in welldrained soils.

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BC�T December 47

Eyes on Associates

Sporting Clays Shoot Hits Target

WPVGA Associate Division pulls off successful event at the Wausau Skeet & Trap Club

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

On a crisp fall day, with a steady sprinkle falling most of the time, the Associate Division of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) held its 4th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot, October 19, 2023, at the Wausau Skeet & Trap Club, in Brokaw.

Thirty teams consisting of 113 eager participants traversed the 75-target course. With registration beginning promptly at 12:30 p.m. and a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m., the registrant package included one round of sporting clays, dinner, drink tickets and entry into door prize drawings.

Sponsored bags with boxes of shells were provided to each registered participant prior to the event, and most shooters brought their own 12- or 20-guage shotguns. As in past years, eye and ear protection were required.

Above & Left: Tim Kuski, microphone in hand, addresses participants of the 4th Annual WPVGA Associate Division Sporting Clays shoot at the Wausau Skeet and Trap Club, going over ground rules and giving safety tips and suggestions

48 BC�T December

Twenty volunteer coaches who are members of the Wausau Skeet & Trap Club walked the course with the teams, assisting beginners, ensuring safety, and giving tips on shooting stances, each station’s different challenges, and techniques for participants, regardless of experience level.

With so many participants and a 15-station course, shooters had the chance to visit with other team members at each station while awaiting their turns, as well as stop at tables sponsored

by Associate Division member companies.

An awards ceremony at the end of the day included trophies for 1st and 2nd Place Men sporting clays shooters, 1st and 2nd Place Women shooters, and a 1st Place Team trophy specially built by Andy Verhasselt of T.I.P. Inc.

Drawings for cash, as well as raffle and door prizes and a nice meal provided by Ed & Sharon’s Catering rounded out the festivities. A good size crowd stayed for the food (including McCain Foods mashed potatoes), refreshments, and fun continued on pg. 50

Landing the Top Team Trophy and representing Condon Oil at the 4th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot are, from left to right, Ron Moderow, Mark Belau, Keith Bock, and Rich Troudt. With an average score of 61.67 for each shooter, the team took home a trophy made by Andy Verhasselt of T.I.P., Inc. Each year, the trophy is handed off to the next Top Team winners.

Nutrien Ag Solutions would like to thank our growers for your support in 2023.

W E W I S H YO U A L L A

Safe and Happy

Holiday Season!

Plainfield, WI | 715.366.4181 BC�T December 49

Eyes On Associates… continued from pg. 49

times as the evening wound to a close.

1st Place – Women: Tia Leonhard, 56 2nd Place – Women: Erin Meister, 32

Top finishers of the 4th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot and their scores are:

Top Team – Condon Oil: Mark Belau, Rich Troudt, Keith Bock, and Ron Moderow, 61.67 average score of each shooter

TROPHY WINNERS: 1st Place – Men: Andy Verhasselt, 65 (determined after tiebreaker with second place shooter) 2nd Place – Men: Ron Moderow, 65

A fundraiser for the WPVGA Associate Division, with proceeds earmarked to support the industry throughout the year, the 4th Annual Sporting Clays

Shotguns in hand, from left to right are Pat Lang, Wes Meddaugh, Andy Kampo and Daniel Ehr of Team Baker Tilly.

50 BC�T December

Marc Stalter of Bushman & Associates (playing for the Volm Companies team) has a bead on a sporting clay.

Shoot netted $7,840.

With full slates of teams and shooters the past couple years, as well as sponsorships from companies valuing the event, the 5th Annual Sporting Clays Shoot is already planned for October 17, 2024.

Exploding 32 clay targets earned the enthusiastic Erin Meister 2nd Place Women at the Sporting Clays Shoot.

Standing soldier straight at the Sporting Clays Shoot are, from left to right, Eric Huber, Cory Hilpipre, and Justin Yach.

Tia Leonhard of Mid-State Truck Service won the 1st Place Women category with a score of 56.

Shooting for BMO Bank, Mike House explodes a sporting clay in the air just above the treetops.

On the winner’s podium for landing 1st Place Men is Andy Verhasselt of T.I.P., Inc., who hit 65 targets on the course. continued on pg. 52

BC�T December 51

Eyes On Associates… continued from pg. 51

Representing Team ThorPack, LLC are, from left to right, Ryan Bulgrin, Zach Krogwold, Doug Bulgrin, and Marty Kolpack.

The smiles say it all for, from left to right, Clover and Josh Spacek, Bowen Ivaska, and Jenna Kukanich, all representing Eagle River Seed Farm at the Sporting Clays Shoot.

52 BC�T December

The 2nd Place Men’s trophy went to Ron Moderow for hitting 65 targets, which helped his group also garner Top Team honors.

Shooting for Robert Selenske Farms, Ken Reilley takes dead center aim at an orange sporting clay.

Thank You to Our Sponsors Altmann Construction Big Iron Equipment BMO Bank Bushmans’, Inc. Condon Oil Eagle River Seed Farm Ellingson Companies Flyte Family Farms Jay-Mar, Inc. McCain Foods Mid-State Truck Service Mike Caves Rust Stop Mt. Morris Mutual Insurance Company Roberts Irrigation Ron’s Refrigeration T.I.P., Inc. Vista Financial Strategies Vive Crop Protection Volm Companies Warner & Warner

continued on pg. 54

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BC�T December 53

Eyes On Associates… continued from pg. 53

Allied Co-op was represented by two teams at the Sporting Clays Shoot, including one made up of, from left to right, Dan Splinter, Kelsi Mueller, Rich Grabarski, and Mackenzie Hintz.

Collin Bays mans the Roberts Irrigation sponsored table at the Sporting Clays Shoot, offering coffee and apple cider to shooters on a cool October day and networking with growers and other agricultural representatives.

54 BC�T December

Shooting for Team Nicolet National Bank, Matthew Lehman has a clay target in his sights.

NPC News

SCFBA Endorses Legislation Addressing Nutrition, Organics Policies set forth in bills strengthen long-term viability of specialty crop growers The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, recently endorsed nutrition and organic bills that cover key policy priorities outlined in the group’s 2023 Farm Bill recommendations: • Fresh Produce Procurement Reform Act, introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) and Reps.

David Valadao (CA-22) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a fresh produce purchasing program utilizing local and regional supply chains to distribute perishable fruits and vegetables to nutritioninsecure populations.

• Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act, introduced by Reps. Dan

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“The U.S. specialty crop industry is crucial to our national economy and the health of our citizens, which is why we are so passionate in our endorsement of policies that strengthen the long-term viability of farmers while driving enormous

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benefit to the American people,” the SCFBA co-chairs said in a joint statement.

“We appreciate the leadership demonstrated by our U.S. Senate and House champions in introducing smart proposals aimed at addressing nutrition insecurity and bringing stability to the organic sector,” they added.

The SCFBA was established to advocate for the unique needs of specialty crop growers in the Farm Bill and enhance their overall competitiveness in the face of increasing global competition and regulatory and buyer demands.

It is led by Co-Chairs Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Western Growers; Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council; and Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association.

Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $64.7 billion in farm gate value and 30 percent of farm cash receipts for crops.

The SCFBA helps improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy. For more information, visit https://farmbillalliance.com.

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People

Scott Newell, Alfalfa Outreach Specialist

Chris Clark, Crops and Soils Outreach Specialist

UW-Madison Adds Crops and Soils Outreach Specialists Division of Extension positions support agricultural issues via a targeted approach The University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison Division of Extension welcomes three new outreach specialists positioned to amplify outreach and education for Wisconsin’s cropping community.

As Wisconsin agriculture continues to evolve, the Division of Extension proudly provides research-driven information leading to informed decision-making and progress.

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58 BC�T December

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Chris Bandura, Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist

The ongoing challenges faced by Wisconsin crop producers in 2023 underline the significance of these new roles. The positions will play a vital role in creating a robust platform of research-driven resources, serving as a guide to assist growers in navigating their decision-making process.

Extension’s outreach specialist positions are focused on certain topic areas to support agricultural issues through a targeted approach.

Scott Newel – Alfalfa Outreach Specialist Scott was raised in Iowa and received a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Iowa State University and a master’s degree focused on alfalfa breeding and genetics.

At Davis, he gained a breadth of experience in alfalfa breeding as well as alfalfa and forage trial planning and management. It was during this time that he witnessed the lack of incentive for outreach in research science and gained a desire to facilitate the communication of all the great science that comes from universities.

Scott is excited to serve the alfalfa industry and Wisconsin’s alfalfa

producers in his new role at Extension.

Chris Clark – Crops and Soils Outreach Specialist Before becoming the UW-Madison Division of Extension crops and soils outreach specialist, Chris worked for 12 years at a commercial agriculture testing lab, and as a middle- and high-school agriculture educator and FFA advisor for nine years.

She has her Wisconsin certified crop adviser (CCA) certification and currently serves on the state CCA Board. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in agricultural education from UW-River Falls.

Chris will cover Northeastern Wisconsin as an outreach specialist for Extension and the Nutrient and Pest Management (NPM) program.

Her focus is on farmers, researchers, and ag industry professionals in providing research-based nutrient and soil management education and outreach on practices that improve crop quality, farm profitability, environmental quality, and resilient landscapes.

Chris Bandura – Conservation Cropping Outreach Specialist Chris lives in Wausau, where he will be based in this new role. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in soil and land management from UW-Stevens Point and a Master of Science in soil science from UW-Madison.

Prior to joining Extension, Chris spent the last seven years managing an agronomy testing laboratory in Stratford for Dairyland Laboratories and AgSource Laboratories.

Chris is excited to join Extension and will provide the agriculture community with research-based conservation resources that will assist in developing and implementing more sustainable farming practices in Wisconsin.

The Extension Agriculture Institute connects Wisconsin’s agriculture community to university research.

The five program areas, Agriculture Water Quality, Crops and Soils, Dairy and Livestock, Farm Management, and Horticulture, provide resources that promote economic and environmental sustainability in Wisconsin.

Learn more about these program areas by visiting https://extension. wisc.edu/agriculture/. continued on pg. 60

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info@allenequipment BC�T December 59

People…

continued from pg. 59

Blair Richardson Joins World Potato Congress Board Potatoes USA CEO brings deep knowledge and a global perspective to organization The World Potato Congress (WPC) is pleased to announce its newest director on the WPC Board.

Alliance for Food and Farming, and others.

“We warmly welcome Blair Richardson as a new member of our Board of Directors,” says WPC President Dr. Peter VanderZaag. “Blair has played a pivotal role as an international advisor to WPC over the past year.”

“We are pleased that he has accepted the nomination to be part of the Board of Directors,” VanderZaag continues. “As CEO of Potatoes USA, Blair brings a depth of knowledge and a global perspective that will add significant value to the organization.”

Richardson has tackled the responsibilities as chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Potatoes USA since 2013.

PROACTIVE PROTECTION Richardson actively engages in issues of importance to the potato industry and is passionate about the need to proactively protect and defend the reputation of the potato. He is a strong proponent of aggressive advocacy and marketing tactics.

Prior to joining Potatoes USA, he served in similar positions with other private and industry organizations in California and has been an active farmer of both almonds and cherries while he was CEO/partner of a large grower/packer/sales company specializing in fresh stone fruit, grapes, and citrus.

Richardson sold his last farm, in California, in 2021, which capped 32 years of working and/or farming in the state, beginning in 1989 and including a 10-year career in the state’s cotton industry.

On behalf of Potatoes USA and the potato industry, he sits on several produce and potato industry boards, including the Alliance for Potato Research and Education, the Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation, the

The WPC community looks forward to working with Richardson in planning

for the 12th World Potato Congress to be held in Adelaide, Australia, in June 2024.

We hope to see you in Adelaide this coming June for the 12th World Potato Congress. Registration is now open.

Visit https://potatoesaustralia.com. au/wpc-2024/ for more details.

WPIB Focus

Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison

Month

Jul-22

Aug-22

Sep-22

Oct-22

CWT

1,672,188.74

1,652,461.65

1,253,802.65

2,220,884.60

6,799,337.64

Assessment

$133,812.37

$132,196.95

$100,304.10

$177,635.82

$543,949.24

Month

Jul-23

Aug-23

Sep-23

Oct-23

CWT

1,313,762.07

1,528,723.01

977,118.59

2,045,401.98

5,865,005.65

Assessment

$105,353.00

$122,297.83

$78,169.48

$163,634.01

$469,454.32

60 BC�T December

Nov-22

Nov-23

Dec-22

Dec-23

Jan-23

Jan-24

Feb-23

Feb-24

Mar-23

Mar-24

Apr-23

Apr-24

May-23

May-24

Jun-23

Jun-24

Year-to-Date

Year-to-Date

Now News Food + Farm Exploration Center Receives State Funding Potato grower Curt Soik donates autographed Joe Pavelski hockey jersey to center On October 25, 2023, the Wisconsin State Building Commission approved the release of $3 million in grant funds to support construction of the Food + Farm Exploration Center, in Plover, a monetary sum that was recently enumerated in 2023 Wisconsin Act 19 for the Farming for the Future Foundation Inc. The two-story Food + Farm Exploration Center hosts agricultural exhibit galleries tailored for all age groups and includes a kitchen/food demonstration lab, café, maker space, greenhouse, and a farm technology shed showcasing the latest advancements in agricultural equipment.

Additionally, the center provides versatile event spaces, fostering education and innovation within the community.

In a show of his support, potato grower Curt Soik of Myron Soik & Sons, Inc., Stevens Point, donated a framed, autographed Joe Pavelski hockey jersey and two 8x10-inch photos signed by Pavelski to the Food + Farm Exploration Center.

Born in Plover, the same village where the Food + Farm Exploration Center is located, Pavelski is a professional hockey player and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars, having previously played for the San Jose Sharks during the first 13 years of his National Hockey League career.

Pavelski is considered one of the greatest Sharks players of all time and served as captain during his final four years with the team. He was also captain of Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, in Toronto.

The public Grand Opening of the Food + Farm Exploration Center took place December 2, 2023. For coverage of the Grand Opening, please see the upcoming January 2024 issue of the Badger Common’Tater. continued on pg. 62

Above: Potato grower Curt Soik (right), of Myron Soik & Sons, Inc., donated a framed, autographed Joe Pavelski hockey jersey along with two 8x10-inch signed photos to the Food + Farm Exploration Center (FFEC), in Plover. Having grown up in Plover, Pavelski plays professional hockey for the Dallas Stars. Heath Dornfeld (left), operations and exhibits director of the FFEC, is shown accepting the items from Soik.

BC�T December 61

Now News…

continued from pg. 61

Little Potato Company Spreads Holiday Cheer Online and POS campaign aims to bring relief to busy families amid high inflation The Little Potato Company, the number one Creamer potato company in North America, is making the holiday season even brighter with its “A Little Holiday Happiness Is …” campaign. The online and POS (point of sale) sweepstakes will offer

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62 BC�T December

“As a family-run company, we want to make the holiday season a little easier and happier for busy families,” says Angela Santiago, chief executive officer and co-founder of The Little Potato Company.

“Our Little Holiday Happiness sweepstakes will bring holiday interest to our category and create an engaging experience for our valued consumers and in-store excitement with festive POS materials. It’s not just a campaign, but also a celebration of our commitment to creating moments of happiness,” she remarks.

AGRICULTURAL FINANCE

•

numerous chances to win and runs through January.

© 2020 MSS

With high food inflation affecting families everywhere, The Little Potato Company is providing some relief this holiday season with the chance to win $1,000 in groceries from a choice of retailers.

Running now until January 10, 2024, 15 consumers in the U.S. and 15 in Canada will win. To participate in the sweepstakes, consumers can visit www.thelittleholidayhappiness.com or scan the QR code found on the Little Holiday Happiness point-of-sale materials in stores.

The Little Potato Company makes getting dinner on the table any night

of the week during the busy holiday season a breeze. Little Potatoes come pre-washed, require no peeling, and are small enough that they don’t need to be cut, so they allow for less time in the kitchen and more time spent around the table with friends and family.

The Little Potato Company provides “Little Moments of Happiness” by offering easy-to-prepare Little Potatoes that are designed to add convenience and deliciousness to meals throughout the holiday season.

For more information about The Little Potato Company and the “A Little Holiday Happiness Is …” Campaign, please visit www. thelittleholidayhappiness.com. Follow us on social media @LittlePotatoCo for updates and inspiration to add a little happiness to the holiday season.

World Potato Congress Delivers Address in Rome WPC Director André Devaux spoke on global importance of the potato food crop Earlier in July, the World Potato Congress (WPC) was honored to receive an invitation to deliver an address during the 43rd session of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Conference in Rome, Italy.

WPC Director André Devaux was invited to deliver an official message at a side event organized by the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture (MIDAGRI) and titled “Photographic Exhibition: The Biodiversity of Potato and Its Contribution to Food Security and the Global Economy.”

Speakers at the event included FAO Director General Dr. Qu Dongyu, Ambassador Eduardo Martinetti of the Permanent Representation of Peru to the International continued on pg. 64

World Potato Congress Director André Devaux (second from right) delivered an official message during the 43rd session of the FAO Conference in Rome, Italy. Alongside Devaux are, from left to right, FAO Chief Economist Dr. Maximo Torero; FAO Director General Dr. Qu Dongyu; Julio Eduardo Martinetti, ambassador of Peru to Italy; and Christian Barrantes, vice minister of MIDAGRI, Peru.

BC�T December 63

Now News…

continued from pg. 63

Organizations based in Rome, and Mr. Christian Barrantes, vice minister of MIDAGRI, Peru.

Event highlights included raising awareness to participants about the value and global importance of the potato for food and nutritional security, the promotion of sustainable agriculture, and the preservation of food diversity, all while highlighting the potato’s potential to contribute to the sustainable development goals of the United Nations (UN), especially concerning the eradication of hunger.

It was an opportunity to promote the International Potato Day (IPD) resolution approved during the FAO conference.

The World Potato Congress has been involved over the last two years in the process of promoting the celebration of an International Potato Day in coordination with FAO and an international coalition of countries, led by Peru and supported by Ireland, Canada, Belgium, Australia, and China.

INTERNATIONAL POTATO DAY It has been a joint effort that is now

N V S

ELSON’S

getting close to a formal resolution for celebrating International Potato Day, on May 30, every year.

According to FAO, food demand in the world will increase up to 50% by 2050, and a key challenge is how to effectively produce more and better food with the same or less resources while also considering climate

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From left to right, Julio Eduardo Martinetti, Dr. Qu Dongyu, Dr. André Devaux, and Christian Barrantes visit the potato exhibition at the FAO Conference in Rome.

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change, COVID-19, inflation, and global conflicts.

As WPC Director Devaux states, “The potato is a resilient crop. With a short maturity, it is one of the most productive food crops in terms of yield of edible energy and proteins per unit of area and unit of time.”

“It is adaptable to various agroecological conditions and can be cultivated at sea level as well as at more than 4,000 meters altitude,” Devaux continues.

“The potato crop requires much less water than other food crops,” he states, “such as wheat, rice, and corn.

It is as high-quality food with rich and balanced nutrition, and it plays a dual role in family farming economy, first as a food for home consumption and secondly as a cash crop providing incomes.”

The WPC will continue working with FAO, Peru, and partners such as the International Potato Center (CIP) to explore opportunities and promote the celebration of the first International Potato Day, on May 30, 2024. Please, save the date to celebrate it together.

McCain Awarded for Sustainable Potato Growing Projects USDA awards $6.9 million through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program McCain Foods was awarded $6.9 million in funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which will be used as part of an “Improving Soil Health in Potato Supply Chains” project.

Under that project, McCain Foods USA and its partners, Campbell Soup Company and the Soil Health Institute (SHI), will help potato farmers implement soil health and climatesmart agricultural practices and systems on more than 6,000 acres in Wisconsin and Maine.

McCain and Campbell Soup have corporate programs to help growers in their supply chains adopt regenerative agriculture practices and help fight climate change.

“which will advance our work with McCain growers and customers to re-imagine the way potatoes are grown.”

“As potato growers face increasing challenges from climate change and variable weather, shifting towards smart and sustainable farming practices is vital,” says Dan Metheringham, McCain Foods vice president of agriculture in North America.

“We are profoundly grateful that USDA has invested nearly $7 million in our soil health project,” he adds,

“The funding award is an important step toward meeting McCain’s bold commitment to implement regenerative agricultural practices across 100 percent of our potato acreage worldwide by the end of 2030,” Metheringham notes.

The project will use the USDA funding to scale up an existing soil health technical assistance partnership and support sustainable farming that prioritizes soil health through residue and tillage management, cover cropping, nutrient management, soil carbon amendment, and pest management. continued on pg. 66

BC�T December 65

Now News…

continued from pg. 65

COACHING COHORTS Growers participating in the program will form peer coaching cohorts to build their conservation plans with support from SHI. McCain has successfully piloted this model with SHI and growers in other regions.

and chips, so it is important for us to support our partner growers in adopting and increasing sustainable agricultural practices,” says Stewart Lindsay, Campbell Soup’s vice president of corporate responsibility and sustainability.

“Potatoes are a key ingredient in many of our products, including soup

“We are grateful for the USDA’s support and look forward to

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partnering to advance soil health and climate-smart agriculture practices in our supply chain,” Lindsay adds.

In 2021, McCain Foods established its Regenerative Agriculture Framework, designed to support farmers in their progression to a more regenerative farming model for potatoes.

The framework was developed in consultation with farmer representatives, university academics, scientific organizations, customers, and non-profit organizations.

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McCain’s RCPP project is the latest in a series of initiatives the company has undergone to implement its regenerative agriculture framework since it was established.

This partnership will also contribute to Campbell’s ongoing potato sustainability program, including other initiatives launched this year to support its growers in adopting and measuring the impact of regenerative agriculture practices.

The full list of this year’s RCPP awards, including McCain’s Improving Soil Health in Potato Supply Chains project, can be found on the Natural Resources Conservation Service website, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/.

66 BC�T December

AUTOMATING

accounts payable Advantages to automation are increasing efficiency, saving time, and reducing errors

By Troy Hollings, digital growth director, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP Whether you’re a small business owner or a large corporation, automating your accounts payable process can help save time, reduce errors, and increase efficiency.

Review some of the benefits that can lead to increased revenue and better decision-making.

REDUCE THE MANUAL PROCESS Manually entering invoice information from PDF (portable document format) files into an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is time consuming and can cause errors.

Using automation such as a form recognizer can pull data directly

from PDFs, saving a lot of time.

Some systems include customization options such as a rules engine and approval portal to sign off on and adjust the pulled data if necessary.

Another option worth exploring is electronic invoicing. Switching to electronic invoicing can not only continued on pg. 68

BC�T December 67

Automating Accounts Payable… continued from pg. 67

reduce the time spent on data entry, but also increase accuracy and reduce errors.

Automating accounts payable can also enable electronic payments, which are faster, more secure, and less expensive than traditional paper checks.

BETTER MANAGE CASH FLOW Automated systems provide detailed data and reports to help you forecast cash flow more accurately, allowing you to make better-informed decisions about spending and investments.

They can also help eliminate human errors, such as double payments or incorrect invoice amounts, which might lead to unnecessary expenses.

Faster processing means invoices are more likely to be paid on time, reducing the risk of late fees and

Automated systems provide detailed data and reports to help you forecast cash flow more accurately, allowing you to make better-informed decisions about spending and investments.

interest charges, and improving relationships with your suppliers.

IMPROVE VISIBILITY INTO FINANCIAL DATA Real-time visibility into your accounts payable process allows you to track the status of invoices and payments and identify bottlenecks or delays that could impact cash flow.

“Switching to electronic invoicing can not only reduce the time spent on data entry, but also increase accuracy and reduce errors.”

– Troy Hollings, digital growth

director, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

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This can help identify areas where costs may be reduced or where additional investment might be needed.

Automated systems can also consolidate data from multiple sources, providing a comprehensive view of financial data from across the organization and giving you information necessary to make informed decisions.

VERIFY COMPLIANCE & REDUCE FRAUD RISK Automating your accounts payable process can help reduce compliance and fraud risks by providing accurate data, automated controls, increased visibility, compliance reporting, and enhanced data security.

Automated systems can provide a clear audit trail, making it easier to track transactions and identify irregularities, and may be configured to include controls that help

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prevent fraudulent activity, such as segregation of duties and dual approvals.

HOW WE CAN HELP If you’re tired of dealing with the hassle of manual data entry, we’re here to help. We can create a plan to automate your accounts payable processes, providing customized strategies and proprietary software solutions to fit your business needs.

Let’s chat and see how we can help you. For more information, contact Troy Hollings at troy.hollings@ CLAconnect.com.

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.

our communities through our industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services.

CLA exists to create opportunities for our clients, our people, and

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP is an independent network member of CLA

Real-time visibility into your accounts payable process allows you to track the status of invoices and payments and identify bottlenecks or delays that could impact cash flow.

Global. See https://www.CLAglobal. com/disclaimer.

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

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Find us on Facebook and Instagram! @wilcoxagriproducts BC�T December 69

Potatoes USA News Home Run for U.S. Potatoes

Baseball Fries sold at the World Baseball Classic in Japan Several Japanese foodservice chains have begun sourcing U.S. potatoes for new menu item launches this year, thanks to Potatoes USA’s promotional work surrounding the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.

Potatoes USA helped develop “Baseball Fries”—loaded fries using U.S. frozen potatoes with traditional American flavors like chili and cheese—that were adopted by several foodservice operators and retailers in Japan.

Potatoes USA also sponsored a game at the World Baseball Classic, in March, to promote the new Baseball Fries menu inside and outside the

ballpark. Additionally, fans at the ballpark could enjoy an item featuring U.S. frozen potatoes with more local flavors, called Miso Potato.

Following the event, Potatoes USA secured 89 media placements showcasing Baseball Fries and influenced 20 additional foodservice operators with 57 outlets to launch 39 new Baseball Fries menu items using U.S. frozen potatoes.

One operator, Takeno Corporation, launched five new items to honor the baseball season. They are estimated to have used 1,000 kilograms of U.S. potatoes during the baseball promotional period

in February and March.

Japan is the U.S. potato industry’s third-largest export market, holding the top spot for frozen products.

For the fiscal year ending July 31, 2023, frozen export values to Japan increased nearly 26%.

The exciting promotion was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal.

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Potatoes Are a Retailer’s Dream

Fresh spuds are a year-round powerhouse in the produce department Fresh potatoes are a year-round sales powerhouse in the produce department, and recent data and analysis found they provide retailers with significant opportunities to drive additional customer engagement.

According to Circana data based on U.S. year-over-year sales ending July 31, 2023, fresh potatoes: • Generated 5.3% of all fresh produce sales and are the fourth-highest selling produce item; • Earned 10.8% of all vegetable sales and are a substantial number two behind tomatoes as the top-selling vegetable; and • Increased in dollar sales by 16.4%— the highest sales growth rate of any produce, reaching $4.1 billion.

“Potatoes are a retailer’s dream.

High household penetration at 85%, a high number of annual trips [10] to the store for potatoes, and a nice dollar ring each trip [$4.04, up 14.8% year-overyear],” says Kayla Vogel, senior global marketing manager at Potatoes USA. “As budgets There is enormous mutual benefit for growers and retailers to tighten, people drive visibility and engagement for the potato category. have remained loyal to potatoes,” Vogel stresses. “That means Learn more by visiting https:// a lot of opportunity to significantly potatoesusa.com/news-events/youmove the needle through improved say-potato-we-say-opportunity-thevisibility, merchandising, and crosspower-of-the-potato-in-shoppingmerchandising.” carts/.

BC�T December 71

New Products GroPro Vigilance Kills Parasitic Nematodes

Growers no longer need to make compromises with fumigation and nematicides Worldwide, growers face severe issues with the allocation of fumigants, reduced control from conventional nematicides, or bioand conventional-based nematicides that provide suppression or just don’t work.

The damage done by nematodes to crops is devasting, leading to reduced uptake of nutrients, lower yields, or slower growth. The losses from nematodes exceed $10 billion annually in the United States.

Unfortunately, there is no way of fixing a poor start when planting or getting back lost revenue regarding nematode control.

Vigilance Nematicide is GroPro’s patented bio-nematicide, providing fumigation and in-field application control, and it’s a proven nematicide that has gone head-to-head in multiple fields and demo trials worldwide with conventional and biobased nematicides.

These third-party trials and demos were performed on a wide range of crops, such as potatoes, grapes, almonds, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and citrus, among others, all of which have shown superior efficacy against conventional and bio-based nematicides.

The in-season applications to aboveground crops have increased root mass and decreased galling of root matter, especially when considering fertilizer absorption by the plants.

Vigilance ensures a long, safe approach to your nematode program.

The nematicide uses a patented formulation that delivers superior environmental and worker safety.

ROOT PENETRATION Vigilance Nematicide works on penetrating the roots to support new fleshy root growth and deals with parasitic nematodes inside the root itself.

Vigilance accomplishes soil nematode control by causing paralysis and destruction of the nematode eggs, and death, and producing GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) and reduced female fecundity.

The potato fumigation replacement trial showed an increase of over 11% in yield and an excellent nematode reduction compared to the grower standard fumigation program.

When the nematicide is applied correctly, the modes of action continue for months, allowing for long-term active control. This longterm activity is due to Vigilance being produced using GroPro’s patented AMPx technology.

This was accomplished with an increase in the number of potatoes categorized as “ones” and “twos” as compared to conventionally applied inputs, while reducing damage to each tuber, allowing for a better marketable potato.

Vigilance is both a control and suppression nematicide, allowing peace of mind for growers while delivering a safe impact to workers and the environment. Vigilance has no MRL (Maximum Residue Limits) restrictions, zero setback issues, zero

72 BC�T December

plant-back restrictions, and zero preharvest restrictions.

GroPro Corporation, a leading agribiotech company, combines unique natural ingredients and modern technologies to manufacture bioproducts (biological inputs) with enhanced efficacy.

It is a commercial bio-pesticide, bio-stimulant, bio-fertilizer manufacturer, and an R&D (research and development) international organization. GroPro provides effective non-chemical inputs that enable farmers to reduce their reliance on chemicals without compromising agricultural yield, quality, or profitability.

GroPro offers a broad portfolio of Absolute Botanicals-based biopesticides, bio-insecticides, and biofertilizers. GroPro’s AMPx technology changes the game, refining plantbased oils, the building blocks of the pesticide line, to the highest level of purity in the industry.

Absolute Botanicals reduce solvents that are used in extractions and replace them with stable oils, eliminating phytotoxicity when properly applied, and offering years of shelf life, protecting your company’s inventory dollars.

For more information, visit https:// groproag.com/en/us/.

Ali's Kitchen Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes Are a Holiday Favorite

The history of how the recipe came to be and the woman behind it are as delectable as the dish Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Favorite family recipe shared by Lisa O. O’Flyng, Ruder Ware Hello, readers. I am thrilled to share a special recipe from Lisa O. O’Flyng.

Lisa is the marketing director for Ruder Ware law firm, an Associate Division member company of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.

Lisa is a fellow “kitchen mechanic” who has graciously shared all the details for a family favorite potato dish, passed down by a great aunt who was quite a forward thinker and trendsetter!

I hope you enjoy reading about the history of how this recipe came to be and the woman behind it as much as I did. I also hope you give this fabulous recipe a try in your own kitchen.

I’ve promised my crew that these Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes will be gracing our table at an upcoming family gathering.

Without further ado, here are the story and recipe from Lisa: “For so many of us, holidays are filled with memories, and what better way to relive those memories and honor our loved ones than through food?”

Lisa proposes. “This recipe is one that has been passed down for three generations—it never disappoints. continued on pg. 74

Left: A 1970 flyer advertises a cooking school conducted by Olga Schley, Kansas City Power & Light Company’s home service director.

Lisa O. O’Flyng of Ruder Ware shared this Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes recipe made by Olga, who was Lisa’s mother-in-law’s aunt.

INGREDIENTS: Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes • 5 lbs. potatoes (red or Yukon Gold, peeled) • 1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened • 1 cup sour cream • 2 tsp. salt (or more or less to taste) • 1/4 tsp. black pepper • 2 Tbsp. butter

BC�T December 73

Advertisers Index

Ali's Kitchen…

AgCountry Farm Credit Services......... 53

continued from pg. 73

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The recipe creator was my motherin-law’s aunt, Olga Plishonig Schley (or Aunt Olga as we know her).

needed. The recipe is deceptively simple and takes little effort to prepare.

“She grew up as a fiercely independent farm girl near West Bend, Wisconsin. When World War II broke out, she joined the Navy’s new Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services (WAVES).”

“I’ve found you can add different variations depending on your family’s tastes. This past Christmas, I added sautéed leeks and fresh basil, with a drizzle of basil-infused olive oil in lieu of the butter pats before baking.

Harriston-Mayo.................................. 37

“In place of the sour cream, I’ve added Greek yogurt and it’s turned out beautifully. Any combination of herbs added to the potatoes works wonderfully—dill, chives, parsley, etc.

A sprinkling of paprika feels festive.”

McGowan Rice Construction.............. 58

DIRECTIONS Cook peeled potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain.

North Central Irrigation...................... 47

HOME ON THE GI BILL “Aunt Olga received training in personnel work and eventually became a company commander overseeing 300 women,” Lisa continues. “After the war, she took advantage of the GI Bill and headed to lowa State University where she studied home economics, focusing on cooking.

“She later moved to Kansas City and took a position with Kansas City Power & Light Company (KCP&L). She managed a team of home economists who promoted electricity to run ‘new’ appliances (everything from ranges to toaster ovens to electric skillets).

“Aunt Olga had a demonstration kitchen in an auditorium at KCP&L’s headquarters and frequently taught cooking classes. She had quite a following, and her recipes were often included in the envelopes sent to KCP&L customers along with their monthly bills.

“Her recipe for Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes is perfect for holiday entertaining, as it can be made ahead of time and baked just before it’s 74 BC�T December

With a hand masher, mash the potatoes until smooth in a mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat until light and fluffy. Depending on the consistency of the potatoes, you may need to add a little milk to thin. Cool.

Transfer to a buttered casserole dish and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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The potatoes can be used at any time within one week. When ready, dot potatoes with 2 tablespoons of butter and bake in a 350-degree oven until heated through (about 45 minutes).

Verbruggen USA................................. 66

Enjoy!

WPVGA Subscribers............................ 68

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See you at the 12th World Potato Congress 23-26 June 2024, Adelaide, Australia

COME MEET THE LOCALS AND “SAY G’DAY”

Pre-Congress Golf Tournament

Tours of Local Potato Production and Leading Research Facilities

Partner Programs and Winery Tours Speakers from around the Globe

Trade show and Exhibition

POTATOES AND ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA JUNE 23-26, 2024 South Australia is home to 40% of Australia’s Potato Production. Adelaide is nestled between world famous wine regions and magnificent beaches of white sand. It is a vibrant and colourful destination which offers a range of unique experiences for all delegates of the WPC.

Over three days, plenary and keynote speakers will provide insight and knowledge on a range of topics. See the Potatoes Australia website for more details at https://potatoesaustralia.com.au/wpc-2024/.

Thank you to the World Potato Congress Sustaining Partners for their ongoing support PLATINUM Level Sustaining Partners

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