11 minute read
NOW NEWS
AMETA Center Breaks Ground
A groundbreaking ceremony was held October 14, 2022, for the MidState Technical College “Wayne H. Bushman Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology and Apprenticeship [AMETA] Center.” The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Board and the WPVGA Associate Division Board were large donors ($25,000 each) to this project, and individual WPVGA members matched that to make it a $100,000-plus donation. In addition, several WPVGA members gave individual donations well above the $100,000 level. Plans are to open the AMETA Center for Mid-State Technical College courses in fall 2024.
Groundbreaking for the Wayne H. Bushman Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology and Apprenticeship Center was October 14, 2022, and plans are for it to open for Mid-State Technical College courses in fall 2024.
University makes tool available for Wisconsin specialty crop growers
A new interactive online tool for visualizing and exploring freezedate trends and other climate patterns is now available, thanks to a partnership between Purdue University’s Midwestern Regional Climate Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Midwest Climate Hub. The tool covers 25 states in the Upper Midwest, the Northeast and Appalachia. “This tool isn’t itself tracking what’s happening in the current season. But it helps you put into perspective what has been happening in the past,” says Melissa Widhalm, associate director of the Climate Center. Climate change has affected agriculture, notes Dennis Todey, director of the Midwest Climate Hub. Among those changes are first fall freezes coming later and final spring freezes happening earlier. "We talk about that, but we didn’t have any graphics, easily accessible data or visualizations to show people at a local level. And agricultural producers like to see something more local,” Todey says. The tool may interest producers of tree fruits, grapes, and row crops such as potato, corn and soybeans to help them take advantage of longer growing seasons. “They want to understand how things are changing, and they are changing fairly rapidly in the spring and the fall,” Todey remarks. Agricultural advisors, weather forecasters, university Extension
Above: This interactive, publicly available freeze-date tool is a collaboration between Purdue University’s Midwest Regional Climate Center and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Midwest Climate Hub. The tool contains county-by-county data from 1950 to 2021 and will be updated annually.
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staffers and state climatologists also have expressed interest in the tool. “We’ve had a lot of interest from the National Weather Service and others who are responsible for issuing watches and warnings in real time, so they put that into context with their forecasting of this season compared to previous seasons,” Widhalm says.
BRING IN THEIR PLANTS
“But homeowners may also consult the tool to help them decide when to bring in their plants as fall arrives or begin planting in the spring,” she adds. “When you think about freeze, you immediately think 32 degrees. But when it comes to agricultural applications, you might be interested in values that are colder or warmer,” Widhalm says. Corn, potatoes, and soybeans, for example, can survive 28 degrees, while fruit trees are more sensitive to freezing or near-freezing temperatures. And the freeze-date tool allows users to query their desired temperatures. Although the tool was developed for visualization rather than to explain trends, it does have research potential. “Just because your fall freeze date changes, that doesn’t mean your spring freeze date is changing, or it could mean both of them are changing,” Widhalm says. “Trends can be revealed in this tool that may indicate areas needing more research.” The Midwest Climate Hub, which funded the tool, uses it to monitor conditions within its eight-state coverage area. “This tool has helped us not only to display what is happening with changes at a local level, but has also given us a look regionally at where the trends are a bit different from location to location,” Todey says. “It’s also provided us a look at the difference in trends at certain temperatures because the trends are not the same even at the same location, depending on what criteria you’re using,” he notes.
TOOL UPDATED ANNUALLY
The tool, which will be updated annually, draws upon Applied Climate Information System (ACIS) data from 1950 to 2021. Weather stations across the country feed data to the ACIS, but there are gaps in the network. “You can combine data from the individual stations to start filling in those gaps,” Widhalm suggests. “They create a product called a gridded data set, which lets us look at these values for a county. So if you have a lot of stations in a county, it aggregates them.” Purdue and the USDA had previously teamed with 10 other universities and agencies on the Useful to Usable project. The project’s goal was to help farmers and farm advisors integrate climate information into their decision-making. “We built a suite of tools that are still in use today to focus on keeping corn production profitable, even in a shifting climate,” Widhalm says. “The most popular was the corngrowing degree-day tool,” she adds. “Farmers could go in and track growing degree days across the season and compare the data to the past to understand their vulnerability early in the season and help with timing fieldwork throughout the growing season.” The Purdue Midwest Regional Climate Center (MRCC) and the USDA Midwest Climate Hub (MWCH) have worked well together over the years, says MRCC Director Beth Hall. “The MWCH works with the agricultural community to help them be more cognizant of climate impacts and how variability and extremes might affect their production decisions,” explains Hall, who is also Indiana’s state climatologist. She notes the MRCC’s access to historical climate data and its capacity to translate data into usable public information. “Agriculture is one of the most critical climate-impacted sectors of the Midwest region, so this partnership has been a wonderful way to help convey the trends and risks without overwhelming stakeholders with too much science and raw data,” she concludes.
CEU credits will be applied for and offered during free virtual event
TriCal Group (TriEst Ag Group is a part of the family of companies) will be hosting its annual Potato School in a free virtual format on Tuesday, December 13, from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Speakers include Dr. Gary Secor, North Dakota State University professor of plant pathology, who will give an “Overview of Soilborne Diseases in Potatoes with a Focus on the Detrimental Effect of Fusarium and Rhizoctonia.” Dr. Chad Hutchinson, TriCal Group global director of potato research and market support, will present “Functional Sustainability: Using the Strike System to Reach both your Financial and Regenerative Agriculture Goals.” Dr. Randy Huckaba, Teleos Ag Solutions director of product research and development, is to discuss “Telone® Flexibility in Potato Production.” Jonathan Vink, sales and service at Douglas Agricultural Services Inc., will present “The Strike System— How to get Strike in the Ground: Equipment, Soil Preparation, and the Nuts and Bolts of Soil Fumigation Logistics.” CEU Credits will be applied for and offered. Register now at https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/potatoschool-2022-tickets-432993243447.
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Trade Shows are Back, and WPVGA is There
Wisconsin potato industry makes a nice showing at a couple recent events
It was business as usual—in fact, it was booming and blooming—at the Global Produce & Floral Show put on by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), October 27-29, in Orlando, Florida. Attendees from approximately 40 countries attended the show, creating a buzz of energy from the education sessions to the show floor. “I am thrilled with the overwhelming support that our first Global Produce & Floral Show [formerly the Produce Marketing Association Fresh Summit] received from across the supply chain this year,” says IFPA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Cathy Burns. “This was a long-overdue return to gathering in October,” Burns adds, “and it was made possible due to the leadership and support of our exhibitors, sponsors, volunteer leaders, and guests.”
Above: Doug Posthuma (left) of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, Wisconsin, talks business with Jay Warner (second from left) of Warner & Warner, Inc., Plover, during the Global Produce & Floral Show in Orlando, Florida. Benn Bonfantini (right) and Tim Wall (second from right) man the Warner & Warner booth.
RPE, LLC was well represented at the 2022 Global Produce & Floral Show by, from left to right, Russell Wysocki, Nate Knutson, and Nick Brekken. “Crazy Fresh” is spelled out in blueberries and grapes, all framed out by potatoes, at the Russ Davis Wholesale booth during the Wisconsin Grocers Association Innovation Expo, in Appleton.
“I know I am leaving Orlando feeling energized and inspired about where the global produce and floral community is headed and how IFPA can clear the path for success,” she states. A record breaking 217 first-time exhibitors shared their products on the floor this year. In addition to networking events, the Global Produce & Floral Show also featured over 20 education programs and more than 45 expert speakers sharing key insights to help guide businesses into the future.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
This includes four general sessions that featured famed chef and humanitarian, Jose Andres; award winning actress and activist, Marlee Matlin; IFPA CEO Cathy Burns; and more. A series of sessions and informal programs also took place on the show floor. The Wisconsin Grocers Association held its Innovation Expo, October 1819, 2022, at the Fox Cities Convention Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, welcoming retailers from around the Midwest, as well as growers and the WPVGA. The Innovation Expo is a nice chance for growers, packers, distributors,
Pumpkins, potatoes, and fresh fruits and vegetables populated the Alsum Farms & Produce booth at the Wisconsin Grocers Association Innovation Expo. Above: Greg Zdroik (second from right) talks with an associate outside the Tasteful Selections/RPE, LLC booth at the Global Produce & Floral Show.
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and wholesalers to meet grocers, sell fresh produce into retail stores and make connections in the industry. In addition to all the packaged and fresh food and produce, the BagOff Championship is a highlight of the show each year, where grocery baggers get a chance to show of their speed and skills. Other honorees include Wisconsin Grocers Association “Grocer of the Year,” “Vendor of the Year,” “Excellence in Operations,” and “Community Service” award winners. WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan walked the show floor on Wednesday, October 19, to meet, greet and promote WPVGA members, gain business leads, and learn about new industry products and innovations. A successful national produce show and well-received Wisconsin grocers event bode well for the trade and getting back to in-person events where business can be conducted, and contacts made, within the industry.
