1503

Badger Common’Tater The

March 2015

THE VOICE OF THE WISCONSIN POTATO-VEGETABLE INDUSTRY Volume 67 Number 3 $18.00 per year $1.50 per copy

WPVGA Honors Helbach With Hall of Fame Induction Wisconsin Potato Industry Presents Annual Awards

Ruth Faivre Takes Over As Common’Tater Editor

Interview with: Dr. Amy Charkowski

Plus: Grower Ed Conference and Industry Show • WPVGA and WSPIA Hold Annual Meetings • Tasteful Selections Offers Big Opportunities

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• While all state seed potato associations winter test their foundation lots, some do not winter test 100% of their certified seed lots.

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4 March 2015 On the Cover: A pair of potato planters place seed pieces precisely in their proper positions. Potato planting typically begins in April in Wisconsin.

Features

6

Common’Tater Interview with: Dr. Amy Charkowski

by Ruth Faivre, Managing Editor......................................................................................................................... 6 The Badger Beat: Pollinators at Risk – In Processing Vegetables?

by Dr. Russell L. Groves, University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology................................................ 14 66th Annual WPVGA Industry Show....................................................................................................... 16 WPVGA Honors Robert Helbach with Hall of Fame Induction...................................................... 19 WPVGA/UW Extension Grower Education Conference.................................................................... 20 Ruth Faivre Takes Over as New Badger Common’Tater Managing Editor....................................23 Wisconsin Potato Industry Presents Annual Awards........................................................................... 24 WPVGA Annual Meeting: Wallendal Elected President.......................................................................... 28 Tasteful Selections Offers Big Opportunities.........................................................................................30

Departments What’s Cookin’ by Gerri Okray............................................ 31 Auxiliary News by Paula Houlihan......................................... 32 Potato Board News.............................................................. 33

16

People........................................................................................ 34 Seed Piece.................................................................................. 36 New Products....................................................................... 40 NPC News............................................................................... 41 WPIB Focus............................................................................ 42 Marketplace........................................................................... 44 . . . And Now For The News............................................. 46 The Tater Bin by Justin Isherwood........................................... 48

36 M

19 WPVGA Board of Directors: President: Andy Wallendal Vice President: Mark Finnessy Secretary: Eric Schroeder Treasurer: Josh Mattek Directors: Larry Alsum, Steve Diercks, Ron Krueger, Jeremie Pavelski, Gary Wysocki Wisconsin Potato Industry Board: President: Heidi Alsum-R andall Vice President: Cliff Gagas Secretary: Bill Wysocki Treasurer: Keith Wolter Directors: John Bobek, Don Isherwood, John T. Schroeder, Tom Wild and Dennis Zeloski

ark

Your Calendar............................................................ 50

WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors: President: Chris Brooks Vice President: Wayne Solinsky Secretary: Steve Bohm Treasurer: Z ach Mykisen Directors: Butch Fencil, Cathy Schommer, Sally Surprise, Joel Z alewski Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board of Directors: President: Ron Krueger Vice President: Eric Schroeder Secretary/Treasurer: Dan K akes Directors: Bill Guenthner, Charlie Mattek Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors: President: Jacquie Wille Vice President: Paula Houlihan

Mission Statement of the WPVGA: “To assist WPVGA members to be successful through education, information, environmentally sound research, promotion, governmental action, and involvement.”

Mission Statement of the WPVGA Associate Division: “Our mission is to work in partnership with the WPVGA as product and service providers to promote mutual industry viability by integrating technology and information resources.”

Secretary/Treasurer: Sheila Rine Directors: Ali Carter, Gabrielle Okray Eck, Patty Hafner, Lynn Isherwood WPVGA Staff Executive Director: Tamas Houlihan Managing Editor /Communications Director: Ruth Faivre Director of Promotions and Consumer Education: Dana R ady Financial Officer: K aren R asmussen Executive Assistant: Julie Braun Program Assistant: Danielle Sorano Spudmobile Coordinator: Jim Zdroik (715) 623-7683 • FAX: (715) 623-3176 E-mail Address: wpvga@wisconsinpotatoes.com Website: www.wisconsinpotatoes.com

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

Subscription rates: $1.50/copy, $18.00/year; $30/2 years. Foreign; $30/year; $50/2 years.

Telephone: (715) 623-7683. Mailing address: P.O. Box 327, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409.

ADVERTISING: To advertise your service or product in this magazine, call (715) 623-7683, or write: Advertising Manager, The Badger Common’Tater, P.O. Box 327, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409.

The editor welcomes manuscripts and pictures but accepts no responsibility for such material while in our hands.

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6 March 2015

Common’Tater Interview

with:

Dr. Amy Charkowski

by Ruth Faivre, Managing Editor

Name: Amy Charkowski Title: Professor, Department of Plant Pathology; Administrative Director, Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program; Also associated with the Microbial Doctoral Training Program, Middle East Studies Program, and the Agroecology Program.

Organization: University of WisconsinMadison Location: Madison, WI Hometown: Madison, WI Current Residence: Madison, WI Years in present position: 13 Previous Employment: Research Scientist in Food Safety for the USDA, ARS Schooling: B.S. in Biochemistry and Plant Pathology at UW-Madison; Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Cornell University Activities/Organizations: American Phytopathological Society, Potato Association of America, American Society of Microbiology, American Association for the Advancement of Science Awards/Honors: 2005 - WPVGA Researcher of the Year, 2011 - American Phytopathological Society Syngenta Award Family: Husband, Ron; Daughter – Kasia (age 10) Hobbies: Outdoor activities including biking, kayaking, and hiking; reading; spending time with kids.

A

University of Wisconsin professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, Amy Charkowski directs the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program that includes a tissue culture laboratory and an early generation seed farm that produces 30,000 cwt. of seed potatoes annually.

It also encompasses an inspection program that certifies seed produced by over 20 farms and investigates organically approved control methods for pests and pathogens important in organic seed potato production.

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Amy holds a B.S. degree in biochemistry and plant pathology from UW-Madison (1993) and a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from Cornell University (1998). In 2011, Amy won the coveted 2011 American Phytopathological Society

(APS) Syngenta Award because of her countless accomplishments in plant pathology.

Amy serves on numerous grant panels and holds leadership positions in APS, the international seed potato research community and her UW-Madison department. Additionally, she piloted a successful international project furthering the development of quality potato seed production in North Africa and the Middle East.

Amy enhances plant pathology’s future as well as its present. She has trained eight graduate students, five post-docs, dozens of undergraduate and high school students and a steady stream of international scientists seeking the latest techniques and ideas.

According to Amy, “I have been interested in biology, and specifically in plants as long as I can remember. When

Seed potato prices are interesting because they are usually less than the loss a farmer will face if he or she does not plant certified seed.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 7 I was an undergrad, I worked in a plant virology lab for Dr. Doug Maxwell while taking classes in microbiology.”

“From a scientific viewpoint, plantassociated microbes are among the most fascinating and easiest to study,” Amy continues. “The microbes can be very sophisticated in how they manipulate plants and we can also experimentally manipulate both plants and microbes to an extent that cannot be done with animal-associated microbes.”

grant-supported research, mainly driven by available federal, state and private funding sources that are appropriate for potato research.

Scientifically, I am most interested in how microbes manipulate plants to cause symptoms and obtain nutrients.

My practical research goal is to try to provide farmers with better disease management strategies.

It is very clear to me that several talented teachers and professors changed my life for the better. For this reason, I am a strong believer in the positive role that public schools and land grant universities can play in improving peoples’ lives and I have tried to “pay it forward” since joining UW-Madison.

Why do you believe that the seed continued on pg. 8

An avid reader and outdoor enthusiast, Amy hikes, bikes and kayaks throughout Wisconsin and the world. “While most of my hiking and all of my biking and kayaking is in North America, some of it has been a little crazy,” says Amy. “Once, my husband and I biked from Madison to Ithaca, NY on a tandem.

What were we thinking?”

What led you into the world of plant pathology and plant-microbes, particularly in regard to specializing in areas of potato production?

When I was quite young, I visited Epcot with my family and saw hydroponic plants for the first time, and was amazed.

At the time, I wanted to be an astronaut and thought that working with plants might help me get to Mars. Sadly, this plan has been on hold for quite a while.

Then, in high school, I had an excellent high school science teacher, Marilyn Hansen, who helped students find volunteer positions at UW-Madison labs.

She found a spot for me with Dr. Steve Slack, who was one of my predecessors in the seed potato certification program.

I stayed interested in plant pathology and studied bean and pepper diseases as an undergraduate at Madison and as a graduate student at Cornell.

After graduate school, I worked briefly with the USDA Agricultural Research Service in food safety research at a research station. However, I really missed being on a land grant campus, so I applied for this position. Fortunately, I was hired and have enjoyed working with the seed potato program ever since.

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8 March 2015 Common’Tater Interview . . . continued from pg. 7

certification program and buying certified seed are vitally important to the potato grower's overall success?

The number one reason for certification is that seed potato health and variety cannot be accurately judged by just looking at the potato tuber. The multiple inspections that each seed lot receives result in a seed crop that is healthier than it would be otherwise and, as a result, the seed potato buyer will profit from planting certified seed.

Seed potato prices are interesting because they are usually less than the loss a farmer will face if he or she does not plant certified seed.

For example, if a Wisconsin farmer buys a large quantity of certified Russet Norkotah seed that has a 5% Potato Virus Y (PVY) incidence and grows the plants through early fall in order to get high yields, we would expect aphids to spread the virus throughout the crop in late August and throughout September.

This late season spread of virus is not a problem for yield or quality, as long as the potatoes are not replanted the following year.

Based on decades of research, if the farmer saved seed from this crop and

Dr. Amy Charkowski poses in front of the Wisconsin Certified Seed Potatoes booth at the 2015 Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Annual Meeting in Antigo. replanted it, we would expect it to have at least a 50% virus incidence, which would result in at least a 50 cwt/acre loss of yield to the farmer plus reduced quality in the potatoes harvested. The cost of this yield loss from virus is roughly equivalent to buying certified seed potatoes.

If the farmer had chosen instead to buy

certified seed, he or she would likely obtain a higher yield and better quality potatoes. This scenario does not take into account the many other risks, such as storage losses, variety mixture, bacterial ring rot or late blight that the farmer will also avoid by buying certified seed. This is why we say, “Certified seed doesn’t cost, it pays.”

Certified seed programs also have an interesting and under-appreciated economic benefit to the local community. These programs cost around $30 per acre, which is far less expensive than any spray program.

Unlike spray programs, the funds that pay for seed certification remain almost entirely in the community growing the seed potatoes. Therefore, not only does certification provide farmers with improved disease management, it also supports the local rural economy.

Can you describe some of the new and exciting potato-growing programs you have worked on or are working on currently?

Amy Charkowski and two UW-Madison students visit Ron Krueger (left) of Felix Zeloski Farms in Eagle River. Krueger is the President of the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association.

This is an amazing time to be a biologist because of conceptual and technical advances that are changing

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 9 how we look at the world around us. To me, the three most exciting advances are improvements in the ability of researchers to understand soil microbiology, advancements in potato genomics that allow us to finally discover how potatoes respond to diseases and to their environment, and that we are finally able to employ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to help monitor agricultural experiments.

My lab is closely tied to the seed potato program. Therefore, one of our goals is to search out the most advanced information and methods and apply them at the farm level as quickly and economically, as possible.

My current PhD students are working mainly on disease resistance genes for important diseases such as PVY and common scab. They are also trying to understand more fully, the mechanisms bacteria use to cause soft rot in potato.

I also mentor an MS student, who is examining beneficial soil bacteria and

UW-Madison students Ana Cristina Fulladolsa (left, PhD student) and Rajita Kota (BS student) are in the midst of plant pathology experiments. looking at traits that these bacteria share with pathogens. Finally, Ruth Genger and I run an organic potato production and variety trialing program that collaborates with at least 30 organic

farms in the Midwest. One of the main goals of this program is to find ways to lower the barriers to the use of certified seed potatoes on organic farms. continued on pg. 10

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10 March 2015 Common’Tater Interview . . . continued from pg. 9

Amy Charkowski on an ice cream break with UW-Madison lab group students (L-R): Grace Christensen (BS), Jose Caram de Souza (a visiting scientist from Brazil), Ruth Genger (lab manager), Ross Hackbarth (BS), Jeffry Dorgan (BS-France), Samantha Sparrow (BS), Kate McAbee (BS), Ana Cristina Palma (PhD), and Chakradhar Mattupalli (PhD).

What recommendations do you have for growers to produce healthy seed potatoes?

The Wisconsin seed potato growers are experienced farmers and already do an excellent job of producing healthy seed potatoes. The most common problems we see now in seed potato certification occur when farmers are unable to isolate their early generation seed potato fields from fields with high virus incidence. This can only be solved if farmers coordinate where they plant with their neighbors or be sure not to cause this problem on their own farms.

There are, of course other seed potato diseases that cause problems. I am concerned that we will see future increases in soil-borne viruses in our state. We also have constant problems with common scab.

Because of changes in plant breeding technologies, such as the availability of potato genome sequences, I think we will start seeing swifter progress in potato breeding that will help with some of these challenges.

For example, I recently saw promising results with new russet lines, such

as Teton Russet and Fortress Russet, which seem effectively to resist PVY, the most common virus problem in potato. Similarly, Shelley Jansky’s lab has identified a very promising source of common scab resistance from wild potatoes that may prove valuable to potato breeders.

Where do you see certified seed and seed potato certification programs developing in the future? I believe that certification will change in the next decades in at least three ways.

First, if genetically modified potatoes similar to those currently being trialed

by Simplot become widespread, most of the disease problems we are concerned with in seed potato certification could be reduced or eliminated.

Second, I think technology will simplify inspections and allow farmers to conduct most of the inspections themselves. For example, farmers could collect spectral data, which is useful for monitoring disease, variety and quality, from detectors on their spray booms and harvesters. The farmers could provide or sell this data, to help estimate seed crop health along with the seed potatoes.

If proven beneficial in predicting seed

crop health, this sort of data collection could replace many of the activities of seed potato certification.

Finally, our trading partners keep increasing laboratory testing requirements. Just like agriculture, laboratory testing is inefficient on a small scale, but quite efficient on a larger scale. Unfortunately, few seed potatoproducing states are large enough to develop efficient testing laboratories.

In addition, there are no private testing laboratories, such as Agdia, approved by the USDA for seed potato testing.

If laboratory-testing requirements continue to increase, potato farmers can increase efficiency and decrease costs by cooperating across state lines to develop regional laboratories rather than relying on state-based programs.

What challenges and obstacles do you encounter within your programs currently?

The biggest challenge is always acquiring accurate information that we can use to make the best possible decisions. We put a lot of effort into obtaining production and disease-related information before making changes in our program while

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 11

also collecting data to evaluate and refine any changes we make.

Another challenge we have with the certification program is the distance we must work across since it influences our ability to communicate and understand each person’s responsibilities and job challenges.

The certification program includes my research lab and a tissue culture lab, which are located in two different buildings in Madison, an office housing the certification program in Antigo and an early generation seed farm in Rhinelander. The jobs at each of these locations are specialized, but also interdependent and it is important for all of the people involved to communicate effectively and to be able to accept useful ideas from any other person in the program. We all try for this ideal, but in reality, it is a difficult goal to meet.

Finally, over the past decade, we have seen new diseases and insect problems emerge in North America at a faster rate than ever before. Each seed potato producing state in the US has responded to these challenges in a different way and it is difficult to respond to the ever-changing rules for seed potato production.

Over the past decade, we have seen new diseases and insect problems emerge in North America at a faster rate than ever before. on ideas and observations shared by many farmers. Wisconsin farmers have had several successes based on specific recommendations made by the UW potato researchers.

Do you expect the recent budget cuts proposed for the UW to affect the seed potato certification program potato research team?

Yes, these budget cuts will directly and negatively affect both our certification program and potato research in general.

A few years ago, the Wisconsin potato and vegetable farmers had a long-

range planning meeting and one of the outcomes was a re-stating of the importance of the relationship between the growers and UW researchers. I was very pleased with the outcome of this meeting and the renewed energy we all felt toward building on this longterm partnership. That is why I cannot stress enough how vitally important it is that Wisconsin’s potato and vegetable growers and WPVGA realize the impact of the proposed UW budget cuts and what they can do to call attention to the seriousness of the funding cuts we face. continued on pg. 12

Overall, what recommendations do you have that will help growers further their success?

This is an easy question! Growers should always plant certified seed, and whenever possible, plant certified seed grown in Wisconsin. By planting locally grown seed, farmers greatly reduce the risk of bringing in new strains of seedor soil-borne pathogens into Wisconsin.

Many of our new pest and disease challenges are tied directly to imports of seed potatoes or other plants.

It is also a hard question since each year brings new challenges and each farm is dealing with a different set of strengths and weaknesses. The most important general recommendation I have is to continue to collaborate with the potato research group at UW-Madison. We develop our research programs based

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12 March 2015 Common’Tater Interview . . . continued from pg. 11

Public statements that substantiate the benefits that UW faculty provide in supporting potato and vegetable production or the state’s investment in the Wisconsin Idea, in regard to extension and seed potato certification, are extremely crucial if we all want to protect the synergistic partnership we enjoy.

It took a lot of effort to build these partnering efforts and if ended, even for a short while, it will take a very long time to rebuild them.

The state budget cuts affect only the UW teaching and extension budgets and we cannot shift funds from research grants or fee-based programs, such as the seed certification program, to cover this shortfall, which means researcher responsibilities will change drastically.

I have seen news articles and editorials claiming that this budget cut is only 2.5% and not 13%, but these claims are based on a limited understanding of the UW budget and how impossible it is to shift funds between missions.

Our departmental budget includes the fee-based seed potato program and several large research grants, so the percent cut for our total departmental budget looks small on the surface.

However, the state funding cut is entirely from our teaching and extension budgets, which are much smaller than our research and seed program budgets.

We cannot legally or ethically meet our teaching and extension goals by simply shifting funds from the seed program or research grants to cover teaching costs.

If we teach more to cover these cuts, then we must cut back on extension, which, unlike research, does not generate funds.

I am afraid that crop science research at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is particularly vulnerable to these cuts based on three observations.

First, crop science research is costly compared to other types of research because of the wide range of equipment and research stations we maintain for research. The state budget is the primary funding unit for these resources and cutting this funding will reduce our ability to conduct fieldwork on potato and other vegetable crops. Because there is not a corresponding increase in grower or federal funds, this will result in fewer field-based projects and far fewer students trained in applied agricultural research at UW-Madison.

Currently, only a handful of universities,

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all of which are land grant colleges, conduct extensive crop science research. Some of these universities, such as Cornell and Berkeley, cut back dramatically on crop science research due to state budget cuts. Private universities, even very wealthy ones, do not have crop science programs, because they are expensive to run, only attract a small number of students and do not generate self-sustaining funds.

I expect that the UW budget cuts will result in the same eventual outcome in Wisconsin that already occurred at UC-Berkeley and Cornell University. If we are unable to offer education and training in agricultural sciences to the next generation of students and farmers, this will greatly affect Wisconsin agriculture.

A second reason why proposed budget cuts will impact potato and vegetable research, ironically, involves the popularity of biology majors among students. Now the most popular major at UW-Madison, most of the advanced biology courses are taught in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. This large increase in the number of students greatly affects our college, already hard hit by significant budget and faculty member cuts. Meeting these spiraling student demands is difficult especially since our teaching loads already increased significantly over the past decade. The proposed cuts would require researchers who currently assist with the certification program and conduct potato and vegetable research and extension, to teach courses instead.

Obviously, classroom teaching is a worthwhile endeavor. However, we cannot be on a farm trying to figure out why seed did not emerge or discussing late blight with master gardeners and be in a classroom at the same time.

Therefore, I expect that the amount of time the potato research team spends on extension and outreach will drop noticeably.

Finally, many other states are investing in education, which means that it will be difficult to compete with other universities for high quality faculty.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 13

However, I suspect we will not need to worry about competing for crop sciences faculty. The unfortunate reality is that to survive these budget cuts, the college will hire fewer faculty members. For the few faculty members who are hired, the college will likely focus on acquiring those who can bring in large grants (usually tied to biomedical research) and who will teach large classes. Unfortunately, hiring researchers to focus on potato and vegetable production and outreach will probably drop to a much lower priority

within the college simply because we will not be able to afford to make this choice.

In closing, what do like most about the career path you have chosen?

I have one of the best jobs available and I feel very fortunate to be blessed with this opportunity. Every year, I meet interesting people from around the world, I learn fascinating things about biology, I travel to places that most people never get to visit and I have the opportunity to mentor and teach smart and motivated students.

More important than these experiences, though, is helping people meet their own goals. For example, it is a wonderful feeling when a student accepts an offer for a job and you know that you helped them gain the experience and knowledge they needed to qualify for their chosen career.

Similarly, I enjoy seeing the certification results from Wisconsin, which are often among the best in North America, and I am grateful to be able to participate in a program that helps maintain crop health.

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14 March 2015

The Badger Beat Pollinators at Risk – In Processing Vegetables?

By Dr. Russell L. Groves University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology

Production and processing of specialty crops in Wisconsin are very important to both state and national agricultural industries. Wisconsin ranks 2nd among US states for both harvested acreage and total production of processing vegetables (Keene and Mitchell 2010).

And key among these processing crops in Wisconsin include sweet corn, succulent snap beans, field peas and potatoes.

In addition, the vast majority of these commercial, contract acres receive an at-plant seed treatment of a Group 4A insecticide (neonicotinoid).

Increasingly, producers rely heavily on this single class of insecticides for control of early season pests including seed maggots, potato leafhopper, and bean leaf beetles (NASS 2006).

Reported at-plant applications of these neonicotinoid seed treatments have occurred on nearly 90% of all acres reported and reflect statewide use rates in many other grain crops. Concomitantly, both native and domestic pollinators

are experiencing declines and even disappearance in localized regions of the US on an unprecedented level.

Despite a remarkably intensive level of research effort towards understanding causes of pollinator declines and managed honeybee colony losses in the US, overall losses continue to be high and pose a serious threat to meeting the pollination service demands for several commercial crops. In turn, the extent to which our current seed treatment uses in processing vegetable crops may be contributing risk to pollinator risk is unknown.

estimated 30% of the food composing the American diet depends on insect pollination. Nevertheless, the current major reliance on a single pollinator – the domesticated European honey bee (Apis mellifera) – exposes U.S. crop production to potentially serious risks.

Some of the 4,000 species of wild bees native to North America can provide, at a minimum, a complementary source of pollination services and an insurance policy against fluctuations in honey bee supply. In addition, native pollinators are keystone species in many terrestrial ecosystems.

Pollinators are essential to our environment and to agriculture. This is especially true for the production of specialty crops which rely almost exclusively upon pollinators for fruit and seed production. The ecological services provided by pollinators are critical for the establishment, reproduction, and persistence of nearly 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants including crop and non-crop species.

An

In 2006, the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences released the report, “Status of Pollinators in North America,” which called attention to the decline of pollinators resulting from habitat loss, alteration, and fragmentation, as well as pesticide use. The report urged nonprofit organizations to collaborate with landowners and agencies to publicize activities that promote and sustain these important insects. The NRC report specifically cited losses in managed pollinators and reciprocal increases in applications of pesticides, as candidate explanations for these losses. It is now accepted, however, that the abundance of pollinators in the environment appears to be influenced by multiple factors, including biotic factors such as pathogens, parasites, availability of resources due to habitat fragmentation and loss; and abiotic ones like climate change and pollutants. In the most recent USDA Report on the National Stakeholders Conference on Honey Bee Health (http://www.usda.gov/

Chemical Name

Initiation

Data Generation

Completion

Imidacloprid

Dec. 2008

2010-2015

2016-2017

Clothianidin

Dec. 2011

2013-2016

2017-2018

Thiamethoxam

Dec. 2011

2013-2016

2017-2018

Dinotefuran

Dec. 2011

2013-2016

2017-2018

Acetamiprid

Dec. 2012

2014-2017

2018-2019

Thiacloprid

Dec. 2012

2014-2017

2018-2019

Table 1. Schedule for Review of Neonicotinoid Pesticides

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 15

documents/ReportHoneyBeeHealth. pdf), participants continued to recognize multiple sources of potential causes of bee declines. Although the putative causes are still currently being analyzed, there was broad consensus among all stakeholders on the panel that legal pesticide uses should not affect honey bees in such a way that: (1) honey production would be reduced, or (2) pollination services provided by bees are threatened (Pesticide Risk Assessment for Pollinators Executive Summary, SETAC, 2011). It remains unclear, based on current research, whether pesticide exposure is a major factor associated with US honey bee health declines in general.

Historically, US EPA’s pesticide risk assessment process for bees had been qualitative, and this process relied primarily on developing an understanding of the types of effects that might be caused by pesticide, based on toxicity studies only. In 2011, EPA began expanding the risk assessment process for bees to now quantify or measure exposures and relate them to effects at the individual and colony level. Since this time, EPA continues to employ its new risk assessment framework for bees as part of its regulatory decision-making process for all pesticide chemistries.

As a result of the recent scrutiny of the

neonicotinoid class of insecticides, the EPA has opened the dockets for all the neonicotinoid pesticides. The goal of this harmonized effort is to review the pesticides in this class in the same timeframe so we can ensure consistency across the class (Table 1).

Many who are familiar with pesticide risk assessment recognize that the methodology and testing scheme employed for foliar application products (where exposure may be primarily through surface contact) is not adapted to assess potential hazard and risk from systemic pesticides. Bees are not expected to be subject to direct pesticide contact exposure during the use of many types of systemic treatments, such as those applied to the soil or as seed coats. However, the ability of these chemicals to be present in pollen and nectar during flowering presents the potential for oral as well as contact exposure and therefore needs to be considered.

Conservationists and policy makers now have concerns about the impacts of the neonicotinoid insecticides and their interaction with diverse communities of native pollinators. Since the introduction of this important class, the use of these insecticides has grown considerably.

As noted previously, they are used extensively for the control of important

agricultural crop pests by spraying and also as seed treatments and direct soil amendments. In the particular case of processing vegetables in Wisconsin, these systemic insecticides are almost exclusively used as at-plant seed treatments. And such uses typically provide 14-21 days of post-emergence control, after which time concentrations of insecticides in the vascular system are presumed to decline well below effective doses to result in acute toxicity.

So potentially, foraging pollinator species would unlikely be exposed, at a large scale, to insecticide residues present in floral structures or nectary’s present on snap beans, sweet corn, or peas which develop considerably later in plant development. At the current time, however, we do not know the residual concentrations of these insecticides in processing crops relative to plant development. Nor do we have sufficient, comprehensive survey data to inform us of the identity, or seasonal sequence of pollinator species that frequent processing crops, especially during the critical flowering periods of crop development. Therefore, it will be imperative for our industry to characterize the temporal patterns of insecticide residues in plants treated with seed treatments, and further to determine the pollinator species present in selected processing crops.

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16 March 2015

66th Annual WPVGA Industry Show

February 3-4, 2015 • Holiday Inn, Stevens Point, WI

 WPVGA staff members (L-R) Julie Braun, Danielle Sorano and Karen Rasmussen are shown working the annual Grower Education Conference and Industry Show registration desk. The 2015 event received excellent reviews from attendees and exhibitors alike.

 Chad Rhinehart (left) greets visitors to the booth for Bayer CropScience.

the cup at ster, putts a potato toward Cu , ms Far gas Ga of gas Gene Ga Kolpack, Field Rosholt. At right is Mick of .

Inc s’, an shm Bu for the booth Manager for Bushmans.

 Bill Zelinski of Big Iron Equipment, Plover, talks with Joe Seis of Sterling Farms, Grand Marsh.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 17 Sharing a laugh at the booth for JayMar, Inc. of Plover are (L-R) Gary Patoka of Patoka Farms, Plover, Wayne Solinsky and Dave Warner of Jay-Mar, and Bruce Soik of Myron Soik & Sons, Stevens Point.

Gary Woyak of Taterl and Farms, Plainfield, talks taters with Paul Cieslewicz of Sand County Equipment, Bancroft.

Butch Fencil and Nick Laudenbach of Fencil Urethane Systems, Wisconsin Rapids, are pictured with Mike Rupiper and Norman Tachik of Nicolet Farms, Suring. Pictured in front of a potato display are Hancock Research Station staff members (L-R) Felix Navarro, Superintendent; Troy Fishler, Storage Research Manager; and Amber Gotch. The display includes several of the new varieties of potatoes and chips that are part of the Wisconsin Potato Variety Advanced Selection Evaluation trials at Hancock, Antigo and Rhinelander.

Pat Bula and Ron Bula of Badgerland Financial visit with Rick Hafner, Senior Inspector with the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program, and Amy Charkowski, Director of the WSPCP. continued on pg. 18

18 March 2015 66th Annual WPVGA Industry Show . . . continued from pg. 17

WE EXTEND A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE 2015 UW EXTENSION & WPVGA GROWER EDUCATION CONFERENCE AND INDUSTRY SHOW! McCain Foods

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THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 19

WPVGA Honors Robert Helbach with Hall of Fame Induction Long-time processed potato and vegetable grower Robert Helbach of Helbach Farms, Amherst, was inducted into the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Hall of Fame at a banquet held February 4, 2015 in Stevens Point.

Amherst area. Bob Helbach’s father, George, started farming in the area in the early 1930s. The farm was primarily a dairy operation, although they grew 8-10 acres of potatoes every year and peddled them throughout central Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Hall of Fame honors lifetime achievement in the development of the state’s potato industry. It is the intention of the WPVGA to continue to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the potato industry in Wisconsin by making annual Hall of Fame inductions.

Bob and his wife, Helen, took over the farm operation in 1974, moving away from dairy and concentrating on vegetables.

He began growing potatoes in 1980 and later became one of the top growers of processed potatoes for Ore-Ida Foods, winning Top Grower and Bruise Free awards.

The following is a brief biographical sketch of this year’s WPVGA Hall of Fame inductee.

Robert “Bob” Helbach was born on November 3, 1942 in Amherst, Wisconsin, the son of George and Merle Helbach.

He married Helen Dernbach on April 4, 1964 in Almond, Wisconsin. They have five children, 14 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Helbach Farms has a long history in the

Bob’s sons, Mike and Kirk joined the farm in the 1990s, and now have taken over running the family business, along with their brother, George, who became an owner of the farm in 2002. They have done an outstanding job raising potatoes for processing, as they have won Champion Grower awards from McCain Foods six times since 2002. They now raise approximately 450 acres of chipping potatoes for Heartland Farms in addition to 350 acres of Russet Burbanks for McCain.

Robert Helbach Bob has been a long-time leader of growers in the processed vegetable industry, helping organize growers and conduct meetings with processors to improve communications as well as grower viability. Helbach set up meetings with growers, processors and the banking community to discuss contracts and stress the need for returns to growers that were above the cost of production. His efforts opened lines of communication between growers and processors, and fostered cooperation rather than confrontation between these business partners.

Bob worked hard over the years to promote grower unity. His spirit of cooperation enabled the growers of processed vegetables to balance their books and eventually make a profit. He has truly been an ambassador for the Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry.

Members of the Helbach family are pictured with Robert Helbach after his induction into the WPVGA Hall of Fame on Feb. 4. Pictured are: Front row (L-R) Travis and Susie Firkus; Back Row - Kirk, Shelley, George, Rachel, Zachary, Helen, Bob, Jenny, Rob, Debra and Michael Helbach.

Now retired, Bob enjoys spending time with his family, as well as golfing and watching high school sports.

Congratulations, Bob!

20 March 2015

WPVGA/UW Extension Grower

 Professor Emeritus Dr. Jeff Wyman (left) facilitated a panel discussion on Water Conservation and Potential Solutions. Representing potato growers is WPVGA Hall of Fame grower Louis Wysocki (right). Also speaking were Dan Mahoney of the Village of Plover and Bob Smail of the Wisconsin DNR. Through the WPVGA Water Task Force, growers are working closely with research scientists and state agency personnel to get a better understanding of the Central Sands hydrology. Growers are using this information to further develop and implement responsible water use practices. Potato and vegetable growers are also developing more efficient ways to irrigate using less water.  WPVGA lobbyist Ron Kuehn of DeWitt, Ross & Stevens, Madison, provides an update on issues critical to the potato and vegetable industry. Kuehn said there are currently two versions of high capacity well legislation being considered by the Wisconsin legislature; one focuses on the areas of transfers, replacement and reconstruction of existing high capacity wells; the other is more comprehensive, and would be even more beneficial in streamlining the permit application process. Kuehn also emphasized the importance of the WPVGA’s ongoing political fundraising efforts. He encouraged all growers to participate.  High capacity well application review and cumulative impacts are discussed by Eric Ebersberger, Section Chief, Division of Water, Water Use Section, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. Ebersberger said increased well permit applications and increased reviews by the DNR have led to a significant backlog in processing the permits. The 25-year average number of well permit applications in Wisconsin is 170; in the last three years, that number has doubled to 340. There is currently a wait of approximately six months from time of application; Ebersberger said the DNR is trying to move ahead with those permits that do not require a cumulative impact review.

 Dr. Russ Groves of the UW Department of Entomology gave several presentations at the 2015 WPVGA/UW Extension Grower Education Conference. Groves spoke on Insecticide Resistance Management Fundamentals; Landscape Management of Potato Pests and Pathogens; and Influence of Viral Stresses on Potato Storage Quality. Regarding resistance management, Groves stressed product rotation using different modes of action. He recommends the use of full, recommended label rates; and when possible, consider adopting all non-chemical techniques to suppress pest populations, including crop rotation. He also said it is very important to target the right life stage of the insect when using crop protection products.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 21

Education Conference

February 3-5, 2015 Stevens Point, WI

 Dr. Amanda Gevens, Assistant Professor & Extension Plant Pathologist at UW-Madison, offered an update on the early blight complex of potato in Wisconsin. This complex includes early blight and brown spot - two similar but unique diseases of potato which are typically managed together with cultural approaches and crop protectants. Dr. Gevens and her student have identified Alternaria solani and A. alternata in commercial fields throughout the production season. They discovered complete azoxystrobin resistance in many isolates of A. alternata (brown spot) and partial resistance in most of the isolates of A. solani (early blight).

Results suggest that a change in fungicides may be necessary to enhance disease control.

Gevens also shared results of her 2014 Hancock fungicide efficacy trial for early blight control.

Grower standard programs with strobilurins and with triazoles effectively limited disease and maintained significant yields. Additionally, two Phostrol-containing programs provided some of the highest yields.

 Christelle Guedot, UW-Entomology, addresses the audience on the topic of pollinator health. Guedot says insects pollinate twothirds of the world’s crops and the economic impacts of insect pollination are close to $15 billion annually to the US economy. She added that the most important pollinators are bees, and pesticide exposure is one of the many causes of colony collapse disorder. She said there are several federal programs available to assist in pollinator conservation.  Dr. Jeff Endelman presented information about recent releases from the UW potato breeding program, such as Red Endeavor and Oneida Gold, as well as new strategies for variety development. Both pedigrees and DNA markers are being used to facilitate selection in early generations for traits such as PVY resistance and chip color. Data from the 2014 fresh market variety trial, which was replicated across several locations, confirmed that the Hancock and Langlade Research Stations are good selection environments because agronomic performance at the stations was correlated with the results from commercial farms.

continued on pg. 22

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22 March 2015 WPVGA/UW Extension Grower Education Conference . . . continued from pg. 21

 Dr. A.J. Bussan of Wysocki Produce Farm, Bancroft, speaks about approaches to more efficient irrigation. Bussan said the goal is to maximize irrigation to meet crop demand. In studies on soybeans, yields were not affected by the use of deferred irrigation. The use of deficit irrigation (irrigating at less than ET) on sweet corn produced no yield differences.

He added that snap bean yields have doubled in recent years (up to 12 tons/acre), yet the irrigation use has remained the same, resulting in double the efficiency.

 The value of the neonicotinoid insecticide class is the topic addressed by Dr. Paul Mitchell of the UW Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Mitchell says “neonics” are the most used insecticide class in the US with over 135 million acres treated, including 61% of all corn acres and 22% of soybean acres. In Wisconsin, of the 63,000 acres of potatoes grown, 94% are treated with neonics. A study on the economic impacts of neonics on US potato production showed a value of $86-110 billion.

Neonics are the most used insecticide class in the US…  Paul Bethke, Assistant Professor of UW Horticulture and USDA-ARS Plant Physiologist, gave two presentations at the Grower Education Conference. One was on genetic and cultural management solutions to improve potato storage quality; and another was on potato development and skin set in fresh market red varieties as part of the Wisconsin Muck Growers meeting.  Dr. Neil Gudmestad, University Distinguished Professor, North Dakota State University, gave presentations on fumigation delivery and fumigation alternatives; and biorational technologies for the control of early dying.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 23

WPVGA Welcomes Ruth Faivre as New Badger Common’Tater Managing Editor WPVGA Executive Director, Tamas Houlihan, announced on February 2, 2015 that Ruth Faivre, Custer, was hired by the WPVGA to fill the position of Managing Editor. Faivre replaces Houlihan who had served in that position for 27 years prior to being named WPVGA Executive Director on December 4, 2014.

Houlihan said he is thrilled to welcome Faivre aboard during this year of growth and opportunity for WPVGA. “Ruth brings over thirty years of experience and advanced skill sets in writing, publishing, advertising, marketing, sales and public relations,” he said. “She was able to assist immediately with the coverage of the 2015 WPVGA Grower Education Conference and Industry Show as well as the production of the March issue of The Badger Common’Tater. She will be handling all the future issues of the magazine going forward. The WPVGA is very pleased to have found someone with Ruth’s background and knowledge of the agricultural industry.”

Faivre has created and edited a number of print/online magazines over the years, handling circulation, advertising sales and ad creation, story selection, writing and photography, while also coordinating freelancers and other contributors. She has experience and expertise with Photoshop, editing, proofreading, layout, publicity,

website and social media management as well as event coordination.

Her most recent launch, “Journey through Wisconsin,” a spin-off from “Neighbors” magazine, a Faivre Implement publication she created while serving as their Marketing Director, enjoyed 15,000 readers across Central Wisconsin and appealed to both residential and agricultural markets.

“Understanding how to balance these two audiences is vitally important when covering agricultural interests today because there is a concerted effort to downplay the importance of our nation’s farmers,” asserts Faivre, a strong supporter of the American farmer. “Media coverage is often negative and frequently uses the term ‘corporate farms’ to portray farming as an uncaring, money-hungry industry.”

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” states Faivre. “Farmers are foremost, stewards of the land, revering and treasuring the ground they work. Today, greater focus on crop rotation, minimum tillage, precision farming, specialized irrigation and sprayer equipment and other technologies, allow producers to use less fertilizer, chemicals and water while increasing harvests to fulfill ever-growing global needs.”

Faivre works diligently to help the public understand that farmers are not big corporate entities but real people,

Ruth Faivre neighbors and friends, who have stakes in the communities in which they farm. “One of my goals in the coming year is to submit Badger Common’Tater articles to consumer and agriculture publications to pick up as free articles. That will help provide a voice of reason in an interesting manner that gives non-farming folks a new perspective.”

WPVGA and many of its grower members participate in government and university sponsored committees working toward developing sustainability programs, particularly those that address reduced pesticide use and water inputs, soil and water quality, climate, energy, waste management and other environmental, social responsibility and economic considerations.

Throughout 2015, while maintaining the current excellent editorial focus on growers, associate members, industry news and new product introductions, Faivre plans to introduce regular articles on emerging markets for producers, alternative crops to consider and the Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers’ next generation of farmers.

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24 March 2015

WPVGA Presents Annual Industry Awards In addition to its annual Hall of Fame induction, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) presented several other annual industry awards at a banquet held February 4, 2015 in Stevens Point.

Kathy Bartsch of Bartsch Farms, Coloma, was named the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year. Bartsch has done a tremendous amount of volunteer work in the Wisconsin potato industry over the past several years. A longtime member of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors, Bartsch continues to serve the Auxiliary by chairing and coordinating the Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes program, which teaches grade school children all about potatoes while growing them in the classroom.

“Kathy does a great job leading the Kids Dig Harvest Parties that are held at selected schools,” noted Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary President Jacquie Wille. “She also volunteers at numerous industry events, including the School Nutrition Association Conference, the WPS Farm Show, the Wisconsin State Fair, the Feed My Starving Children Mobile Packing event, and others.”

Bartsch also serves on the WPVGA Promotions Committee. She was the WPVGA Potato Industry Woman of the Year in 2006. She and her husband, Steve, own and operate Bartsch Farms in Coloma, Wisconsin.

Eric Schroeder of Schroeder Bros.

Farms, Inc., Antigo, was named WPVGA Young Grower of the Year. WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan recognized Schroeder for his leadership and active involvement in the potato industry.

“Eric has been extremely active in the potato industry, serving on both the WPVGA and the Wisconsin Seed

Kathy Bartsch Potato Improvement Association board of directors, while also serving as a Wisconsin representative on the United States Potato Board,” said Houlihan.

“He Chairs the Regulatory Committee for the Seed Association, and Chairs the Chip Committee for the WPVGA. He served as the 2014 Potato Industry Leadership Institute’s Grower-Leader, after being elected to the position by the 2013 Leadership Institute class.”

Eric Schroeder

The son of Pete and Gina Schroeder, Eric works as the Assistant Farm Manager at Schroeder Bros. Farms, Inc. where they raise over 2200 acres of certified seed potatoes, along with alfalfa, field corn, oats, soybeans and sweet corn.

The WPVGA Researcher of the Year Award went to Dr. Paul Mitchell, Associate Professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Dept. of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

Dr. Mitchell’s 2014 research included a project funded by the Wisconsin potato industry titled: “Increasing the Economic Value of Sustainability in Wisconsin Potato Production Using a Multi-Tiered Approach to Assessment.”

“Paul has been the leader of a very

Dr. Paul Mitchell large Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant whereby scientists in five states are collaborating to create a system for reporting the sustainability of agricultural practices that will be credible to consumers and workable for producers, and will document improvements over time,” Houlihan remarked. “He has documented Wisconsin’s contributions to sustainability solutions, and his efforts are helping to make our state, our nation

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 25

Eugene Mancl

Dianne Somers

Chris Brooks

and our entire world more sustainable.”

members and their families in times of need.”

Somers of Plover River Farms, Stevens Point.

Houlihan went on to say that Mancl’s hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence have enabled the Associate Division to become a true partner in the potato and vegetable industry.

“Dianne has been actively involved in the Wisconsin potato industry for many years, and 2014 was no exception,” Houlihan stated. “She has been active with the WPVGA Water Task Force and did an outstanding job communicating with the WPVGA and the rest of the industry on water issues. She spoke up on behalf of agriculture at several

Mitchell has a PhD in Economics from Iowa State University, a Master’s Degree in Classics from UW-Madison, and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Iowa State University.

The WPVGA Associate Division presented the Associate Division Business Person of the Year Award to Eugene Mancl of Ron’s Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Inc., Wisconsin Rapids.

According to Houlihan, Mancl has dedicated a great deal of time and effort to more fully engage the Associate Division with the Wisconsin potato and vegetable industry.

“Through Eugene’s efforts as Associate Division President the past two years, the Associate Division’s annual golf outing greatly increased its income and then donated the additional funds raised to worthy causes throughout the industry,” said Houlihan. “Some of those projects include: increased funding of research and other industry grants; additional scholarships to industry members’ children; a significant donation toward the WPVGA Spudmobile project; generous donation toward the Feed My Starving Children mobile packing event; and individual donations to industry

The Agri-Communicator Award for excellence in communication and dedicated service in presenting a positive message about the agricultural industry was presented to Dianne

continued on pg. 26

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26 March 2015 WPVGA Presents Annual Industry Awards. . . continued from pg. 25

Tamas Houlihan area water listening sessions and was instrumental in getting agriculture represented on the state’s Groundwater Coordinating Council.”

Somers was also active on the WPVGA Promotions Committee as well as the Spud Bowl Committee, and led several political fundraising efforts, including hosting a highly successful event at her home for Governor Walker.

“Dianne always has the industry’s best interests at heart,” Houlihan added.

“She works hard to make sure the shrinking voice of agriculture is heard loud and clear.”

2014 WPVGA President Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, presented President’s Awards to his daughters, Wendy Alsum-Dykstra and Heidi Alsum-Randall, as well as one to WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan.

Alsum commended his daughters for their active involvement in the industry and said it was through their efforts in keeping the family business running smoothly that allowed him the time to serve the industry as President. In presenting the award to Houlihan, Alsum said he showed great commitment to the industry, working as the Interim Executive Director for over four months

Wendy Alsum-Dykstra and Heidi Alsum-Randall while also continuing to serve as the Managing Editor/Communications Director.

Alsum thanked his daughters and Houlihan for “your commitment, leadership and service in business, family and our community.”

Special Industry Appreciation Awards were presented to Chris Brooks of Central Door Solutions, Plover; Glenn Carlson, former Agricultural Supervisor at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station; and Nick Somers of Plover River Farms, Stevens Point.

Brooks was elected as the President of the WPVGA Associate Division at the Associate Division Annual Meeting on Feb. 4, 2015. In 2014, he served as the Vice President and was very active in the industry, working at numerous Associate Division events as well as

serving on the WPVGA Promotions Committee.

“Chris gave tremendous contributions toward the Spudmobile project, and was instrumental in helping to launch this exciting, new promotional and educational vehicle for the Wisconsin potato industry,” stated Houlihan.

Brooks drove the RV back to Wisconsin from where it was purchased in Michigan; and later drove the newlycreated Spudmobile from Milwaukee to its debut event at the Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Stevens Point in August. He also drove it to several industry events when the WPVGA was relying on volunteers to drive the massive spud vehicle.

“Chris has really gone above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to supporting the Wisconsin potato

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 27

industry,” said Houlihan. “We are fortunate to have his contributions and he is a credit to the industry.”

Glenn Carlson recently retired after serving as the Agricultural Supervisor at the UW-Hancock Agricultural Research Station. He worked in various positions at the station for over 37 years.

Born and raised in Hancock, he is a 1975 graduate of Tri-County High School in Plainfield. He began work at the Hancock Research Station in 1976 as a Farm Laborer. He also held positions as a Facilities Repair Worker, Equipment Operator, Maintenance Mechanic and three levels of Automotive Technician.

As the Agricultural Supervisor, Carlson worked closely with the researchers at the station, helping to create plans for their field plots and making sure the plans work in the field.

Carlson currently resides in Rome, Wisconsin, where he is an avid sportsman. He coached Little League baseball for many years and is an officer in the Heart of Wisconsin Gun Club. He is a two-time Wisconsin state champion at trap shooting and enjoys duck hunting. He has two children and two grandchildren.

Nick Somers of Plover River Farms, Stevens Point, has a long history of leadership in the Wisconsin potato industry. Active at the local, state and national levels, Somers has served as President of the WPVGA, President of the WPIB, and President of the National Potato Council.

He Co-Chairs the WPVGA Water Task Force and has been the industry’s leader in working to preserve irrigation rights while practicing water conservation. He participates in the WPVGA Governmental Affairs Committee, the Research Committee and the Spud Bowl committee.

Glenn Carlson

Nick Somers

has been a tremendous help throughout the Spudmobile project, and was instrumental in taking that vehicle from Ad copy.pdf 1 2/14/2014 12:17:58 PM a concept2014 toPotato a reality.”

“Nick has endless energy and is always thinking and working for the betterment of the entire industry,” Houlihan said.

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“Nick has also made great contributions to the WPVGA Promotions Committee, including coming up with the idea of the Spudmobile,” said Houlihan. “He

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28 March 2015

WPVGA Annual Meeting: WPVGA Approves By-Laws Change to Allow Main Office Re-Location At the WPVGA Annual Meeting in Stevens Point on February 5, 2015, the membership approved an amendment to the WPVGA bylaws which will allow the main WPVGA office to be located in any potato growing region of Wisconsin.

The By-Laws change was approved by a vote of 41-16 at the Annual Meeting.

At its board meeting on December 23,

2014, the WPVGA board of directors passed a motion related to the support of a new project called the Little Plover River Conservancy Area. This is a large and far-reaching project that involves working with the Wisconsin DNR, the Wisconsin DOT and the Village of Plover on developing 140 acres of land near the Little Plover River into

a conservancy, along with creating an agricultural education center and a potential new home for the WPVGA office.

The WPVGA Finance and Administration Committee will continue to meet and look more closely at all aspects of this proposed project.

Wallendal Elected WPVGA Board President for 2015 At a brief meeting held immediately following the WPVGA Annual Meeting on February 5 in Stevens Point, the WPVGA board of directors elected Andy Wallendal of Wallendal Supply, Grand Marsh, as its President for 2015.

Wallendal, the WPVGA representative At Large, succeeds Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland,

who served as Board President in 2014.

Mark Finnessy of Okray Family Farms, Plover (District 2) was elected Vice President; Eric Schroeder of Schroeder Bros. Farms, Inc., Antigo (District 1) was elected Secretary; and Josh Mattek of J.W. Mattek & Sons, Inc., Deerbrook (District 1) was reelected as Treasurer.

In addition to the four board officers, the

rest of the WPVGA Board of Directors includes: Larry Alsum (District 3), who remains on the board; Steve Diercks of Coloma Farms, Coloma (District 2); Ron Krueger of Felix Zeloski Farms, Eagle River (District 1); Jeremie Pavelski of Heartland Farms, Inc., Hancock (District 3); and Gary Wysocki of Wysocki Produce Farm, Bancroft (District 2).

WPVGA board members for 2015 include (L-R): Jeremie Pavelski, Eric Schroeder (Secretary), Mark Finnessy (Vice President), Andy Wallendal (President), Josh Mattek (Treasurer), Larry Alsum and Steve Diercks. Not pictured are Ron Krueger and Gary Wysocki.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 29

WPVGA Associate Division Board Elects Brooks President for 2015 The WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors elected Chris Brooks of Central Door Solutions, Plover to be its President for 2015.

Brooks replaces Eugene Mancl of Ron’s Refrigeration, Wisconsin Rapids, who completed his second term on the Associate Division board. The rest of the officers for 2015 include: Wayne Solinsky of Jay-Mar, Inc., Plover (Vice President); Steve Bohm of Wisconsin Public Service, Green Bay (Secretary); and Zach Mykisen of Big Iron Equipment, Plover (Treasurer).

Solinsky and Bohm were incumbent Associate Division board members who were re-elected to the board for their second terms.

Newcomers elected to the board were Cathy Schommer of Badgerland Financial, Baraboo, and Joel Zalewski of Frontier-Servco FS, Antigo. They were elected to replace Mancl and Paul Cieslewicz of Sand County Equipment, Bancroft, who completed their second terms on the board. The other WPVGA Associate

The 2015 WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors includes: Front row (L-R) President Chris Brooks, Vice President Wayne Solinsky, Secretary Steve Bohm and Treasurer Zach Mykisen; Back row (L-R) Cathy Schommer, Butch Fencil, Joel Zalewski and Sally Suprise.

Division Board members include Butch Fencil of Fencil Urethane Systems,

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30 March 2015

Tasteful Selections Offers

Big Opportunities Specialty potato company to open new packaging facility in California The newest Tasteful Selections marketing campaign, “Small potatoes.

Big opportunities.”, kicked off in February with “Small potatoes. Big sales.” The goal of the campaign is to educate current and future customers alike about the benefits of carrying the Tasteful Selections product line and how Tasteful Selections is continuing to lead innovation in the potato category.

The campaign ties in with the official opening of the new Tasteful Selections packaging facility near Bakersfield, California. The 200,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility is completely dedicated to the storage, grading and

packaging Tasteful Selections specialty potatoes.

The “Small potatoes. Big opportunities.” campaign will continue through March, with additional topics following “Big sales.” The campaign will conclude with the Tasteful Selections facility’s grand opening event in March. RPE will host a day for trade media on March 18 and another for food bloggers to follow, with private tours for retailers throughout the month. More details about the other phases of the campaign and the grand opening will be announced in the coming weeks.

The newest addition to the Tasteful

Selections line, organic baby potatoes, addresses the needs of consumers in a segment of the category that has grown year after year, up 44.2 percent in dollars and 35.3 percent in volume. The new Bakersfield facility is designed to fit the processing and packaging needs of both organic and conventional specialty potatoes. Stay tuned for more additions to the Tasteful Selections line later in 2015.

The number one selling brand in the petite and specialty potato categories, Tasteful Selections is sold in 52.9 percent of stores across America. Tasteful Selections is the leader in growth in the specialty potato category. While petite and specialty potatoes grew 13 percent in sales over the previous year, Tasteful Selections’ sales increased 17 percent. With the opening of this new facility, Tasteful Selections is beginning a new era in specialty and petite potatoes, which they hope to share with customers and consumers alike.

Tasteful Selections LLC is a joint venture of RPE, CSS Farms and Plover River Farms Alliance Inc. They are a vertically integrated grower, shipper, marketer of premium specialty potatoes with unique attributes for size and flavor.

Tasteful Selections offers a full line of organic baby potatoes.

RPE, a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/ shipper of year-round potatoes and onions. RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions.

What’s Cookin’

by Gerri Okray

The following are some recipe submissions from potato industry folks.

Try them and enjoy!

Lyonnaise Salad with Roasted & Smashed Red Potatoes Ingredients: 4 Small red Wisconsin potatoes 1 Medium head curly endive (Or, any green you prefer, although spicy greens such

as endive or frisée work best with this recipe.)

3 Tbs. Extra-virgin olive oil 2-3 Tbs. Olive oil for the potatoes 3 Pieces sliced bacon cut crosswise into ¼" strips

Begin by preparing the potatoes. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Place tender potatoes on a cookie sheet drizzled with olive oil. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Bake in 450° degree oven, 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

While potatoes bake, prepare the greens. Tear the endive into pieces (or greens of your choice) and place in a large bowl.

1 tsp.

Minced shallot 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard 2 Tbs. White vinegar 2 Eggs

Salt & pepper to taste

For the dressing, heat two tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook and stir until crisp. Add shallot and cook for about two minutes until softened. Add mustard, vinegar and remaining tablespoon of olive oil; stir together. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, poach the eggs. In a small saucepan, bring an inch a half of salted water to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Bubbles should break the surface of the water but the water should not be a rolling boil. Gently crack the eggs, one by one, and slip them into the water, taking care not to break the yolks. Reduce heat to low

Mashed Potato Candy The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary gave these yummy candies away at their booth at the 2015 WPVGA Industry Show.

Yield: 5 dozen Prep: 20 minutes Ready: 20 minutes Cook: 90 minutes

and cook the eggs until the whites are set, about 3-5 minutes. Lift each egg out with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.

If your dressing has cooled, reheat it briefly. Pour dressing over greens and toss to coat. Divide dressed greens between two serving plates, place two smashed potatoes on top of the greens and then top each serving plate with an egg. Season to taste with salt and pepper Submitted By: Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board Yield: 12 Prep: 30 minutes Ready: 60 minutes Cook: 30 minutes

Portage County Potato Bake Submitted By: Ruth Faivre, Managing Editor, Badger Common’Tater Yield: 12 Prep: 30 minutes Ready: 2 hours Cook: 90 minutes Ingredients: 6 large Red potatoes, pared 6 large Carrots, pared Parboil each about 20 minutes to soften.

Drain, cool and slice in thin slices.

Meat Sauce: 2 lbs. Ground chuck or sweet Italian sausage 2 Garlic cloves, diced and

Ingredients: 3/4 cup Mashed Wisconsin potatoes, unsalted

16oz. pkg.

16oz. pkg.

1 tsp.

Flaked coconut Sifted powdered sugar Vanilla

First, combine powdered sugar and coconut. Then, add the potatoes. It is a little hard to mix but all at once, it starts to blend more readily. Roll into small balls, about 1-½ inches in diameter. Place on wax-paper covered tray. Chill one hour.

Chocolate Coating: 2 cups Chocolate chips

1/3 bar 4 squares

Paraffin Unsweetened chocolate

Melt in top of double boiler and stir until smooth. Dip balls in chocolate mixture to coat. Keep the mixture warm over the hot water. Otherwise, it will thicken and harden.

(Hint: Use a bamboo skewer to poke the balls and dip them into the chocolate.) Keep in airtight container and store in refrigerator. Makes about 5 dozen candies.

browned in 4 tbs olive oil 2 Tbs. Unsalted butter 1 large Onion, chopped 5 cloves Garlic, finely chopped 2 lbs.

Ground chuck 3 stalks Finely chopped celery 1 tsp.

Salt ½ tsp. Black pepper 28 oz. Can diced tomatoes, drained (2)15 oz. Cans golden sweet corn, drained

Pour olive oil in large frying pan. Brown garlic, onions, celery and hamburger. Add drained tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the meat filling until about a cup of liquid is left in the pan to make a saucy filling. Coat a 13 x 9 large baking dish with butter or spray with Pam. Layer the bottom of the dish with potato slices, then spoon the meat filling over them. Sprinkle half the carrots and one can of corn over the meat filling. Repeat this process and end up with a final layer of potatoes on top.

Cream Sauce: ½ cup (1 stick) butter 2 Tbs. cornstarch 2 cups milk ½ tsp. salt & pepper

½ tsp.

8 large 1 tsp.

8 oz.

cream of tartar eggs, slightly beaten dry mustard shredded cheddar cheese

Mix cornstarch and cold milk. Melt butter in a small saucepan; add cornstarch/milk mixture slowly. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil one minute. Add spices and stir in eggs. Remove from heat. Pour slowly over top of last layer of potatoes, letting the cream sauce work its way through the layers. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar.

Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, 1-1/2 hours.

Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. It is even better as leftovers!

32 March 2015

Auxiliary News

by Paula Houlihan, Vice President, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary

Congratulations to WPVGA Volunteer of the Year Kathy Bartsch

Auxiliary President Jacquie Wille presented the award at the industry’s annual awards banquet held February 4, 2015 in Stevens Point.

“Kathy does a great job leading the Kids Dig Harvest Parties that are held at selected schools,” noted Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary President Jacquie Wille. “She also volunteers at numerous industry events, including the School Nutrition Association Conference, the WPS Farm Show, the Wisconsin State Fair, the Feed My Starving Children Mobile Packing event, and others.”

A long-time member of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors, Bartsch continues to serve the Auxiliary by chairing and coordinating the Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes program, which teaches grade school children all about potatoes while growing them in the classroom.

Kathy also serves on the WPVGA Promotions Committee. She was the WPVGA Potato Industry Woman of the Year in 2006. She and her husband, Steve, own and operate Bartsch Farms in Coloma, Wisconsin. Congratulations, Kathy! The Auxiliary is very proud of your accomplishment.

The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary is very proud to report that active WPGA member and former board member Kathy Bartsch of Bartsch Farms, Coloma, was honored as the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year.

Kathy Bartsch (left) receives the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year Award from Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary President Jacquie Wille.

Auxiliary Promotes Potatoes at WPVGA Industry Show The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary sponsored a booth at the WPVGA Industry Show held February 3-4, 2015 at the Holiday Inn, Stevens Point. In addition to promoting the upcoming Feed My Starving Children mobile packing event (June 20, 2015), the Auxiliary conducted a contest asking how many miles the Spudmobile has put on thus far. Out of the many entries submitted, the winner was Jeff Suchon, who was closest to the correct answer of 4,793 miles. Jeff received a $50 gift card.

The Auxiliary also handed out Mashed Potato Balls at their booth. Check out the What’s Cookin’ column in this issue of the Common’Tater for that recipe.

Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary board members (L-R) Ali Carter, Patty Hafner and Jacquie Wille are pictured at the booth at the WPVGA Industry Show held Feb. 3-4, 2015 in Stevens Point. Kathy Bartsch, Paula Houlihan, Lynn Isherwood and Sheila Rine also helped out at the Show.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 33

Potato Board News USDA Names Members to the United States Potato Board On Wednesday, January 21, 2014, United States Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack appointed/ reappointed 33 grower members to serve on the United States Potato Board (USPB) for three-year terms beginning March 1, 2015, and ending February 28, 2018.

Wada, Idaho Falls, ID; Lynn Wilcox, Rexburg, ID; Shari Kitchen, Elmira, MI; Eric James, Elizabeth City, NC; Michael Brooks, Elmer, NJ; Laura Huddle, Napoleon, OH; Lon Baley, Merrill, OR; and Douglas Poe, Connell, WA.

In 2012, the USDA challenged the USPB to develop a plan to communicate all USPB programs and opportunities to all growers in the United States, and specifically to solicit interest in USPB membership and representation from minor producing states, or states previously represented by assigned proxy states on the USPB. Some of these states had previously been represented, but had since lost their own direct representation on the USPB due, predominantly, to years of steady industry attrition in these production regions.

Authorized under the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act, the National Potato Promotion Board (dba United States Potato Board) is composed of growers, importers and a public member appointed by the Secretary.

Grower members are nominated at state and local grower meetings and by mail ballot. Each state is entitled to at least one producer member, and additional members are allotted on the basis of the volume of production. Importer members are nominated by importers, and the number of members—up to a maximum of five—is related to the

The complete list of newly appointed USPB members are: Segundo Diaz, Alamosa, CO; Jeremy Arnold, Felt, ID; Kent Bitter, Shelley, ID; Jeff Harper, Mountain Home, ID; Dan Moss, Declo, ID; Dirk Parkinson, St. Anthony, ID; Kyle Lennard, Howe, IN; Jeff Edling, Becker, MN; Gary H. Gray, Clear Lake, MN; Leon J. Hapka, Argyle, MN; Chris Hansen, Bliss, NY; Jeff VanRay, Pingree, ND; Kyle Slagell, Hyrdo, OK; Tyler Young, Little Compton, RI; E. Phillip Hickman, Jr., Horntown, VA; Jody Bailie, Mesa, WA; Molly Connors, Richland, WA; Randi R. Hammer, Pasco, WA; and Heidi Alsum-Randall, Cambria, WI. Members reappointed to the USPB are: Dewey Crane, King Hill, ID; Jared Fielding, Shelley, ID; Brian Jones, Rupert, ID; Rick Likes, Shelley, ID; Alex Tiede, American Falls, ID; Chris

Marilyn Freeman Dolan, Atwater, CA, was appointed as the public member.

volume of imports.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides board oversight, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders, in accordance with the 1971 Potato Research and Promotion Act. The program is administered by board members, who are selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966.

Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers, establishing a framework for them to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities.

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34 March 2015

People Carter Receives Potato Putter Award Mike Carter, CEO of Bushmans’, Inc., Rosholt, received the distinguished Potato Putter Award at the WPVGA Grower Education Conference and Trade Show in Stevens Point in February. Carter has been a Wisconsin representative on the United States Potato Board for the past six years, including serving the past three years on the USPB Executive Committee while Co-Chairing the Domestic Marketing Committee. He also serves on the WPVGA Governmental Affairs committee, participates at Water Task Force meetings and has been instrumental

in helping the WPVGA update its annual Resolutions. He also spearheads the now annual Feed My Starving Children mobile packing events. The Potato Putter Award is an annual honor presented by Bushmans’, Inc. to the individual who has done the most “putting around” for the betterment of the Wisconsin potato industry. Established by Bushmans’ Inc. founder, Jerry Bushman, and awarded in consultation with the WPVGA, this year’s award stayed in-house for the first time ever, as Carter was clearly the best candidate for the award.

Mike Carter

Jim Fassbender of Seidl Farms Passes Away Jim Fassbender of Bryant, died Friday, February 13, 2015 at home with his family at his side. He was 57 years old.

daughters, Ashley (Mike) Darr, Bryant; and Stephanie Fassbender, a student at UW-La Crosse; three sons, Scott (Brittney) Fassbender, Suamico; Jeff (Aly) Fassbender, Deerbrook; and Ryan Fassbender, a student at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton; two grandchildren, Will Darr and Luella Fassbender (and two more expected later this year); four sisters, Kathy (Leon) Antoniewicz, Schofield, Pat (Gary) Benes, Lewistown, MT, Barb (Jim) Honzik, Pickerel, and Piper (Tom) Desy, Escanaba, MI; two brothers, Robert (Candy) Fassbender, Star Neva, and Jerry Fassbender, Antigo; his father and mother-in-law, Frank and Irene Seidl, Pickerel; and brother-in-law, Art (Gay) Seidl, Neva.

He was born on June 12, 1957 in Antigo, a son of Kenneth and JoAnn (Csuy) Fassbender. He married Peggy Seidl on June 25, 1983 at St. Wencel Catholic Church in Neva. She survives.

He was a 1976 graduate of Antigo High School where he played on the football team.

As a young man he worked for Frank Seidl on his potato farm in the town of Neva. Jim later became co-owner of Seidl Farms, Inc. with his brother-in-law, Art Seidl.

He was a member of St. Wencel Catholic Church, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, and the Bryant Ridge Runners Snowmobile Club.

His hobbies included hunting, fishing, trapping and camping.

He made his wife, children and grandchildren his priority. He could frequently be found supporting his

Jim Fassbender children at their sporting events and capturing their accomplishments on camera.

Survivors including his wife are two

He was preceded in death by his parents.

A funeral Mass was held on February 17 at St. Wencel Catholic Church, Neva with Rev. David Schmidt officiating.

Burial took place in the parish cemetery.

Bradley Funeral Home of Antigo handled the arrangements.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 35

Irene Gagas Passes Away Irene M. Gagas, age 80 of Stevens Point, died February 11, 2015, at Ministry St. Joseph Hospital in Marshfield. Irene was born on October 23, 1934, in the town of Stockton. She was the daughter of the late Frank & Bertha (Waisbrot) Repinski.

Irene graduated from St. Joseph’s Academy High School in 1953. Her marriage to Donald Gagas took place on October 2, 1954 at St. Peter Catholic Church. After their marriage, the couple settled on the family farm in the town of Sharon and farmed for 60 years. She was a lifetime member of the Sacred Heart Rosary Society Rose #8 and also served as past president.

Irene was famous for her apple pies, baking and canning the garden’s bounty.

She actively participated in all the farming activities, but her favorite was driving the tractor for baling hay. At the age of 80 Irene continued to do the farm bookkeeping without a computer. She also liked to patrol the farming activities in her golf cart.

Irene received many awards including the Distinguished Service Award/Portage County Holstein in 1986, Farm Woman of the Year (WPVGA) in 1999, Diocese of La Crosse Strangers and Guests Award in 2013 and Portage County Pioneer Women in 2014.

She was also very active in June Dairy Days, the WPVGA, and was Chair of the Sacred Heart picnic food stand for over 30 years.

Survivors include her husband, Donald Gagas of Stevens Point; children, Gene (special friend Brenda) of Rosholt, Clifford (Carole) of Custer, Marilyn (Jack) Wierzba of Rosholt, Patricia (John) Kleman of Stevens Point, Carol (John) Wanserski of Madison and Dale (Trudy) of Penrose, CO. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Barb Gagas.

Mass of Christian Burial took place on February 16, 2015, at Sacred Heart

Irene Gagas Catholic Church in Polonia with the Rev. Gregory Michaud and Rev. Marcin Mankowski officiating. Burial followed in the parish cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorials in Irene’s name will be established at a later date.

Pisarski Funeral Home was honored to serve the family. For online condolences please visit pisarskifuneralhome.com

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36 March 2015

Seed Piece Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association

56th Annual Meeting • January 28, 2015 • Antigo, WI  Dr. Amy Charkowski, Administrative Director of the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program (WSPCP), presents an overview of the seed program at the WSPIA Annual Meeting held January 28 in Antigo. Charkowski said in Wisconsin, PVY causes over 90% of seed potato rejections due to disease. She said yellow varieties are the most susceptible, and certified seed lots from some regions have very high levels of PVY. Certified seed from WI, NY, ME and MI has 5% or less PVY incidence; certified seed from CO has 8% or less PVY; but certified seed for planting on commercial farms from other seed producing states may have any PVY incidence and still be certified for planting onto a non-seed farm.

 State Farm Manager Keith Heinzen provides updates on the Lelah Starks Elite Foundation Seed Potato Farm. According to Heinzen, the State Farm harvested one of its largest crops ever in 2014, producing 29,078 cwt. from 91.4 acres for an average yield of 318 cwt./acre. Heinzen reported that the top ten varieties requested by growers for 2015 are: Snowden, Atlantic, Dark Red Norland, Silverton, Goldrush, Lamoka, Russet Norkotah CO8, Red Norland, Superior and Pike. For the 2015 State Farm Crop Year, growers have requested 45 different varieties.

 WSPCP Program Director Alex Crockford provides information on the program budget and current issues affecting the seed potato industry.

Crockford said that UW CALS approved funding a building project at the State Farm in Rhinelander. There are $280,000 in funds available and the building will be designated as a steel framed/steel lined storage building with loading and garage doors. With regard to the SpudPro program, Crockford said there are solid requests for the new varieties Oneida Gold and Red Endeavor. There is also good interest in the upcoming release of new chippers (W5955 and W6609) as well as an upcoming red (W8405).

 Rick Hafner, Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program (WSPCP) Senior Inspector, discusses the winter test results which were held in Hawaii for the second year. Hafner reported that there was excellent symptom expression in Hawaii and that the plot turned out very well.

He said the levels of virus were down compared to the previous year. Out of 306 lots inspected, 73% made foundation and another 26% were certified, with 1% (3) of the lots rejected.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 37

 Art Seidl was the winner of the drawing for a Lenco Harvester toy collectible.

WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES New grading line!

Accurate sizing to meet your needs!

 WSPIA Board member Eric Schroeder (left) presents Andy Merry of Crop Care of Langlade County, LLC, Antigo, with the Wisconsin Seed Potato Industry Leadership Award for his outstanding service and leadership in the seed potato industry over the past year. continued on pg. 38

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38 March 2015 Seed Piece . . .

continued from pg. 37

 Current WSPIA President Ron Krueger was appointed to serve a special one-year term on the board of directors to complete the term vacated by Dan Hafner.

 Dr. Jed Colquhoun of the UW Dept. of Horticulture gives a presentation on the implications of off-target herbicides in seed potatoes. Colquhoun says that tank mix “cocktails” complicate matters, and that glyphosate affects seed crops.

According to University of Idaho research, glyphosate exposure at hooking or tuber initiation reduced mother plant yield up to 37%; at mid-bulking, daughter tuber emergence was reduced by 80%. To avoid these situations, Colquhoun says to communicate with neighbors, custom applicators, dealers, etc. when planning nearby herbicide programs and to use drift reduction strategies. He added that growers should consider using dedicated spray equipment for agronomic OR potato seed crops.

 WSPIA board members (L - R) Charlie Mattek, Bill Guenthner and Eric Schroeder review financial statements at the Annual Meeting.

 Dan Kakes of Kakes Farms, Antigo, was elected to the 2015 WSPIA board. He will serve a five-year term.

 WSPIA Vice President Dan Hafner was recognized for his service on the WSPIA board.

 Dr. Amanda Gevens of the UW Plant Pathology Dept. provides an update on issues of concern to the seed potato industry. Regarding late blight, Gevens said that as in previous years, the UWEX Vegetable Pathology Blitecast tool provided timely information to growers to aid in preventative disease management. Late blight was not detected in the seed producing region of Langlade County last year. However, late blight has already been found in southwest Florida in January of 2015. Gevens says prevention is the key to late blight management, as even the most curative fungicides cannot shut down late blight infections if they have had approximately three days to establish. She says to initiate protective sprays when Blitecast disease forecasting indicates risk (Disease Severity Level of 18).

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 39

WSPIA President Ron Krueger.

 WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan explains current issues facing the potato and vegetable industry.

Houlihan said the most critical issue right now concerns high capacity well permits along with water and irrigation rights. He added that much work has been done on the new Implement of Husbandry rules, with large potato harvesters exempted from strict regulation; however, the permitting process can be cumbersome, and the WPVGA is working to resolve the permit issues. Houlihan also touched on a number of other issues including: the Agricultural Producer Security Law (which has been drawn down due to the Allen Canning bankruptcy); an increase

The WSPIA offers a sincere

“Thank You” to the following who helped make this year’s Annual Meeting a great success:

in the WPVGA’s advertising and public relations efforts to tell the positive story about agriculture; and along with that, the recent launch of the Spudmobile educational and promotional vehicle.

PREMIER DINNER SPONSOR: Bayer CropScience AMVAC Chemicals Ag Source BASF Big Iron Equipment, Inc. Bio-Gro BMO Harris Bank CoVantage Credit Union Crop Care of Langlade County Dow Agrosciences DuPont Frontier - Servco FS Great Lakes Agri Service Jay-Mar, Inc. McCormick-Klessig & Assoc.

Monsanto Company

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40 March 2015

New Products Allied Coop Offers New Technologies to Boost Ag Productivity

Allied Coop has added two new GVMs to its fleet which are capable of variable rate application of two products at once.

Allied Cooperative announces that they have several new technologies available to help growers optimize the productivity of their land in the upcoming growing season. These technologies include: • Fusion Box VRT (variable rate technology) fertilizer spreading equipment -- Allied has added two new GVMs to its fleet which are capable of variable rate application of two products at once.

Varying the application of inputs can reduce input and labor costs, maximize productivity, and reduces the impact over-application may have on the environment.

• Ag Technology Equipment sales -Allied Cooperative has partnered with Precision Planting and Ag Leader to provide area growers with cutting edge technology equipment.

• Multi-variable Analysis to better manage crop inputs. The company can

now use different layers of information to make recommendations, instead of just one layer.

• Cloud-based Software Systems – One of the most important tools Allied now offers are cloud-based software systems which allow the customer to interface with their information. This technology allows everyone from dispatchers, delivery staff, agronomy advisors and customers to share field information instantaneously, 24-7.

This allows for more accurate delivery of goods and services, and allows for a more efficient use of data collected in the field.

• Smart Sampling – Allied Cooperative has the ability to set up a georeferenced soil sampling program with specific sampling targets based upon another layer of information, such as Veris data, Soil types, Yield information, or in-season imagery.

• Active/Passive Nematode Test – Allied Cooperative’s Pest Pros labs provide an improved methodology that targets dormant nematode populations.

These populations can be present very early or late in the growing season and can be missed by a standard nematode test.

For more information on these or any of Allied Cooperative’s products or services contact Allied Cooperative at (608) 3393698 or visit them on the web at www. allied.coop.

Allied Cooperative is a $225 million cooperative with services ranging from agronomy, feed and grain to LP and refined fuels to auto parts, hardware, tires and convenience stores. Allied Cooperative has locations in Adams, Arcadia, Blair, Galesville, Mauston, Melrose, Mindoro, Plainfield, Plover, Tomah, West Salem, Wisconsin Dells and Wisconsin Rapids.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 41

NPC News IOM Report Favors Potatoes in WIC Program The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report in February that is the first in a series to evaluate the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The report recommended that USDA allow fresh white potatoes to be an eligible vegetable for purchase using the WIC Cash Value Voucher. This change reversed previous IOM recommendations based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) and makes the

fresh white potato recommendation in the WIC food packages consistent with the current 2010 DGA. The report noted that women and children in WIC are now consuming only 64 and 56 percent, respectively, of the amount of starchy vegetables recommended by the 2010 DGA. Based on a review of consumption data from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the committee highlighted the low intake by WIC participants of potassium and fiber, identified as nutrients of concern in both

the 2005 and 2010 DGAs. The report highlighted the ability of white potatoes to provide these nutrients at low cost, consistent with other starchy vegetables with similar nutrient profiles already eligible for purchase with WIC Vouchers.

The National Potato Council applauds the review conducted by the IOM on the role of white potatoes in meeting the nutritional needs of WIC mothers and children. Fresh white potatoes allow WIC participants to affordably add fiber and potassium to their diets and increase the positive value of their vouchers.

Schroeder Bros. Farms, Inc.

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42 March 2015

WPIB Focus Nominations Accepted for WPIB Director Positions Nominations are now being accepted for Wisconsin Potato Industry Board director positions in Districts 1, 2 and 3.

Current directors whose terms expire on June 30, 2015 include: John T. Schroeder (District 1); Donald “Justin� Isherwood (District 2); and John Bobek (District 3).

All directors are eligible to serve again.

You must be an affected producer to run for a director position, which means you have grown and sold potatoes into commercial channels within the last three years and reside in District 1, 2 or 3.

Nomination forms can be found at DATCP. wi.gov (click on Business, then Market Orders & Boards, and then Potato). You can also call 608-224-5116 or email Stacy

Ashby at the following email address stacie.ashby@wisconsin.gov to request a traditional paper nomination. When requesting a nomination form, you will need to provide your name, address, and district number.

To run for the WPIB director position, please print a nomination form, have it signed by five affected producers in your district and notarized. Notarized nomination forms must be mailed in hard copy by April 1st, 2015. It cannot be scanned and emailed, as the notarization must be verified.

Elections will be held May 15, 2015 - June 10, 2015. You must also be an affected producer to vote in the election. Ballots

will be mailed prior to the start of the voting period on May 15th. If you would prefer to vote electronically, links to e-ballots will be on the DATCP website under the Business tab, then Market Orders & Boards, then Potato. This link will be posted at the start of the election period as well. Please choose only one method (paper or e-ballot). Paper ballots that replicate an e-ballot will be invalid.

Both the nomination form and paper ballot may be returned by United States Postal Service to Market Orders Program, 2811 Agriculture Dr., Madison, WI 53708.

Signed ballots can also be scanned/ returned by email to stacie.ashby@ wisconsin.gov.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 43

Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison Month

Jul-13

Aug-13

Sep-13

CWT

1,245,187.84

561,590.05

991,078.83 3,114,438.10 2,627,700.74 2,160,770.84 1,872,969.27

12,573,735.67

$74,679.68

$33,695.37

$59,464.80 $186,867.82 $157,665.35 $129,645.84 $112,268.32

$754,287.18

Month

Jul-14

Aug-14

Sep-14

CWT

1,618,594.66

Assessment

Assessment

$97,295.75

Oct-13

Oct-14

Nov-13

Nov-14

Dec-13

Dec-14

Jan-14

Jan-15

584,167.62 1,071,362.65 3,145,808.22 2,930,799.68 2,055,822.91 1,632,134.39 $35,049.99

$64,101.70 $188,748.83 $175,821.97 $123,346.96

$97,909.10

Feb-14

Feb-15

Mar-14

Mar-15

Apr-14

Apr-15

May-14

May-15

Jun-14

Jun-15

Year-to-Date

Year-to-Date 13,038,690.13 $782,274.30

44 March 2015

Marketplace

By Dana Rady WPVGA Director of Promotions and Consumer Education

2015 Food Safety Training Scheduled Once again, Wisconsin’s potato and vegetable industry has the opportunity to stay proactive with their food safety audits as WPVGA offers food safety training classes for yet another year.

Attending these training sessions is beneficial for growers on multiple levels. They assist in a better understanding of the audit process as well as properly preparing for the audit, which includes the most convenient ways to keep accurate records and detailed documentation.

Furthermore, the training is structured to be applicable for several audit scheme

levels. The Harmonized Standard training is perfect for growers getting their foot in the food safety arena. It’s also the recommended scheme for organizations that currently have been conducting a USDA GAP audit.

For growers needing a globallyaccepted audit, the Primus GFS training will provide the information necessary for a high score.

WPVGA recommends HACCP Certification for all growers as it greatly helps with the risk assessment at each organization and can also be beneficial in documenting food safety plans, while

providing a qualified individual on site (new requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act).

While going from no audit on file to a globally-accepted scheme is extremely difficult, it’s not impossible with commitment and diligence. However, due to the complexity of this drastic step, WPVGA strongly advises growers to get involved early (even if food safety audits aren’t currently being required of you) and take baby steps to accomplishing your customer’s stated goals, as well as keeping your markets open.

IN THE FAMILY. IN THE BLOOD. When the second generation of Kaiser Family Farm approached Ruder Ware on leaving the farm to their sons, our experienced team of ag attorneys knew where to begin, and how much a smooth transition meant to them. We know that farms are highly specialized businesses requiring careful planning to minimize potential disagreements and “surprises.” But we also know that to some, a farm is more than just a business. It’s a treasure and a tradition.

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THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 45

Dates and fees for the 2015 training are as follows: Primus GFS - March 2, 3 and 4, 2015 (3 day class) Fee: $165 total per person 9am-5pm (includes 1 hour lunch break) HACCP Certification (Required attendance on both days for certification) - March 5 and 6, 2015 Fee: $100 total per person 9am-5pm (includes 1 hour lunch break) Harmonized Standard Session 1 - March 10, 2015 No fee 9am-5pm (includes 1 hour lunch break) Harmonized Standard Session 2 (Same info presented as in session 1) - March 11, 2015 No fee 9am-5pm (includes 1 hour lunch break) The above prices include lunch, breaks and booklets. All classes are being held at the Grand Lodge Waterpark Resort in Rothschild (805 Creske Ave. Phone: 715-241-6300). Attendees are responsible for their own hotel accommodations. WPVGA has a block of rooms reserved for each class at lowered rate.

Spudmobile Meets Potato Industry at Grower Education Conference and Industry Show For the first time since its debut at Portage County’s Farm Tech Days in August 2014, the Spudmobile has officially met potato growers while visiting the WPVGA Grower Education Conference and Industry Show in Stevens Point in early February.

Stationed outside, but in front of windows near several exhibitors, it was hard to miss the 37.5 foot vehicle screaming Wisconsin potatoes and sharing all the benefits they naturally offer. While attending seminars and visiting exhibits on the trade show floor, Grower Ed attendees also took time to see their promotional dollars at work.

It was also a fantastic way to showcase

The Spudmobile sits outside the Stevens Point Holiday Inn at the WPVGA Grower Education Conference and Industry Show held Feb. 3-5, 2015. the finished project considering that WPVGA had received an accepted offer on a purchase price to buy the RV during the 2014 Industry Show.

WPVGA looks forward to the summer

months when the Spudmobile will hit the road full throttle, visiting retail stores, schools, and community events, to name a few. So keep your eyes peeled and visit www.wisconsinspudmobile. com to visit it at an event near you!

FERTILIZER/CHEMICALS BULK FUEL/SEED

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VISIT US:

2311 Clermont St, Antigo, WI (715)627-4844 / (800) 807-9900 Agronomy: Bill Page, x114 or Pat Prasalowicz, x113 Fuels/Lubes: Dan Wickersheim, x106

OR, CALL THESE LOCATIONS:

Amherst Junction (715) 824-3151 Wautoma (920) 787-3307 Wisconsin Rapids (715)423-6280

46 March 2015

…And Now For the News United Coop Holds Annual Meeting

The United Potato Growers Cooperative of Wisconsin held its annual meeting on January 27, 2015 in Plover. Jerry Wright, CEO of United Potato Growers of America provided a recap of the Potato Business Summit held at Potato Expo in Orlando in January. Wright says the trend on fresh potato shipments is a steady decline, but that decline is leveling out due to the strong growth of reds, yellows, fingerlings and petites. He added that regional or local supplies have a greater impact on pricing and returns than national supply, and that success depends on a local/regional balanced supply.

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United Potato Growers of Wisconsin Director Chris Malek addresses growers at the annual meeting. Malek announced that he will be moving out of state and thus resigning his position as Director at the end of March, 2015. The UPGW has approached the WPVGA with an offer to contract for Director services. Malek also reported that Brian Bushman of Bushman’s Riverside Ranch was reelected President of the Coop for 2015, along with Vice Chair Jim Okray of Okray Family Farms and Secretary/Treasurer Randy Cherney of Plover River Farms.

Cliff Gagas of Gagas Farms and Scott Parr of Wagner Farms were also reelected to the UPGW board. JD Schroeder of Schroeder Bros. Farms was elected as a board member and the United of America Primary Delegate, replacing Tyler Hegewald of Bushman Associates. Jim Okray will serve as the United of America Alternate Delegate.

THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 47

Three More Idaho Fields Show PCN Detects Officials with Idaho’s pale cyst nematode eradication program say they’ve discovered three more infested fields totaling 994 acres since October, including two fields that had previously been deregulated from the program.

testing methods that are now standard practice in the program. Gresham said PCN was also found in a 150-acre field that had been under regulation since 2012 due to associations with known infested fields.

Tina Gresham, PCN program coordinator with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said infestations in a 77-acre field and a 140-acre field were detected as part of a cooperative monitoring effort by APHIS and the Idaho State Department of Agriculture.

Gresham said the program released 2,094 acres under regulation for associations with infested fields on Dec. 29, following a sequence of surveys with negative laboratory tests for PCN.

She said those deregulated fields were reinspected using more precise soil-

With the changes, the program now regulates 7,734 acres, including 26 infested fields encompassing 2,897 acres.

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48 March 2015

The Tater Bin

by Justin Isherwood

Justin Isherwood and his wife, Lynn, are potato growers from Plover, Wisconsin.

By Archangels and Prayer Before wire feed, before TIG and MIG, it was arc; farm repair was available through archangels, or alternatively arcwelders, prayer mattered in both cases.

A lot has been said of agricultural inventions whose consequence changed the face of agriculture, in turn changed the landscape, we know the list: tractors, silos, hay balers, vacuum milkers, REA (Rural Electrification Administration), potato diggers, reverse hydraulic pumps, center pivots,

four-wheel drive, cabs, cell phones, computers. Jerk air conditioning out of any modern tractor and agriculture as we know it would collapse before the day is out.

My grandfather George believed that list to be corruptive, if not immoral; he was a horseman. For whom there was no day so glorious in all agriculture as a day behind a pair of handles following a flight of Clydes or Percherons or Belgians. He meant rapture in the

Biblical sense. My grandfather’s definition of deliverance was to follow a furrow rolling over as smooth as silk lingerie, the earth rising up reeking and aromatic munificence to swell his heart. This, my grandfather believed, no tractor could duplicate.

In this list of inventions, most farmers do not mention the arc welder as a gamechanger kind of agricultural apparatus.

There was an interval in early chapters of REA when the arc welder was a rare

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THE BADGER COMMON’TATER 49

find on the farm. The device was widely believed proof of the dark arts, same as eating chicken with the feathers attached. Arc welders were on the same order as satan worship. To recollect that scene in Lord of the Rings where the ring is formed out of the earth’s bowels and duly connected to the powers of middle earth. In some minds, way too close to hell.

My dad had an arc welder the year REA arrived. The other items on his list were: vacuum milker pump, 110 volt water pump, three electric lights for the barn, one electric light in the house.

Seems the house was down on the list.

The arc welder was installed before indoor arrived, dad had his priorities.

Since that day an arc welder has been at the center of the shop, malevolently humming the way arc welders do, same as demigods and satanic rituals.

The arc welder on the farm spelled out a critical difference in management, budget and economics, if perhaps most of all, creativity. This melancholy device was the difference between replacing a broken bit and repairing it, depending on how expensive the bit.

The prospect of this shortcut to genuine farm prosperity ought have gained the arc welder first-chair recognition on every farm; such was not the case. The arc welder was for many a scary piece of the new-fangled machinery, courtesy of REA, including its demonic hum. The source of which was the AC transformer at the heart of the welder that hummed quite earnestly as it converted high voltage to low voltage, low amperes to high amperes. Instilling the reticence of the farm community in that age of REA to adapt the welder to their daily pattern. Something was in that sinister, drear hum of low amps to high amps, occasioned by a theatrical salvo of sparks flying every which way, surely enough to catch the shop, the barn, the house afire. In short a daunting device, like as not in league with the devil and we’re not talking baseball.

It was common knowledge in those quickening days, circa 1932, as the world was in the grips of a brutal

depression that some farmers had signed a pact with Beelzebub, also known as Lucifer, a pact signed in the blood of boy children in order to gain an arc welder for the shed. An alliance in cahoots with Old Scratch; because those farmers did seem to get their corn off quicker, their potatoes out the week before the freeze, and a few other things before their neighbors. Never mind the explanation is simple enough; they didn’t always have to go to town for parts. Despite a lousy amateur weld, a classic bubblegum weld, it was still faster, cheaper, closer to the field than a new part.

worse. Lucky if the shop had a large commodious boxelder to accommodate the congregation, behind which was the two-holer. The tree duly prospered.

Seldom did any pay real money, if a new pair of fence pliers were hung on the door handle the next morning. Also peach pie, apple pie, blackberry pie; barn rubbers, strawberry jam, comb honey, fresh bacon, sometimes an arrowhead, a photo of Little Egypt at the Chicago World’s Fair, this precise occasion where Mark Twain had his near fatal heart attack, watching Little Egypt. Good for a couple of welds.

In these pioneer welder days the farm shop was a diminutive place, like as not equidistant between the house porch and the barn, the doorway faced the town road. On any summer morning a small gaggle of neighbor farmers gathered, their cars, pickup trucks, tractors, each with some wounded creature in hand. Rainy days were

They seldom gave this stuff to my dad directly but stood it up, hung it, left it in gunny sacks, next to the shop door. Like an act of worship.

Worked the same way as the collection plate at church: money doesn’t go directly to God, but close enough. An arc welder is like that.

50 March 2015

Advertisers Index

Mark Your Calendar

Allied Coop..................................... 27 Big Iron Equipment............................ 9 Central Door Solutions.................... 25 David Fleischman Farms.................. 37

march

4

Fencil Urethane Systems.................. 21 Frontier-Servco FS............................ 45

Processed Vegetable Crops Conference (9 am – 3:30 pm) Hancock Ag Research Station, Hancock, WI Contact: Ken Williams 920-787-0416, or email: ken.williams@ces.uwex.edu.

9-11

Midwest Foodservice Expo

Wisconsin Center, Milwaukee, WI

Contact: Wisconsin Restaurant Association 608-270-9950

Jay-Mar.............................................13

Ag Day at the Capitol

J.W. Mattek & Sons, Inc................... 51

Monona Terrace, Madison, WI

Contact: Wisconsin Farm Bureau 608-828-5704

Hafner Seed Farms...........................12

K&K Material Handling.....................11 Mid-State Truck Service................... 39

11

9-12

USPB Annual Meeting

The Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs, CO

Minnesota Certified Seed Potatoes... 42

Contact: Robin Vest at: rvest@uspotatoes.com

Nelson’s Veg. Stor. Systems.............. 29

WPVGA Marketing Retreat

19-20

Jefferson Inn, Wausau, WI

Contact: WPVGA 715-623-7683

Nutra Flo/CPS Great Lakes................. 5

55th Annual WPS Farm Show

Oasis Irrigation................................ 52

EAA Grounds, Oshkosh, WI

Contact: 866-920-3276 or email: farmshow@wisconsinpublicservice.com

78th Annual SNAXPO

North Central Irrigation.................... 35

Ostara............................................... 7 Roberts Irrigation............................... 2 Ron’s Refrigeration........................... 23

24-26

28-31

Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, FL

Contact: SFA 800-628-1334 or www.SNAXPO.com

Ruder Ware LLSC............................ 44

June

Rural Mutual Insurance.................... 48

Sand County Equipment.................. 33

Schroeder Bros. Farms......................41 Swiderski Equipment........................ 46

6

Walk Wisconsin Pfiffner Park, Stevens Point, WI Contact: Julie Braun 715-623-7683

8-10

United Fresh 2015

McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, IL

Contact: United 202-303-3400 or www.unitedfresh.org

United Potato Growers of Wisconsin.................................. 51

Feed My Starving Children Mobile Packing Event

Noel Hangar, Stevens Point, WI

Volm Companies..............................15

Contact: WPVGA 715-623-7683

T.I.P., Inc.......................................... 47

Wick Buildings................................. 49 World Potato Congress.................... 43 WSPIA............................................... 3

20

Balancing supply with demand generates positive returns. Plan your 2015 plantings wisely!

United of Wisconsin would like to thank our grower members: Alsum Farms Bushman Associates Bushman’s Riverside Ranch Coloma Farms Fenske Farms

Gagas Farms Hyland Lakes Spuds Isherwood Co. J-J Potatoes J.W. Mattek & Sons

Okray Family Farms Paul Miller Farms Plover River Farms Alliance Schroeder Bros.

Ted Baginski & Sons

Wagner Farms Worzella & Sons Woyak Farms Wysocki Produce Farm Yeska Brothers

United of Wisconsin would also like to thank the following local sponsors: Omernik & Associates, Inc., Mid-State Truck Service, Warner & Warner, Big Iron Equipment, Sand County Equipment

Thank you for your conTinued membership and supporT. uniTed needs you – you need uniTed

J.W. Mattek & Sons, Inc. N5798 STAR NEVA RD, DEERBROOK, WI 54424 Telephone: (715) 623-6963 • FAX: (715) 627-7245 • Email: jwmattek@gmail.com GROWER & SHIPPER

Foundation and Certified Seed Potatoes

50

Over Years Experience in Seed Production!!

White Chip Varieties • Snowden • Pike • Atlantic • MegaChip • Lamoka • Accumulator • Beacon Chipper

WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES

Contact: Jim, John or Joe (715)

russets • Norkotah • Norkotah Line 8 • Silverton

623-6963

P.O. Box 327 Antigo, WI 54409

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage Paid Stevens Point, WI 54481 Permit No. 480

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

THE LINDSAY ADVANTAGE

THE POWER TO MANAGE IT ALL

FIELDNET® WIRELESS IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT No matter where you are, FieldNET makes it easy to remotely control your irrigation systems.

FieldNET provides fast access to your entire system – from pivots and laterals to pumps and sensors. The easy-to-use interface with status icons shows real-time progress and stops, saving time, energy and labor.

If it’s remotely possible, FieldNET can do it. Find out more at Oasis Irrigation or visit myfieldnet.com.

THE LINDSAY ADVANTAGE

DURABLE RU ED EASY TO USE INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES BROADEST LINE OF SOLUTIONS

Oasis Irrigation LLC 715-335-8300

PIVOT

LATERAL

PUMP STATION

SOIL MOISTURE

WEATHER

FLOW

N6775 5th Avenue • Plainfield, WI 54966

Separators and Filtration Solutions

Separators and Filtration Solutions

© 2014 Lindsay. All rights reserved. Zimmatic, FieldNET, Growsmart, Watertronics and Lakos are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Lindsay Corporation.

Separators and Filtration Solutions

Separators and Filtration Solutions

Separators and Filtration Solutions