1610 Badger Common'Tater

Badger Common’Tater

October 2016

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

BAGGING, PACK AGING & ASSOCIATE DIRECTORY

Volume 68 Number 10 $18.00/year $1.50/copy

DRAINAGE DISTRICT Makes Farming Possible BADGER BEAT Management to Storage: Potato Blackleg & Soft Rot AGRAY’S X-RAY GRADER Is a Researcher’s Dream

INTERVIEW:

Mike Copas Chairman, SPUDPRO Committee, RPE Senior Agronomist

Jeff Sommers, general manager of Wysocki Produce Farm, checks the crop of potatoes.

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On the Cover: Co-owner of Wysocki Family of Companies, Jeff Sommers gets his hands dirty picking and inspecting a potato plant before harvest. Photo courtesy of RPE, Inc.

8 Badger cOMMON’TATER INTERVIEW: Mike copas

RPE Senior Agronomist and WPVGA SPUDPRO Committee Chairman Mike Copas heads a research laboratory and team of researchers who analyze everything from soil to potatoes and cover crops for Wysocki Produce Farm.

Here Copas shows several of the specialty varieties he’s helped to bring to market and is currently researching.

Photo courtesy of RPE, Inc.

Departments: ALI’S KITCHEN................... 65 EYES ON ASSOCIATES....... 62 MARK YOUR CALENDAR..... 6

22 FARM VISIT & TOUR Okray Family Farms holds Community Ag Day that includes digging for spuds

32 AGRAY X-RAY GRADER BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY Roller bearing herringbone singulator assists accuracy

38 AUXILIARY NEWS Around 54,000 baked potatoes and 775 cookbooks sold at the State Fair in 2016

MARKETPLACE.................. 52 NEW PRODUCTS............... 59 NPC NEWS........................ 60 PEOPLE ............................ 20

Feature Articles:

PLANTING IDEAS................ 6

14 DRAINAGE DISTRICT: The direct water route is most efficient for farming

POTATOES USA................. 63

40 COMPLETE 2016 WPVGA: Associate Division Directory

SEED PIECE........................ 55

56 BADGER BEAT: Concern over diseases as crops are harvested and stored

WPIB FOCUS .................... 64

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BC�T October

WPVGA Board of Directors: President: Mark Finnessy Vice President: Eric Schroeder Secretary: Gary Wysocki Treasurer: Josh Mattek Directors: Steve Diercks, Rod Gumz, Ron Krueger, Wes Meddaugh & Andy Wallendal Wisconsin Potato Industry Board: President: Heidi Alsum-Randall Vice President: Richard Okray Secretary: Bill Wysocki Treasurer: Keith Wolter Directors: John Bobek, Cliff Gagas, John T. Schroeder, Tom Wild and Andy Diercks WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors: President: Wayne Solinsky Vice President: Zach Mykisen

Secretary: Cathy Schommer Treasurer: Casey Kedrowski Directors: Dale Bowe, Nick Laudenbach, Sally Suprise & Joel Zalewski Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board of Directors: President: Eric Schroeder Vice President: Bill Guenthner Secretary/Treasurer: Jeff Fassbender Directors: Dan Kakes & Charlie Mattek

WPVGA Staff Executive Director: Tamas Houlihan Managing Editor: Joe Kertzman Director of Promotions & Consumer Education: Dana Rady Financial Officer: Karen Rasmussen Executive Assistant: Julie Braun Program Assistant: Danielle Sorano Coordinator of Community Relations: Jim Zdroik Spudmobile Assistant: Doug Foemmel

Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors: President: Paula Houlihan Vice President: Ali Carter Secretary/Treasurer: Gabrielle Okray Eck Directors: Kathy Bartsch, Deniell Bula, Marie Reid & Jody Baginski

WPVGA Office (715) 623-7683 • FAX: (715) 623-3176 E-mail Address: wpvga@wisconsinpotatoes.com Website: www.wisconsinpotatoes.com Like Us On Facebook: www.facebook.com/WPVGA

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.”

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.

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

BC�T October

5

Mark Your

Calendar OCTOBER 11-12 WGA (WISCONSIN GROCERS ASSOCIATION) INNOVATIONS EXPO Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Milwaukee, WI 13 DAY ON THE FARM Antigo, WI 14-16 PMA (PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION) FRESH SUMMIT Orlando, FL 17-18 POTATOES USA NATIONAL FRY PROCESSOR TRIALS East Grand Forks, MN 31-Nov. 1 ARLINGTON AG RESEARCH STATION MEETING Arlington, WI

NOVEMBER 1-2 WPVGA NEGOTIATION TRAINING SEMINARS Heartland Farms’ new Farm Operations, Technology & Training Center Hancock, WI 2-3 HANCOCK AG RESEARCH STATION POTATO VARIETY HARVEST EXPO Hancock, WI

January 2017 2-3 POTATOES USA WINTER MEETING San Francisco, CA 4-6 POTATO EXPO 2017 & NPC ANNUAL MEETING San Francisco, CA

FEBRUARY 7-9 WPVGA GROWER EDUCATION CONFERENCE & INDUSTRY SHOW Holiday Inn, Stevens Point, WI 13-16 POTATO DC FLY-IN The Mayflower Hotel Washington, DC 20 NPPGA (NORTHERN PLAINS POTATO GROWERS ASSOCATION) ANNUAL MEETING, BANQUET AND RESEARCH REPORTING CONFERENCE Grand Forks, ND 21-22 INTERNATIONAL CROP EXPO Grand Forks, ND

march 28-30 WPS FARM SHOW (57th ANNUAL) EAA Grounds, 1001 Waukau Ave. Oshkosh, WI

Planting Ideas You knew it couldn’t last. Rarely does anything ever go

perfectly from start to finish, without a hitch. The Wisconsin potato growing season, at least in Central Wisconsin, almost did.

The springtime weather wasn’t too hot or cold. Most of the crop got into the ground on time. We had plenty of moisture throughout the growing season, according to growers at the last Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Board meeting, and not too many hot days that would stunt the growth of potatoes. We even had cool nights.

The farmers are reporting healthy crops, yet considering the recent rainfall, they’re having a difficult time harvesting. During the board meeting, comments like this were echoed: “The fresh crop, russets, look really good, though the yellows don’t like the two inches of rain we’ve had every other day.” “Yields are good. Yellows are better than good, russets are better than good and reds are pretty good. We just can’t get out there to dig any.”

Other remarks included: “The crop isn’t as good as last year’s bumper crop, but it’s an average crop, good, just a little soft rot that you can see when grading. So it might be an interesting year for storage.” “Basically we’ve got about 1,000 acres already dug and shipped out. Yields are not quite what they were last year, but still good.” “It’s going to be interesting to see what it will be like in the bin.” “Rhinelander is waiting on skin set. The yield there is comparable to last year, the quality is very good, but the size is small, so it should be a really nice seed crop from what I see.”

Another hitch in the get-along is price. Word has it from most sources that it should be about what it was last year. According to one source, it probably averages around $13 per hundredweight (cwt). The good news is, reportedly, that Wisconsin consistently leads the nation in what is termed “return to grower,” or the price growers get for their potatoes.

So, there are many reasons that the outlook is better than cautiously optimistic. It was a good growing year, and as Wayne Solinsky points out in his “Eyes On Associates” column this issue, farmers should be careful out there, take their time and avoid injuries. That’s the most important thing.

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

Joe Kertzman

Managing Editor jkertzman@wisconsinpotatoes.com

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Interview Mike Copas,

RPE senior agronomist, chairman of the WPVGA SPUDPRO Committee

By Joe Kertzman, Managing Editor All photos courtesy of RPE, Inc.

NAME: Mike Copas WPVGA SPUDPRO COMMITTEE ROLE: Chairman TIME AS SPUDPRO CHAIRMAN: 2 years COMPANY: RPE, Inc. TITLE: Senior agronomist LOCATION: Bancroft, WI HOMETOWN: Plainfield, WI YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: 7 PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: Graduate student SCHOOLING: B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: WPVGA Water Task Force, WPVGA SPUDPRO Committee, T-ball coach AWARDS/HONORS: Vance Publications “40 Under 40” FAMILY: Wife, Laura, and two sons, Calvin, 5, and Perry, 1, and a dog, Chuck.

HOBBIES: We recently started geocaching with our son, Calvin, and I’ll admit it’s kind of addicting and a lot of fun.

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BC�T October

Every family has its story, and the RPE Inc. farm family just happens to date back three generations. It began when brothers Louis, Francis and Greg Wysocki partnered with their father on his small dairy farm and converted the operation to a potato farm.

At that moment in the late 1950s, Wysocki Farms was born. Over the years, the farm began to expand its Central Wisconsin operation, taking shipments of potatoes to market in Chicago, and the brothers learned new and innovative ways to store and pack potatoes.

Thirty years later and a few partnerships with other local farmers, like Nick Somers of Plover River Farms and Jeff Sommers of Wysocki Produce Farm, Inc., and Wysocki Farms grew into a premier potato and onion producer.

RPE potatoes and onions are grown on farms throughout the country, and since the farm operates its own FDA-approved packaging facilities in California, Colorado, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio and Georgia, fresh potatoes and onions are distributed nationally.

Now, the second and third generations of the Wysocki and Sommers families are following

in the footsteps of their fathers.

The operations have expanded to include growing regions throughout the country, and a few more farm families have been thrown into the mix, but the core principle that began 50 years ago still drives the company: “grow quality produce for our family and yours.”

“My family is good friends with two of the owners of the Wysocki Family Top: WPVGA SPUDPRO Committee Chairman and RPE Senior Agronomist Mike Copas shows a few of the latest specialty potato varieties and russets in front of a merger. The merger replaces RPE’s Evenflow machines, allowing multiple trucks to unload at once while minimizing damage to the potatoes.

of Companies, Jeff Sommers and Gary Wysocki,” Mike Copas, senior agronomist for RPE, Inc., says.

“When I was in the final stages of finishing my doctorate work at UW-Madison, the Wysocki Family of Companies was in the process of creating several new positions at RPE,” Copas continues. “Jeff encouraged me to apply for the senior agronomist position, right after hiring my sister to serve as RPE’s marketing manager the month prior.”

How is the overall yield looking at RPE this year? This year’s Wisconsin crop looks to be a fairly average yielding year. Certain varieties are trending ahead while others like Goldrush did not fare so well due to weather and early blight pressure.

breeding lines and varieties.

How many acres of potatoes and onions will you be harvesting and bagging/packaging? RPE will sell and market over 60,000 acres of potatoes and onions across the many production regions we work in across the U.S.

We manage large research fields in five locations throughout Wisconsin and also coordinate other field trials on other sites in Wisconsin and the other potato growing regions throughout the country where RPE growers operate.

What are your duties as a senior agronomist at the farm? I am in charge of a research department that does replicated trials and data collection for our team of producers.

In addition to varietal screening, we also work on production practices like planting density and seed management for varieties that are in the development process prior to

We work closely with the growers who produce their potatoes for Wysocki Family of Companies’ flagship packaging facility, Paragon Potato Farms, and assist them with their production.

We use information from the field to guide management decisions in the packaging facility and sales operations at RPE. My overall goal is to bring the highest quality potatoes to our customers through research and improvement at all levels of our business “from field to fork.”

What does your own day-to-day work involve? Our RPE agronomy team has a strong focus on variety trials and production management trials in small plot research fields.

Each year we trial over 160 potato

Above: Wysocki Produce Farm harvests potatoes in a field in Plainfield. Over 9,000 acres of potatoes are being harvested this fall.

commercial launch.

Are you also a farmhand, pitching in to get the job done? Our agronomy team actually functions like a small farm at harvest with a harvester and digging crew.

We have a research lab on-site that operates 24 hours a day to process continued on pg. 10

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BC�T October

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 9

all the research during harvest, and produces data for growers on size, yield and quality, as well as executes a full-scale bruise-free program for all of the harvest lines. Much of the time we rely on the Wysocki Produce Farm team to assist us with our program.

Why did the Wysockis convert the small dairy farm to a potato farm early on, and how has it grown over the years? The family wanted to maximize the use of the rich and fertile soils of the Central Sands in Central Wisconsin. The Central Sands has such great agronomic properties for growing vegetable crops.

Although potatoes are a key product at Wysocki Family of Companies, the family-owned operation is still very much part of the dairy industry as well. Wysocki Produce Farm is a partner in Central Sands Dairy, a state-of-the-art dairy operation that was created out of a vision of land and animal husbandry that emphasizes environmental stewardship while maintaining longterm economic stability.

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Above: RPE’s potato research starts at the seed level. Here, pollen is hand collected in order to cross-pollinate varieties in a controlled environment.

serves as the mission of the Farm.

What did they learn about packaging and shipping potatoes when they started to take them to market in Chicago years ago? I think the family realized that, although the way they were packaging, shipping and marketing their potatoes worked, if they wanted to grow their operation, they needed to evolve. And, evolve they did.

They had a lot of foresight and courage to try new techniques, and implement new ideas and procedures that helped to make Wysocki Family of Companies the organization it is today.

How about today? Describe the machinery, process and bagging/ packaging equipment, in your own words, and how the operation works. Paragon Potato Farms utilizes two separate grading stations that use a combination of innovative technology and standard practices

to guarantee consistency.

The stations include state-of-theart hollow heart X-ray detection, repetitive sampling of all finished products, in-bound inspection programs for all produce received from growers, 10 consecutive bag weights verified per pallet to ensure consistency, and effective trace recall through code verification technology.

What is the time period between harvest and shipping? The time from harvest to shipping is variable. It can be as soon as a few hours from when we start harvesting new crop in August. Potatoes that will come out of storage will typically be held for four to six weeks before packing and shipping.

Speaking of the overall operation, when and how did the Sommers family become involved? Jeff Sommers purchased an equal share of ownership in Wysocki Family of Companies in 1997, and became the

general manager of Wysocki Produce Farm.

Above: Four generations of farmers have worked some of the same land where Wysocki Produce Farm raises and harvests potatoes today.

Jeff consolidated his potato farm into Wysocki Family of Companies at

continued on pg. 12

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 11

that time. Jeff was a long-time friend of several members of the Wysocki Family.

How many acres does the entire farm operation include? When you include both owned and rented fields, Wysocki Produce Farm manages over 30,000 acres of production. Of this acreage, over 9,000 acres of potatoes are planted each spring.

The farm also grows other consumer produce including peas, sweet corn and green beans, primarily sold to

canning companies. Complementary to consumer produce goods, Wysocki Produce Farm also grows soybeans, alfalfa and field corn to sustain its partner farm, Central Sands Dairy.

How many total pounds will be harvested, bagged and stored or shipped? Paragon Potato Farms grades up to 200 million pounds of potatoes each year. In addition to the packaging facilities, Paragon Potato Farms, which is owned in partnership with Plover River Farms, owns storage facilities that house 5 million cases of potatoes.

What are your own interests as an agronomist, and what have you learned since starting at RPE? I think one of the most interesting routes we are moving down now is the ability to manage and manipulate seed to better match our end goal in the commercial field.

We also are applying new modeling techniques to project yield and size profiles much earlier than we ever have before. For many years, growers had to respond to the crop they had in the field. We are now better able to direct the crop toward a defined goal by field rather than cope with variability and chance.

The most exciting area is our work with the individual growers within our Paragon Potato Farms family. I love the opportunity to

12 BC�T October

Above: Paragon Potato Farms grades up to 200 million pounds of potatoes each year. Here, team members grade potatoes by hand after the potatoes have passed through an Odenberg machine for their initial grading.

Left: The carton machine boxes Mr. Tasty brand potatoes. There is an average of 20 semis being filled every day at Paragon Potato Farms.

mesh my science background and understanding of the potato crop with the art of growing potatoes that has been perfected by our growers for sometimes several generations.

One thing that I’ve learned is that much of our success has been built thanks to a strong team of individuals. We have built a strong RPE agronomy team, and each member of our group has brought a new level of expertise and knowledge that has allowed us to coalesce and take the department to the next level of success.

How did you become involved with SPUDPRO? The position was first handed down to me from Nick Somers at Plover River Farms. I took over the chair position of SPUDPRO following the leadership of Brian Bushman, who lead the group for several years.

In your own words, what is SPUDPRO exactly, and what are the goals? SPUDPRO is a committee comprised of industry members representing the different sectors

of Wisconsin potatoes, from seed and commercial growers to fry and chip processors, and of course the dedicated researchers of the UW vegetable team.

The goal of SPUDPRO is to identify potentially successful potato breeding lines early in the selection process and get them on a fast track to commercial scale evaluation and their eventual launch into commercial production.

How does your role as chairman of the SPUDPRO Committee tie in with operations at RPE? SPUDPRO has provided me a great opportunity to be involved with the UW breeding program and help to identify the potential future new potato varieties.

It has facilitated some of the trialing of the new lines through collaboration with Dr. Jeff Endelman so we get some early information on how we might manage these lines in the future. I think that it has also enabled us to build a closer tie with the breeding program that has better defined the needs of growers and shippers of Wisconsin potatoes to the program for continued success.

Is the potato and vegetable industry in Wisconsin, considering not only growing and harvesting, but bagging, packaging, shipping and storing, much better off today than in the past, and why or why not?

Some would argue that we are in a worse position than we have been in the past due to factors like increased scrutiny from customers on quality or food safety, regulatory pressure on our growers to reduce or eliminate certain inputs, social pressures to reduce the footprint of commercial agriculture, or even the challenge of new and emerging diseases in the field.

I would counter that the Wisconsin vegetable industry has never shied away from a challenge. I believe that each challenge has brought its own set of lessons learned and new opportunities that have resulted in a

Above: A bin piler adds potatoes into a climate-controlled storage. Remote monitoring systems automatically sense and adjust temperatures as needed.

stronger industry.

The face of our industry is constantly changing, but the foundation of supplying food to the world, growing our communities and enhancing our environment will not change. I look forward to buying some Wisconsin potatoes for my grandkids someday knowing that I had a part in it all.

What does the future hold, in your mind as an agronomist and as Chairman of the SPUDPRO committee, for potato and vegetable growing? I think that there is an exciting future for research and variety development. Over the past several years we have seen a huge influx of new varieties in the fresh market sector.

I believe this led to quite a bit of over-saturation of varieties at the retail/customer level. Many of those varieties were not properly vetted out and led to quality issues at the store shelf, or even failures before they left the field.

There will undoubtedly be a retraction in the number of lines going forward, and it will be the role of researchers like myself and dedicated growers to put the time and effort into truly developing a variety to the point it is successful in the marketplace.

Will technology play a big role and why or why not? Technology will play a role in all aspects of agriculture in the future. It will put a great set of new tools in the hands of researchers, specialists and producers to use data to drive management decisions and practices.

What is the single most important thing about bagging, packaging and shipping potatoes for farmers and sellers? Quality, quality, quality.

Yield, size, fancy packaging, flashy marketing and great concepts all fail when you can’t deliver a great looking product.

BC�T October 13

Portage County Drainage District Makes Farming Possible Without drainage districts like the one in Portage County, farmers would be tending swamps, not fields

By Joe Kertzman, Managing Editor They had a mission in the early 1900s—drain water off certain swampy areas, including in and around the Central Sands, to make the land suitable for agricultural and other purposes. The majority of existing drainage districts in Wisconsin were formed in the early 1900s.

From the beginning, landowners who benefited from water drainage were required to pay assessments to cover the cost of constructing, maintaining and repairing district drains. That requirement remains in effect, and the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) oversees the assessments and Drainage District Program in general.

DATCP oversees 176 active drainage districts in Wisconsin, and of the 72 counties in the state, 31 of them 14 BC�T October

contain one or more drainage districts, the majority in the eastern and southeastern regions.

2005 by Judge Finn,” Cieslewicz adds.

“In June 2015 I became Chair of the Board.”

Paul Cieslewicz is the Chairman of the Board of the Portage County Drainage District, a district that was first introduced in an 1898 petition and approved on February 3, 1905.

HIS CALLING

“The land around the Portage County Drainage District was a tamarack swamp with some small streams and very little farming back then,” explains Cieslewicz, owner of Sand County Equipment, a full-service potato and vegetable equipment dealership in Bancroft, Wisconsin.

“Donnie Hamerski asked me to be on the Drainage District Board in 2004 because Ed Wade was going to retire, so I followed the board members around like a puppy for a year to get a feeling for it, and I was appointed in

“I became involved because of how important agriculture is to me, and I felt sometimes you just need to step up and do your part,” he explains.

“Agriculture is a $5 billion a year business in Portage County. I’ve lived here my whole life.”

“It’s like voting,” Cieslewicz proposes.

“If you don’t vote, you can’t complain about who’s running things. If you don’t get involved with what’s important to you, then you have nothing to complain about.”

Above: A dam straddles Ditch 9 of the Portage County Drainage District and helps keep water flowing downhill, like all water in the drainage district, eventually emptying into the Wisconsin River.

All parties—DATCP and Cieslewicz included—agree that the solution to water removal is best approached regionally. When landowners are tasked with draining their own fields, diverting storm water or pumping water out, it’s often at the expense of their neighbors or neighboring landowners.

“Without the drainage district being in place, there is no order,” Cieslewicz says. “It keeps a regular maintenance plan going and keeps it fair for

all involved.”

Cieslewicz says landowners having acreage within the Portage County Drainage District are assessed $1.75 per acre for maintenance, dredging, tree trimming, leveling spoil banks (piles of dirt next to the ditches from the original digs), reseeding and brush clearing, as opposed to other counties with assessments of $11$15 an acre.

Above: Miller Cranberry Inc. of Portage County is allowed to use water, and even have a bulkhead, for flooding fields during harvest and “freezing them under” in winter.

of pumps in other counties, whereas Portage County relies on dams, dredging and gravity. A drainage district, after all, is just that, a dredged canal, and Cieslewicz says, once a good maintenance schedule is in place, he only has to dredge once every 15 years or so.

Part of the discrepancy is the use

continued on pg. 16

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Portage Co. Drainage District. . . continued from pg. 15

DEBRIS-FREE DITCHES The main goal is to keep the ditches free from brush and debris, to trim or clear large trees, and thus keep the water running unimpeded and straight ahead.

“When the ditches are cleaned and running to profile, we have very few issues, but when there are ditches that haven’t been cleaned in years, we see water levels rise and problems begin,” Cieslewicz adds.

“All landowners benefit from the drainage district,” he notes. “With 54,000 acres of land, and over half of it in crops, that means dollars for everyone, even if they’re not directly involved in agriculture.”

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also benefits from the drainage district, and pays assessment on the land, with 9,200 acres of prairie chicken habitat being one of the largest protected and maintained

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grasslands in the state.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DNR, cranberry growers benefit by using the water from ditches to flood their beds for harvest and in “freezing beds under” through the winter.

When cranberry growers flood beds, they can board up dams as long as 25 percent of the water continues to flow through for fisheries.

“No matter what we do and how well we streamline the process, there’s always conflict. You have cranberry growers who want water and potato growers who want to drain the water.

Left: A large culvert gives size perspective to a ditch in the Portage County Drainage District and the amount of water that flows through it. All culverts within the district are built to drain.

Right: Prairie grass grows up through the water in Ditch 3 of the Portage County Drainage District, and District Chairman Paul Cieslewicz says permits were just acquired from the DNR to spray the grass.

It works out, though,” Cieslewicz explains, “because the farmers harvest in September and cranberry growers flood their fields in October.”

allowing us to level ditch banks on over 130 miles of drains,” he adds.

“We need to act fast at times and this allows us to do that.”

“We are the largest drainage district in the state, and we are the only district with an MOU and a 10-year dredging permit with the DNR, as well as a three-year NR216 permit

HOT TOPIC

Above: Rich Rashke (left), secretary of the Portage County Drainage District and farm manager for Okray Farms, and District Chairman Paul Cieslewicz (right) stand in front of Ditch 8. They work together with Kiley Stucker (not shown), treasurer of the drainage district. Notice how the trees and brush have been trimmed on one side of the ditch. The district is spending approximately $40,000 to trim trees and then spray to kill the brush underneath for easier maintenance access to all of the ditches in the future. The Okrays received permission from the district to put in a lateral ditch to drain water off their farm fields.

Permits are the hot topic now, and getting all the correct permits is crucial. “The NR216 permit comes continued on pg. 18

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Portage Co. Drainage District. . . continued from pg. 17

with quite a few requirements. We are now a partner with the State of Wisconsin Karner Blue Butterfly [KBB] program,” Cieslewicz says. “And we need ‘incidental take’ permits issued as part of the Endangered Species Act to protect wood turtles before we

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“We also do plenty of spraying for Reed Canary grass—there is a permit for that—plus we need dredging permits and also the MOU, so we really try to keep on top of these and

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not fall behind because it takes a bit to get them. A good relationship with the DNR also helps,” he adds.

Board members work with Chris Clayton of DATCP, Keith Patrick of the DNR, Kevin Halvorson of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Eric Norton of the Army Corp of Engineers, and Planning & Zoning of Portage County. The Portage County Drainage District Board holds a public meeting each November or December to discuss the next year’s plans and changes.

“The district is a well-oiled machine with over a 110 years of history behind it,” Cieslewicz states. “I’m trying to get a longer plan in place so people know what's coming down the pipe. In the next three years we will have all the spoil banks leveled on one side, making it easier to Left: ConsTrucks, Inc. is contracted to remove brush, in this case using a large Fabick CAT backhoe, all along one side of ditches within the Portage County Drainage District. It’s tedious work for Chuck, the CAT operator.

Right: A dead tree hangs over a ditch, threatening to fall and impede the water flow.

access and maintain ditches. That will also help us become exempt from the NR216, and that means less work for future commissioners.”

water 24 hours a day, seven days a week for over 111 years. That has to say something for our aquifer here, doesn’t it?”

lot of power on our side to keep this district strong and intact so it will be here for a long time and keep our ag sector going.”

“As for the water wars in Portage County, I’m hoping we can teach the public that water here is plentiful,” he stresses. “We have been draining

“The drainage laws in the state are some of the oldest on the books,” Cieslewicz concludes. “Between Chapter 88 and ATCP 48, we have a

Left: Dam 35 on Lateral #2 of the Portage County Drainage District is the largest dam in the district.

Right: The image illustrates canary grass that has been sprayed and killed in a ditch that’s part of the Portage County Drainage District.

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People Madison Student Lands Scholarship for Potato Research National Potato Council awards $10,000 annually to students researching spuds The National Potato Council (NPC) is pleased to announce that Justin Clements, a fifth year doctoral student in the Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Center working in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is the recipient of the 2016-2017 Academic Scholarship.

The $10,000 award is provided annually to a graduate student with a strong interest in research that can directly benefit the potato industry.

Clements is focused on uncovering molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance in the Colorado potato beetle.

His work is timely and important as scientists seek to learn more about neonicotinoids and how pests react and develop resistance to them. Further understanding of the mechanisms involved will play an important role in achieving long-term success against resistant pests.

Clements’ work on targeting specific genes also seeks to establish a more sustainable crop management program to deal with resistance in the field.

According to Dr. Russell Groves, who oversees the entomology lab where Clements currently does his research, Clements is an ideal candidate for the scholarship. “He nicely blends theoretical and empirical insect genetic investigations with resistance management, and is very well regarded in the upper Midwest region, where producers have taken great interest in the results of his graduate research,” Groves explains.

20 BC�T October

Fifth-year UW-Madison doctoral student, Justin Clements, was awarded a $10,000 scholarship from the National Potato Council for his work in uncovering molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance in the Colorado potato beetle.

NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES Groves believes that Clements’ research could result in novel technologies that limit the resistance development in the beetle. “I continue to be very impressed with his research productivity and the potential impact this area of investigation holds for the future of pest management in potatoes,” Groves wrote in his recommendation.

“I am very grateful for this award as it means a lot to be able to continue my work,” Clements says. “Wisconsin is at the forefront of potato research and I’m very happy to be part of it.”

The awardee told the NPC he plans to continue studying the Colorado potato beetle during his postdoctoral work. “This award will help me continue my research and present at conferences, such as the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Conference, where I have presented multiple times,” he relates. “Attending allows me to share

knowledge from the lab with those in the potato industry.”

Clements grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and received his undergraduate degree in biology at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

In addition to conducting research, he has been a teaching assistant and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation student ambassador who promotes engagement with campus researchers through departmental seminars.

He has served as a coordinator to get younger students involved in science and works with new students to orient them to graduate school life.

As an assistant lecturer at Wisconsin, he helped redesign a course called Ecotoxicology, and gave lectures to other students regarding the evolution of pesticide resistance. The NPC is pleased to recognize such a promising scientist who is dedicated to helping the potato industry.

Lynch Joins Potatoes USA as Global Marketing Manager Potatoes USA is pleased to announce Rachael Lynch has joined its staff as a global marketing manager for institutional food service markets.

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Lynch will focus on managing Potatoes USA’s school food service and salad bar programs, as well as developing a global marketing strategy for institutional food service.

She received a Master’s Degree of Science in Dietetics from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, and a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Dietetics from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

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Now News Public Welcomed into the Farming Fold Okray holds Community Ag Day to educate and provide fun for community Opening your business to the public can be rewarding, hard work, fun, educational and hopefully an overall success. Okray Family Farms accomplished just that—holding a Community Ag Day on Tuesday, August 9, from 12-4 p.m., where the public was allowed to visit fields, sample potato dishes and ask questions.

In a flier distributed prior to the event, the question was posed, “Have you ever driven past a farm field and wondered what was growing there, who was driving the tractor or where those vegetables would ultimately end up?” On a tour bus running frequently throughout the day, tour 22 BC�T October

guide Dick Okray answered those questions and more.

The tour started and ended at the Okray Family Farms Storage Building on County Road F in Plover. As the bus approached its first stop, Dick explained that the farm produces over 1,700 acres and 13 varieties of potatoes and 5,900 acres of sweet corn, green beans, peas, soy and maize annually, and is closely affiliated with Indian Hills Cranberry, LLC. The first stop on the tour was a field that’s part of a joint project between Bushmans’ Inc. and Okray Family Farms to grow cucumbers and green beans for the fresh market. Until

recently, the fields were utilized solely to grow potatoes, Okray explained, and then green beans, sweet corn and peas for canning.

The idea, he noted, is to bring fresh vegetables to people’s tables.

The next stop was at a grape vineyard, part of another collaborative effort, this time with Dr. Paul Fowler of the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology (WIST).

Okray and WIST are experimenting with extracting resveratrol—a phenol, or carbolic acid that has been shown to reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease in some studies—from the grape vines and leaves.

Okray showed the audience a portion of the Portage County Drainage Above: Okray Family Farms invited the public to its storage building and potato and vegetable fields on August 9, 2016, for a Community Ag Day, where attendees enjoyed a bus tour to the production areas and other points of interest, unique potato dishes and an explanation by tour guide Dick Okray of crops, growing practices, acreage, irrigation and more.

District, which he said is used to drain excess water from the fields.

Otherwise, he noted, the area would be a swamp and farmers couldn’t grow anything. Okray also explained that Okray’s farm outreach extends to donating potatoes and vegetables to three local food pantries.

Arriving back at the storage building, those taking the tour were invited to not only taste an array of potato dishes, but also to dig and take a paper sack of potatoes home with them. Many left with smiles and a better understanding of just what goes on at that farm. continued on pg. 24

Left: Those attending the Okray Family Farms Community Ag Day were invited to dig potatoes and take a bagful home with them. Okray’s Gabrielle Eck handled the pitchfork, and in attendance was State Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point), blue shirt and white shorts, holding potatoes.

Right: Dick Okray explains to a gathered crowd that, in a joint effort with Bushmans’ Inc., Okray Family Farms is growing cucumbers and green beans for the fresh market.

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Now News. . . continued from pg. 23

State Transportation Funding Debate Simmers Ag groups encourage legislative fundraising to support local and rural roads

By Jordan Lamb, DeWitt Ross & Stevens Farmers in Wisconsin need a longterm solution to transportation funding, and many are encouraging the legislature to consider all of the options for increasing transportation funds, especially mechanisms to generate funds to support local and rural roads.

Many Wisconsin agriculture groups are joining forces with their colleagues in business, manufacturing, tourism and other economic sectors to express support for finding a way to increase state funding for local roadways in the next Wisconsin biennial budget bill.

The Transportation Development Assoc. (TDA), a statewide alliance of more than 400 transportation stakeholders, including businesses, labor unions, citizen groups, units of government and individuals, has

launched a campaign called “Just Fix It,” which is aimed at raising public awareness about specific Wisconsin roads and bridges in need of repair.

One way to support this undertaking is to add your local bridge/road repair examples to the TDA “Just Fix It” website (http://www.tdawisconsin. org/just-fix-it-wisconsin/). This could be an effective tool to illustrate to members of the legislature that the need for road funding is statewide.

We are still months away from the introduction of the 2017-’19 Wisconsin biennial budget bill, but the disagreement between Wisconsin legislative leaders and Gov. Scott Walker about how to address the predicted shortfall in the state’s transportation budget is already heated, and the lines have been drawn.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Sec. Mark Gottlieb announced earlier this summer that the DOT will introduce a “no revenue increase” budget in September. The DOT is currently undergoing a legislative audit in an effort to uncover efficiencies that the department could implement to generate potential cost savings.

NO TAXES OR FEES STANCE Gov. Walker is standing firm on his commitment to no increases in taxes or fees to generate additional revenue for Wisconsin’s transportation fund.

At the end of July, the Legislative

24 BC�T October

Above: The Transportation Development Assoc.

(TDA) has launched a campaign called “Just Fix It,” which is aimed at raising public awareness about specific Wisconsin roads and bridges that are in need of repair.

Fiscal Bureau released a memo predicting a $939 million shortfall in the state’s 2017-’19 transportation budget if the state maintained its same level of funding.

The analysis was requested by Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance.

Shortly after the memo’s release, Rep. Nygren spoke to the press urging the governor to consider raising the gas tax or create a toll road system to generate funds to pay for transportation.

Hours later, Gov. Walker released his own press release stating that, “Raising taxes and fees is not the answer” to funding Wisconsin’s transportation needs. The debate has continued with legislators lining up on either side of the issue.

On August 17, Rep. Keith Ripp (R-Lodi), a state legislator, Wisconsin farmer and chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, wrote a letter to Gov. Walker praising his leadership for “Wisconsin fiscal responsibility,” but also stressing the need to look for a long-term solution to transportation funding in order to support both agriculture and tourism.

Expect to hear more as we near the start of the 2017 legislative session in January. continued on pg. 26

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Now News. . . continued from pg. 24

SentryWorld Hosts WPVGA Past Presidents Golf Outing WPVGA president, past presidents, friends and their spouses enjoyed the links Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) President Mark Finnessy of Okray Family Farms picked SentryWorld in Stevens Point as his course of choice for the WPVGA Board Meeting & Past Presidents Golf Outing on August 3, 2016.

Along with Finnessy, in attendance were Bob and Cheri Guenthner; Lonnie and Jo Krogwold; Terry and Barb Wex; Andy Diercks and Crystal Olsen; Steve Diercks; Dianne Somers, whose husband, Nick, was unable to attend after surgery; Mike Carter; Josh Mattek; WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan; Ron Krueger; Wes Meddaugh; Wayne Solinsky; and Zach Mykisen.

Played as a four- or three-person “scramble,” taking first place with a score of five under par was the team of Bob and Cheri Guenthner and 26 BC�T October

Above: Past WPVGA president Terry Wex celebrates with outstretched arms after sinking a 40-yard shot for eagle on a par 4 hole at SentryWorld Golf Course. Terry’s wife, Barb, is all smiles at left, while past president Bob Guenthner fixes a divot at right.

Bottom: Three out of the four of this foursome have been presidents of the WPVGA, including current President Mark Finnessy (far right), Steve Diercks, in blue standing next to him, and Ron Krueger (left).

Wayne Solinsky, in purple, second from left, is the current president of the WPVGA Associate Division.

Terry and Barb Wex. A well-deserved dinner followed the golf outing, celebrating not only the game, but the hard work of individuals who have lead the WPVGA and devoted themselves to the potato and vegetable industry.

Above: And the winners are, from left to right, Bob and Cheri Guenthner and Barbara and Terry Wex, with an overall score of five under par in the 18-hole Past Presidents Golf Outing three- and four-person scramble.

Right/Bottom: You don’t get invited to the WPVGA Past Presidents Golf Outing without knowing how to swing a club, as demonstrated by Mike Carter (left), CEO of Bushmans’ Inc., and Josh Mattek (right) of J.W. Mattek & Sons Inc. continued on pg. 28

BC�T October 27

Now News. . . continued from pg. 27

Heartland Farms Opens Technology & Training Center State-of-the-art facility designed to enhance farming efficiency and sustainability As if driving up to Heartland Farms wasn’t impressive enough with the large family farmstead, fields, machinery and equipment and storage sheds, now the crowning jewel, the new Farm Operations, Technology & Training Center (FOTTC), takes the operation to an entirely new level.

Heartland Farms held the FOTTC grand opening on August 4, 2016, complete with opening remarks by several key industry players, an impressive speech by Jeremie Pavelski, President of Heartland Farms, an American flag raising ceremony conducted by veterans and members of the Hancock-Coloma American Legion Post 343, guided building tours and hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.

28 BC�T October

form of technological feedback, or digital reporting, to help ensure sustainability and food safety.

There is storage capacity for 4.5 million cwt, or 450 million pounds, of potatoes, enough spuds to fill up Lambeau Field with around 200 feet of potatoes!

Heartland Farms is a fifth-generation family farm whose core competency is growing and storing potatoes for the potato chip industry, as well as working with local canners to produce sweet corn, peas and green beans.

Heartland Farms ships out over 11,000 loads of potatoes each year, and continues to grow. Priding itself in being a leader in adopting new technologies and techniques to produce a high quality, sustainable crop that exceeds customers’ needs, the FOTTC is a crowning achievement.

Heartland boasts approximately 120 full-time employees and an additional 150 seasonal workers to help with harvest. This makes it the largest private employer in Adams County, Pavelski notes.

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The farming operation includes modern, climate-controlled potato storages with the latest technology to reduce power consumption, increase quality and extend longevity of the crop. The storage sheds send continuous information in the

The 37,000-square-foot facility has ample conference, collaboration and training areas, and can comfortably house more than 65 employees. The FOTTC also features a 95,000-watt rooftop photo voltaic solar panel array, a 10-gigabyte data network, multiple fiber optic loops, stateof-the-art video surveillance, door access control, and secure and guest Wi-Fi access. continued on pg. 29

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“I would like to recognize my wife, Alicia Pavelski. Alicia has spent many, many tireless nights working on the design, layout and fine details that made this project what it is today,” Jeremie commented. “Her dedication and attention to detail are truly amazing.”

“About the same time we started building the FOTTC, we undertook another monumental project, and that was building a new state-of-theart grading facility,” he continued.

“It has been built from the ground up to provide for a cleaner product and has many features to meet our customers’ current and future needs.”

“Optical sorting technology is going to help ensure we optimize the potatoes we are shipping out to meet our customers’ specifications.

New technology is going to provide greater feedback and insights into the efficiencies of the operation and provide visibility of items that need attention before they cause an issue,” Pavelski said.

“This information, combined with the other information that is gathered across all portions of the farm will help increase our understanding of the crops and what we need to do to enhance quality and yields,” he added.

30 BC�T October

“We have also revamped our loading system to increase the capacity and reduce the amount of time it takes to load an outbound truck. When all is said and done, we should be able to send out one semi with 45,000 pounds of potatoes on it every five minutes. This will help reduce the burden on transportation suppliers and help increase overall efficiencies.

We will have the capacity to ship out 150 semis in 12 hours,” he stated.

With that, a formal tour of the facility, an inspirational flag-raising ceremony, the singing of the National Anthem

by Jeremie’s cousins, Hope and Patience Pavelski, and hors d’oeuvres

and refreshments served with more singing accompaniment rounded out the grand opening of the Heartland Farms FOTTC. Above: Heartland Farms President Jeremie Pavelski gave an impressive opening speech outlining the 37,000-square-foot Farm Operations, Technology & Training Center with ample conference, collaboration and training areas.

Bottom Left: The view from the second floor of the Farm Operations, Technology & Training Center extends over storage buildings and sheds, machinery and tractors, and acres of green to the horizon.

Bottom Right: Veterans and members of the Hancock-Coloma American Legion Post 343 not only conducted a formal flag-raising ceremony, but also demonstrated and explained the correct way to fold the American flag.

Farmers Complement Beef with Potatoes Cliff and Carole Gagas baked 2,925 potatoes in one afternoon In July, Cliff and Carole Gagas of Gagas Farms Inc. traveled to Janesville for a fundraiser put on by the Rock County Beef Producers Organization at the Rock County Fairgrounds. In their seventh year at the event, Cliff and Carole baked 2,925 potatoes in one afternoon.

“Each potato was served with a very nice steak, vegetables and a drink [water, milk or soda] for an affordable price,” Carole said. “The grounds were pretty packed with people, and there were also some local musicians, and a 4-H club selling ice cream and desserts. I was amazed at how many people came out to this event.”

Above: For seven years running, Carole and Cliff Gagas (center in yellow shirts) of Gagas Farms Inc. have baked potatoes for a Rock County Beef Producers fundraiser in Janesville. At left is Rob McConnell, and at right Ken Luety, both of the Rock County Beef Producers Organization.

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X-Ray Grader is a Researcher’s Dream One can hardly put a value on good data and higher throughput for potato research

By Felix Navarro, UW-Madison, superintendent of the Hancock Agricultural Research Station In 2013, the Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS) acquired an AgRay Vision Systems X-ray grader to replace the 23-year-old Exeter sorter/grader that had become too inaccurate for research use.

Our previous grader was suggested

by Gavin Weis in 1989 when the station was approaching 50 acres of

potato research. An Exeter grader was acquired in September of 1990 and used for the first time on research plots in 1991.

It had to be modified to record the results of small potato plots.

The sorting principle for the Exeter depended on an Accupack photoelectric apparatus, in which a light beam captured information on the size of a potato and transmitted that information.

Programmable pre-established grading by six weight categories—2-4 ounce; 4-6 ounce; 6-10 ounce; 1013 ounce; 13-16 ounce and greater than 16 ounces—was mostly used, and information was transmitted from an eight-scale system to the tally program via RS232 interface in a micro-switching box.

Information containing the total

32 BC�T October

number of potatoes and the total weight for each category was recorded by the computer from a system of scales that were connected to the computer via an electronic control cabinet (these were modifications made by UWMadison to customize the grader to researchers’ needs in the way we used our Exeter grader).

One of the undesirable features of our previous grader was that at least Above: With the AgRay Vision Systems sorter/ grader, four operators can comfortably grade potatoes grown as part of research projects at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station, whereas it took at least nine people to use the station’s 23-year-old sorter/grader.

Left: Using the AgRay Vision Systems X-ray grader/ sorter, a computer operator can easily assist in potato singulation, slide ejection and computing to accurately size and sort potatoes, detect internal and external defects, and shape grade potatoes.

nine people were required for the grading operation: one dumping the potatoes into the Gallenberg washer piece; one person picking up B-size tubers and culls (B-size tubers were diverted from the Gallenberg grader/washer through a chain); one or two people picking culls by the grading table of the Gallenberg piece; one operating the computer; one operating the elevator and shaker table; two or three operating a system of six scales (removing weighing tubs and replacing them with empty tubs); and at least two bagging or discarding weighed potatoes that came off the scales.

for additional post-harvest or storage evaluations.

Graded potatoes at HARS are put into either plastic crates or nylon bags.

NEW HARS X-RAY SYSTEM Some of the features that were desired from the AgRay Vision Systems sorter/grader were to provide researchers with the weight, length, width and height distribution on a single potato basis.

In fact, X-ray machines in grading sheds are responsible for quality assurance so that consumers basically purchase potatoes that are free of defects such as hollow heart. This is all done with an extremely low application of X-rays that has no effect on people operating these machines or evaluated potatoes.

We worked with AgRay Vision Systems on several modifications continued on pg. 34

Using Potato Graders at a Research Station Vs. a Commercial Grading Shed Single potato data is important to research stations and may not be as important to commercial grading sheds.

Commercial grading shed activities are characterized by long runs, usually grading big lots that could be counted by the semi-loads and typically of a single variety uniformly managed versus very small lots, typically 20-200-pounds each.

Experiments could include one or a few varieties, and each experimental unit represents one of multiple management techniques such as fertilizer amount, and insect, weed or disease control methods. In the case of breeding or variety development, tens to hundreds of varieties are evaluated. In either case, the researcher typically wants individual records containing the weight, length, width and height of each potato in a plot.

Mostly the end goal of a commercial grading line for fresh market potatoes is to box a number of potatoes in a given cartoon size of 50 pounds or bags of different weights. At the Hancock Station, typically the grading goal is to obtain the data and get samples, generally of 6-10-ounce potatoes from each plot

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X-Ray Grader. . . continued from pg. 33

to their standard prototype for potato grading sheds to accommodate researchers’ needs.

Another significant improvement is that grading regular experimental plots with the AgRay system can be achieved with four-to-five people; some smaller projects can be accomplished even with two people, one person being enough if potatoes are to be discarded.

The AgRay X-ray system is connected directly to the Gallenberg washer and grading table where researchers

typically visually separate and weigh tubers with external defects such as rot, growth cracks, knobs and others and take notes on potato tuber appearance.

Researchers would spare a subset of tubers to be sliced and evaluate internal defects such as hollow heart, brown center, vascular discoloration, stem end discoloration and internal brown spot.

The AgRay X-ray system allows for hollow heart evaluation of tubers without having to destroy them,

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and more importantly, all of the tubers grown are evaluated and not a small sample of them. This is very important, since to obtain reliable data on the percentage that can accurately predict hollow heart, close to 500 tubers should be evaluated.

REDUCED TRIALING TIME Even for most careful researchers, that was only possible in several years of trialing if a large number of tubers could be sacrificed. Presently, using an X-ray system, this may be possible in one year.

Similarly, the system is able to evaluate potatoes with knobs and potential damage due to growth cracks, rot and worms, although we have not done these evaluations.

One of the limitations of the use of the X-ray and optical sorters in research is their upfront cost.

However, one can hardly put a value on good data and higher throughput.

In the last 25 years, HARS has Left: Sorting and inspecting potatoes on a grading table is all part of the hands-on experience using the Gallenberg washer/grader.

Right: Shown is the Gallenberg washer/grader (left) with a “b-chain” to eliminate undersized potatoes, and details of the washer/grader (right, opposite page). The new AgRay X-ray system can be connected directly to the Gallenberg washer and grading table.

acquired two potato sorters, and in both cases, funding has been secured from researchers, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Agricultural Research Stations.

of potato graders for research use.

In the case of the new AgRay X-ray sorter/grader, results indicate that plot weight, length and width estimation accuracies are 98.5-99plus percent compared to scaled weights and precision, measured as the variability of estimated weights is small.

• Potato dry matter content and within-tuber dry matter distribution

It is considered that reliable information is being obtained at the plot level in addition to the advantage of better understanding the distribution of weight, length and width respectively.

In addition to these added features, being able to greatly increase the precision and accuracy of internal defects such as hollow heart and external defects such as growth cracks and knobs can greatly increase research outputs.

NEXT GEN OF POTATO SORTERS Several important objectives that are within the reach of today’s technological advances are expected to be available in the next generation

Integration of technologies, including X-ray, optical, hyperspectral, etc., that can provide individualized information on internal and external characteristics will include the following traits:

• Potato sugar content and withintuber distribution • Potato color and brightness

Above: The grading table of the 23-year-old Exeter grader was used to visually pick potatoes with external defects such as knobs, growth cracks or rot. Two operators were needed, one of them to manage the flow to and from the grading table.

• Potato skin set or percentage of skinned potatoes • Disease evaluations such as common or powdery scab, and black dot, silver scurf and other lesions such as those caused by tuber late blight and tuber early dying. continued on pg. 36

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X-Ray Grader. . . continued from pg. 35

Simultaneously increasing the throughput for these traits would greatly propel phenotyping efforts needed to identify genes associated with them.

From the standpoint of processing industries, it is very likely that the processing Russet businesses would be very interested in high throughput methods that would accurately measure dry matter content variation across and within potato samples or truckloads.

Sorting potatoes by dry matter

content could not only help process russet potatoes, but also chip companies in adjusting their protocols for maximum product quality. The avocado and apple industries are already using sorting technology with several of these elements that would be important to the potato industry.

and being able to detect and discard potatoes with skin blemishes.

Fresh market potato businesses are interested in potatoes with uniform color, shine and general appearance.

Next generation graders should address the needs of this sector, grading potatoes for these attributes,

The potato industry and researchers have a lot to gain from a grader/ sorter that will thoroughly grade and sort potatoes by internal and external characteristics with high accuracy, precision and high throughput.

Left: With the old system, the shaker table (singulator) was guided by a variable-frequency drive operated by one person.

Right: An elevator between the grading and shaking tables was guided by a variable-frequency drive operated by a person at the grading table.

Above: A six-scale system was used to record potatoes in six weight categories: 2-to-4-ounce; 4-6-ounce; 6-10-ounce; 10-13-ounce; 13-16-ounce; and greater than 16 ounces. The computer recorded scale weights.

Left: The 1990 Exeter sorter is shown with an Accu-pack photoelectric sizer.

36 BC�T October

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Auxiliary News

By Ali Carter, Vice President, WPGA

Here we are, another wonderfully successful year at the Wisconsin State Fair behind us.

This year the State Fair saw 1,015,815 people enter its gates, and many of those fair goers made their way to the Auxiliary's baked potato booth.

The toasty baked potatoes piled high with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter and bacon bits are a favorite for many, and we know of families who have been making a visit to the booth a yearly tradition.

This tradition has made the baked potato booth a strong revenue generator for the Auxiliary and allows us to promote Wisconsin potatoes to the public, not only through our interaction with consumers at the actual booth, but also by funding many of our other activities and outreach programs throughout the year.

These activities include Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes harvest parties, the publishing of cookbooks and recipe brochures, a booth at the Wisconsin Public Service Farm Show, potato cooking demonstrations and a variety of public relations events.

This year's booth at State Fair saw

38 BC�T October

Above: The Auxiliary thanks everyone who worked in the baked potato booth at the State Fair. This group, led by chairwoman Midge Tatro includes Deb Mattmiller, Mary Kegley, Kimberly Spielbauer, Kathy Keen, Kelly Novak, Diane Borneman, Judy Nagel, Carol Schroeder, Ken Michels, Jeanne Koss, Sue Markasan, Nicole Solin and Jeanne’s friend.

the sale of around 54,000 baked potatoes! We also sold 775 copies of Wisconsin Potatoes Just for Two, our latest cookbook.

All of those potato sales meant five ovens working nonstop for days on end to produce the deliciousness customers came for. We are thankful for the new addition of the ovens used in the booth, as this year we purchased two new ovens with funds donated by the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board (WPIB).

The WPIB also donated funds last year for the purchase of two ovens then, and the Auxiliary greatly appreciates the support we have received from the board toward our promotional efforts at the fair.

We also thank everyone who worked in the baked potato booth and spent time away from jobs and family to tackle day shifts to support this outreach. Without their hands and efforts, the baked potato booth would not be possible!

Bottom Left: The sea of red is made up of chairwoman Kathy Bartsch, and then Jackie Sigourney, Nancy Holden, Hortense Lewallen, Cathy Schommer, Janet Banks, Kelly Garrigan, Lori Kendle, Denice Lazzell, Sue Ernst, Teri Bartsch and April King. Also working the booth but now shown in the picture were Marie Reed, Tricia Anderson and Jade Buchanan.

Bottom Right: Led by chairwoman Linda Vollmar, baked potato group volunteers include Diane McKinney, Mark McKinney, Logan Vollmar, Beth Gravitter, Donna Kuhr, Scott Bruenberg, Katrina Resch, Corey Resch, Torie Richards, Adam Finn, Kathryn McKinney and Emily Gravitter.

Above: Caroline Wild’s group included Laurel Wirth, Mary Gallenberg (not shown), Colleen Krivoshein, Amy Joerns, Paula Resch, Diane Allen, Janet Roth, Amanda Brown, Jill Stieg, Karen Walenski, Kelly Ullman and Janette Sword.

Above: The Wisconsin Potato Industry Board donated ovens for the baked potato booth at the State Fair, one of the largest fundraisers each year for the WPVGA Auxiliary, and the Auxiliary is truly appreciative.

Above Left: The hard work of these ladies, led by chairwoman Jacquie Wille, would make most employers green with envy. Along with Jacquie are Ruth Schmidt, Arlene Wierzba, Carole Gagas, Debbie Adamski, Diane Wysocki, Liz Wysocki, Shary Walkush, Terri Soderberg, Lyza Schmidt and Marilyn Wierzba.

Above: The dozen baked potato booth volunteers include chairwoman Patty Hafner, Sheila Rine, Rachel Rine, Lauren Rine, Jake Reif, Connie Wild, Steph Fassbender, Deb Burton, Pam Jankowski, Mary Lex, Marie Benes and Jenny Bahling.

Above RIght: The blue shirts crew, led by chairwoman Peggy Quinn, is also made up of Terry Zalewsi, Sandy Greening, Dena Burkhart, Tiff Matuszewski, Michele Nagel, Terri Wild, Jackie Rozina, Barb Kubal, Diane Preboski and Heidi Marckx.

Below: Allison Wysocki chaired the young group of volunteers who include Erin Wysocki, Hilary Schneeberg, Danielle Dahms, Chrissy Delong, Becky Wysocki, Chantalle Beggs, Sharon Wysocki, Marc Wysocki and Mary Hirst.

Above: The baker’s dozen includes chairwoman Kathy Baginski, Bruce Baginski, Marie Wendt, Theresa Hartman, Marge Galuska, Kim Halamback, Emily Holbrook, Debbie Harris, Becki Schultz, Orianna Layman, Judy Adamski, Devon Zarda and Hannah Baginski.

Above: The group of smiling ladies includes chairwoman Josie Spurgeon, Karen Rasmussen, Angie Spurgeon, Kimberley Spurgeon, Katalin Spurgeon, Kay Meister, Theresa Webb, Kati Hohensee, Allison Cross, Megan Svejda, Kelly Kamin and Mickey Zima.

Bottom Left: In red and green is the group of chairwoman Linda Thurber, which includes Bonnie Sutherland, Dennis Footit, Barb Footit, Doug Footit, Pat Footit, Sherry Footit, Lori Bartram, Julie Phillips, Cindy Zager and Jeanet Wilson.

BC�T October 39

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory ACCOUNTING OMERNIK & ASSOCIATES INC MICHAEL G OMERNIK PLOVER, WI (715) 341-9036 mike@accounting-offices.com

Aerial Spraying AGRICAIR FLYING SERVICE INC JIM PERRIN TIM ROURKE BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-4470 agricair@uniontel.net REABE SPRAYING SERVICE INC JR REABE WAUPUN, WI (920) 324-3519 rssinc@att.net STONES AERIAL APPLICATOR SERVICE PAT KAFER NEKOOSA, WI (715) 886-3900 kaferfarms@yahoo.com

Ag Consultants AGRI-PEST CONSULTING INC TIM GROSS MILTON, WI (608) 208-5049 agripest1@hotmail.com ALLIED COOPERATIVE KARMEN BERNACCHI ADAMS, WI (608) 339-3394 kbernacchi@allied.coop CROP CARE OF LANGLADE COUNTY ANDY MERRY ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4630 merry@granitewave.com FARM FIXATION MARK KLISH MOSINEE, WI (715) 347-0545 mark@farmfixation.com FOCUS ON ENERGY LAURA DACHEL CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (888) 947-7828 AgSGapps@focusonenergy.com GZA GEOENVIRONMENTAL INC JIM DROUGHT MILWAUKEE, WI (414) 831-2540 james.drought@gza.com 40 BC�T October

JAY-MAR INC MARC JOHNSON PLOVER, WI (715) 341-3445 marcj@jay-mar.com MOERKERKE CONSULTING BOB MOERKERKE RHINELANDER, WI (715) 360-7975 bob.moerkerke@gmail.com NELSONS VEGETABLE STORAGE SYSTEMS INC HOLLY NELSON PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6660 holly@nelsonsveg.com PILLAR BUTTE SEED ROBERT GIESBRECHT ABERDEEN, ID (208) 221-0500 pillarbutte@gmail.com PRECISION WATER WORKS LAMAR LAPORTE PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 421-9229 lamar@pwwinc.net

Ag Inspection AG WORLD SUPPORT SYSTEMS LLC WARREN HENNINGER MOSES LAKE, WA (509) 765-0698 whenninger@aginspections.com

Agricultural Mortgage Financing METLIFE AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENTS TROY FISCHER STILLMAN VALLEY, IL (815) 234-2600 tfischer@metlife.com

Analytical Laboratory A & L GREAT LAKES LABORATORIES INC DAVID HENRY FORT WAYNE, IN (260) 483-4759 dhenry@algreatlakes.com

Application Products SAND COUNTY EQUIPMENT PAUL CIESLEWICZ BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-6652 sandcounty@uniontel.net

Application Tools CROP IMS LLC FRANK TIPTON EFFINGHAM, IL (815) 590-8206 ftipton@cropims.com

Auto & Truck Repair K & S FUEL INJECTION INC JASON MAKI WESTON, WI (715) 359-0434 jmaki@ksfuel.com

Bag Companies THORPACK LLC MARTY KOLPACK BRYANT, WI (715) 627-7333 mkolpack@thorpack.com VOLM COMPANIES INC MARSHA VERWIEBE ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4826 mverwiebe@volmcompanies.com WARNER & WARNER INC JAY WARNER PLOVER, WI (715) 341-8563 jay.warner@warnerpackaging.com

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POWER BRUSHES INC SCOTT DUNCKEL TOLEDO, OH (800) 968-9600 spd@powerbrushes.com

K & A FARMS LLC KILEY STUCKER PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 347-4081 kafarms15@gmail.com

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Certified Public Accountants

MILK SOURCE LLC GREGG WOLF KAUKAUNA, WI (920) 759-4648 gwolf@milksource.net

CLIFTON LARSON ALLEN JEFF PETERSON STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-4984 jeff.peterson@claconnect.com

Chemicals AMVAC CHEMICAL CORP RALPH FREDERICK DULUTH, MN (218) 340-1609 ralphf@amvac-chemical.com ARYSTA LIFESCIENCE PETER WHITE HUTCHINSON, MN (320) 221-9916 peter.white@arysta.com BAYER CROPSCIENCE CHAD RHINEHART REEDSBURG, WI (608) 345-2986 chad.rhinehart@bayer.com NUFARM AMERICAS INC J W CHAMPION NAPERVILLE, IL (708) 377-1450 jw.champion@us.nufarm.com SYNGENTA KATIE THELEN VERONA, WI (336) 706-6648 katie.thelen@syngenta.com

Chemicals/Fertilizers 1,4 GROUP JOHN BERGMAN FARGO, ND (701) 261-0289 jbergman@pinnip.com AGROLIQUID DANIEL PETERSON WEST BEND, WI (262) 339-6843 dan.peterson@agroliquid.com

(608) 347-6085 jwturner2@dow.com DUPONT CROP PROTECTION STACIE NELSON WESTON, WI (920) 213-8482 stacie.a.nelson@dupont.com ENVIROTECH SERVICES INC MARK BLOOM GREELEY, CO (309) 259-9163 mbloom@envirotechservices.com FMC CORP AG SOLUTIONS ALLEN KLUG COTTAGE GROVE, WI (608) 695-7620 allen.klug@fmc.com GOWAN COMPANY JOHN MOHR LEXINGTON, IL (309) 365-2085 jmohr@gowanco.com GYPSOIL BRAND GYPSUM ANNIE PETRUSEK CHICAGO, IL (866) 497-7645 events@gypsoil.com ICL SPECIALTY FERTILIZER RYAN ROWINSKI MOUNT CLEMENS, MI (614) 726-7107 ryan.rowinski@icl-group.com INSIGHT FS JOEL ZALEWSKI JEFFERSON, WI (920) 674-7000 jzalewski@insightfs.com

JAY-MAR INC MARC JOHNSON PLOVER, WI (715) 341-3445 marcj@jay-mar.com JET HARVEST SOLUTIONS BILL STONEMAN MCFARLAND, WI (608) 268-7040 billstoneman@wfstoneman.com MILLER CHEMICAL & FERTILIZER LLC PETE KAPUSTKA FT DODGE, IA (717) 353-1980 petekapustka@millerchemical.com PROVIDENCE AG JOE KAPRAL PLOVER, WI (715) 344-8115 joe.kapral@providenceag.com T H AGRI-CHEMICALS INC ROBERT ZEMPEL PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6343 thag@thagrichemicals.com UNITED PHOSPHOROUS INC DALE SCHIFF COLLINSVILLE, IL (618) 581-4666 dale.schiff@uniphos.com WILBUR-ELLIS COMPANY TOM BUCHBERGER ALMOND, WI (715) 366-2500 tbuchber@wilburellis.com continued on pg. 42

ALLEN SUPPLY CO INC JASON ALLEN STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 341-7635 jason.allen@allensc.com ALLIED COOPERATIVE KARMEN BERNACCHI ADAMS, WI (608) 339-3394 kbernacchi@allied.coop CALCIUM PRODUCTS INC BECKY HECK MINERAL POINT, WI (715) 450-1291 becky.heck@calciumproducts.com CERTIS USA ANNE WEBSTER PAW PAW, MI (269) 207-7712 awebster@certisusa.com CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES JIM BEACH JANESVILLE, WI (970) 518-2685 jim.beach@cpsagu.com DOW AGROSCIENCES JIM TURNER WAUNAKEE, WI

BC�T October 41

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory. . . continued from pg. 41 WINFIELD SOLUTIONS LLC JOE NAGEL STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 544-0313 janagel@landolakes.com

EXTRUTECH PLASTICS INC GREGORY SHEEHY MANITOWOC, WI (888) 818-0118 gsheehy@epibp.com

Cold Storage

KELLER INC COLLEEN DAUL KAUKAUNA, WI (920) 766-5795 cdaul@kellerbuilds.com

SERVICE COLD STORAGE LLC LES DOBBE STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 544-4565 ldobbe@servicecold.biz

Communications AGROMETRICS MADHU JAMALLAMUDI STEVENS POINT, WI (870) 200-9080 madhu@agrometrics.com AIR COMMUNICATIONS OF CENTRAL WI INC ANGIE FEUTZ WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 424-3050 angie.feutz@aircommcentral.com

Concrete Forms EXTRUTECH PLASTICS INC GREGORY SHEEHY MANITOWOC, WI (888) 818-0118 gsheehy@epibp.com

Concrete Products COUNTY MATERIALS CORPORATION KEVIN TESCH MARATHON CITY, WI (715) 848-1365 kevin.tesch@countymaterials.com

Construction ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (ADS) JUSTIN THOMPSON CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (715) 210-9088 justin.thompson@ads-pipe.com ALTMANN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INC TAMMY MEYERS WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 421-2550 altmann@altmannconstruction.com

MCCARTHY CONSTRUCTION LLC JIM MCCARTHY NEKOOSA, WI (920) 841-2265 jmconstructinc@gmail.com MPB BUILDERS INC DOYLE POKORNY RIPON, WI (920) 748-2601 doyle@mpbbuilders.com OAK RIDGE FOAM & COATING SYSTEMS JED STELLMACHER GREEN LAKE, WI (920) 294-6800 jeds@oakridgepoly.com REACTIVE INDUSTRIAL COATINGS SEAN DOWEN PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 281-9663 sean.dowen75@gmail.com RHINEHART METAL BUILDINGS INC CHAD RHINEHART FRIENDSHIP, WI (608) 339-9109 rhinehartmb@gmail.com SPIEGL CONSTRUCTION LLC TIM SPIEGL ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4718 spiegl@goantigo.com URBAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BRIAN KARLEN WAUSAU, WI (715) 675-9425 bkarlen@urbanconstructionco.com WICK BUILDINGS LABECCA SCHOTT

MAZOMANIE, WI (608) 795-2294 shows@wickbuildings.com

Contract Research HANSON & ASSOCIATES JIM HANSON MADISON, WI (608) 222-2330 jim@hansonassociates.com

Conveyors MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com

Corrugated Boxes, Trays & Point of Sale GREEN BAY PACKAGING JOHN LAABS WAUSAU, WI (715) 845-4201 jlaabs@gbp.com

Crop Insurance VINE VEST NORTH INC CHAD GLAZE WAUSAU, WI (715) 675-1829 chad@vinevestnorth.com

Crop Protection 1,4 GROUP JOHN BERGMAN FARGO, ND (701) 261-0289 jbergman@pinnip.com VALENT CORP BRAD GUNNINK MINNEAPOLIS, MN (608) 213-7309 brad.gunnink@valent.com

Diesel Fuel Injection K & S FUEL INJECTION INC JASON MAKI WESTON, WI (715) 359-0434 jmaki@ksfuel.com

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

42 BC�T October

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L & S ELECTRIC INC ARLEN BAUMANN SCHOFIELD, WI (715) 359-3155 info@lselectric.com

WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE CORP DALE BOWE WAUSAU, WI (715) 573-7383 dabowe@wisconsinpublicservice.com

Electrical

Eliminators

ADAMS-COLUMBIA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE DAN WYSOCKY FRIENDSHIP, WI (800) 831-8629 dwysocky@acecwi.com

MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com

NORTH WIND RENEWABLE ENERGY JOSH STOLZENBURG STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 630-6451 info@northwindre.com

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Consultant

ROBERTS IRRIGATION CO INC PAUL ROBERTS PLOVER, WI (715) 344-4747 proberts@callroberts.com RONS REFRIGERATION & AC INC EUGENE MANCL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 421-1525 eugene.mancl@ronsrefrigeration.com WAUSAU ELECTRIC LLC JOE KOSTYN WAUSAU, WI

FOCUS ON ENERGY LAURA DACHEL CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (888) 947-7828 AgSGapps@focusonenergy.com

Engines repair K & S FUEL INJECTION INC JASON MAKI WESTON, WI (715) 359-0434 jmaki@ksfuel.com

Estate & Legacy Planning US BANCORP INVESTMENTS PERRY B WORZELLA

STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 342-2232 perry.worzella@usbank.com

Farm Equipment BIG IRON EQUIPMENT INC ZACH MYKISEN PLOVER, WI (715) 344-3401 zach@bigironequipment.com FAIRCHILD EQUIPMENT ANDREA JORGENSEN GREEN BAY, WI (920) 494-8726 andrea.jorgensen@fairchildequipment.com HYDROCLEAN EQUIPMENT INC AARON STORDEUR DEPERE, WI (920) 337-0109 aaron@hydrocleanequipment.com LANDOLL CORPORATION JOEY DOPP ALMOND, WI (920) 574-0466 joey.dopp@landoll.com LINCO PRECISION LLC KENT KLINEFELTER EL PASO, IL (309) 527-6455 skip@lincoprecision.com continued on pg. 44

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Long lasting Quicker to install Reduces energy costs Extends the life of the structure



Great for equine barns, exterior and interior roofs, metal shop buildings, pole barns, trailers, harvesting rollers, loader buckets

BEFORE AFTER

No job is too big or too small for our Applicators located Statewide!

575 Commercial Avenue • Green Lake, WI 54941 800-625-9577 • 920-294-6800 • Fax 920-294-6830 www.oakridgepoly.com

BC�T October 43

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory. . . continued from pg. 43 MILESTONE EQUIPMENT SHANE MITCHELL BLACKFOOT, ID (208) 785-4285 info@milestone-equipment.com

NACHURS BRIAN KENT ALBANY, WI (608) 347-2799 kentb@nachurs.com

UNITED FCS MICHAEL MAGUIRE STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-1000 mike.maguire@unitedfcs.com

POWER BRUSHES INC SCOTT DUNCKEL TOLEDO, OH (800) 968-9600 spd@powerbrushes.com

TIP INC STEVE TATRO CUSTER, WI (715) 592-4650 tip@tipinc.net

US BANCORP INVESTMENTS PERRY B WORZELLA STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 342-2232 perry.worzella@usbank.com

QUINLANS EQUIPMENT INC TOM QUINLAN ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4331 info@quinlansequipment.com

YARA NORTH AMERICA INC WES JOHNSON COLLIERVILLE, TN (901) 854-9292 wes.johnson@yara.com

Food Safety Certification

RIESTERER & SCHNELL NICOLE GLISCZINSKI HORTONVILLE, WI (920) 757-6101 marketing@rands.com SAND COUNTY EQUIPMENT PAUL CIESLEWICZ BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-6652 sandcounty@uniontel.net SERVICE MOTOR COMPANY JERRY MCCAIN STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 592-4111 smcsp@servicemotor.com SWIDERSKI EQUIPMENT INC MELISSA HEISE MOSINEE, WI (715) 693-3015 melissaheise@swiderskiequipment.com TIP INC STEVE TATRO CUSTER, WI (715) 592-4650 tip@tipinc.net WINDRIDGE IMPLEMENTS BRIAN NORDSCHOW DECORAH, IA (563) 382-3613 bnordschow@windridgeimplements.com ZIEGLER AG EQUIPMENT JENNY COVERS MINNEAPOLIS, MN (952) 885-8266 jenny.covers@zieglercat.com

Financial ABBY BANK NATALYN JANNENE ABBOTSFORD, WI (715) 316-6230 natalynj@abbybank.com BADGERLAND FINANCIAL CATHY SCHOMMER BARABOO, WI (608) 356-8376 cathy.schommer@badgerlandfinancial.com BMO HARRIS BANK NA RICH WILCOX STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 342-3218 rich.wilcox@bmo.com CLIFTON LARSON ALLEN JEFF PETERSON STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-4984 jeff.peterson@claconnect.com COVANTAGE CREDIT UNION DAN HANSON ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4330 dhanson@covantagecu.org EDWARD JONES BOB EBBEN WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 424-4100 bob.ebben@edwardjones.com

CERES CERTIFICATIONS JAKE ANDERSON CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (715) 723-5143 jake@ceresci.com

Fuel ALLIED COOPERATIVE KARMEN BERNACCHI ADAMS, WI (608) 339-3394 kbernacchi@allied.coop

Garage Door Manufacturing MIDLAND GARAGE DOOR MFG CO DOUG LARSON WEST FARGO, ND (701) 282-8136 dougl@midlandgaragedoor.com

GPS sampling AGSOURCE LABORATORIES STEVE PETERSON BONDUEL, WI (715) 758-2178 speterson@agsource.com

Insulation FENCIL URETHANE SYSTEMS INC BUTCH FENCIL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 424-4200 fencil@fencilurethane.com OAK RIDGE FOAM & COATING SYSTEMS JED STELLMACHER GREEN LAKE, WI (920) 294-6800 jeds@oakridgepoly.com

Insurance

Fertilizers

INVESTORS COMMUNITY BANK DAVE COGGINS MANITOWOC, WI (920) 686-9998 dcoggins@investorscommunitybank.com

BIO-GRO INC BRUCE ANDERSEN CEDAR GROVE, WI (608) 354-1123 bruce@biogro.com

PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP KELTON DOPP APPLETON, WI (920) 560-5711 dopp.kelton@principal.com

BADGERLAND FINANCIAL CATHY SCHOMMER BARABOO, WI (608) 356-8376 cathy.schommer@badgerlandfinancial.com

FARM FIXATION LLC MARK KLISH MOSINEE, WI (715) 347-0545 mark@farmfixation.com

THE PORTAGE COUNTY BANK DOUG ESKRITT ALMOND, WI (715) 366-4311 doug@portagecountybank.com

CENTRAL WISCONSIN FARM INSURANCE SERVICES KYLE OKRAY BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-4549 montana@okrayins.com

44 BC�T October

ANSAY & ASSOCIATES LLC SALLY SUPRISE APPLETON, WI (920) 560-7000 sally.suprise@ansay.com

COMPASS INSURANCE SERVICES MIKHAIL SALIENKO STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 544-1586 mikhail.salienko@compassinsurance.net HUB INTERNATIONAL MIDWEST LTD LEIF ERICKSON WAUNAKEE, WI (608) 849-6873 leif.erickson@hubinternational.com MCCORMICK KLESSIG INSURANCE MICHAEL THEISEN ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4302 miket@mccormickklessig.com MT MORRIS MUTUAL INSURANCE DANIEL FENSKE COLOMA, WI (715) 228-5541 melissa@mtmorrisins.com PROGRESSIVE AG RAY GRABANSKI FARGO, ND (701) 277-9210 rlg@progressiveag.com RURAL MUTUAL INSURANCE JENNI ZINDA-MANCL PLOVER, WI (715) 341-5808 jzinda@ruralins.com RURAL MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY DAVID BAYER MADISON, WI (800) 362-7881 jquirk@ruralins.com RURAL MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY JAMES WEHINGER ADAMS, WI (800) 362-7881 jquirk@ruralins.com SECURA INSURANCE ALISSON FRIGO APPLETON, WI (920) 830-4372 af@secura.net UNITED FCS MIKE MAGUIRE STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-1000 mike.maguire@unitedfcs.com US BANCORP INVESTMENTS PERRY B WORZELLA STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 342-2232 perry.worzella@usbank.com VINE VEST NORTH INC CHAD GLAZE WAUSAU, WI (715) 675-1829 chad@vinevestnorth.com

Inventory & Traceability Solutions REDLINE SOLUTIONS ADRIAN DOWN SANTA CLARA, CA

(408) 562-1700 adown@redlinesolutions.com

TIP INC STEVE TATRO CUSTER, WI (715) 592-4650 tip@tipinc.net

Irrigation HORTAU INC CODY JONES SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA (920) 246-9130 cjones@hortau.com

Laboratory Testing AGSOURCE LABORATORIES STEVE PETERSON BONDUEL, WI (715) 758-2178 speterson@agsource.com

NORTH CENTRAL IRRIGATION INC PHIL YOUNGER PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6368 laurie@valleynci.com

Legal Service ANDERSON O BRIEN BERTZ SKRENES & GOLLA DEANNA MOSSAK STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-0890 dmossak@andlaw.com

OASIS IRRIGATION INC JERRY KNUTSON PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-8300 flynspud@uniontel.net PRECISION WATER WORKS LAMAR LAPORTE PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 421-9229 lamar@pwwinc.net

BOARDMAN & CLARK LLC JEFFREY STORCH BARABOO, WI (608) 283-1781 jstorch@boardmanclark.com

REINKE MFG RICH MILLER GARRETSON, SD (605) 351-2127 richardmiller@reinke.com

DEWITT ROSS & STEVENS SC JORDAN LAMB RON KUEHN MADISON, WI (608) 252-9358 jkl@dewittross.com

ROBERTS IRRIGATION CO INC PAUL ROBERTS PLOVER, WI (715) 344-4747 proberts@callroberts.com

RUDER WARE LISA O’FLYNG WAUSAU, WI (715) 845-4336 loflyng@ruderware.com

SAMS WELL DRILLING ELLYN REDEKER RANDOLPH, WI (920) 326-5193 ellynr@samswelldrilling.com

continued on pg. 46

CHROME ALLOY WEAR PARTS

R & H Chrome Alloy ripper points fit most brands and models of rippers. R & H points last longer, cut operating costs, save costly downtime, and maintain proper shape, penetration, and tillage. Call for a catalog.

REGULAR ripper point



 HIGH-PENETRATION ripper point FIN ripper point



WING-CAP ripper point



 HIGH-RIDGE FIN ripper point

 MINIMUM-TILL FIN ripper point 10” BOLT-ON WING ripper point



 6” and 8” WING-BASE ripper point .

.

.

.

R & H MACHINE 115 ROEDEL AVE CALDWELL, ID 83605 www.rhmachine.com 1-800-321-6568

Quality Wear Parts for Over 50 Years!

BC�T October 45

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory. . . continued from pg. 45

Loading Dock Equipment K & K MATERIAL HANDLING CRAIG KACZOROWSKI GREEN BAY, WI (920) 336-3499 ckacz@knkmaterialhandling.com

Manufacture BASF BASF THE CHEMICAL COMPANY JUSTIN TUSS APPLETON, WI (920) 570-2686 justin.tuss@basf.com

Material Handling Equipment K & K MATERIAL HANDLING CRAIG KACZOROWSKI GREEN BAY, WI (920) 336-3499 ckacz@knkmaterialhandling.com

My Way RTK CROP IMS LLC FRANK TIPTON EFFINGHAM, IL (815) 590-8206 ftipton@cropims.com

National Potato Marketing Board POTATOES USA ALEXANDRA GRIMM DENVER, CO (303) 873-2329 agrimm@uspotatoes.com

Nematode Control Green Manure GAYLAND WARD SEED CO INC CARSON WARD HEREFORD, TX (800) 299-9273 carson@gaylandwardseed.com

Overhead Doors & Material Handling CENTRAL DOOR SOLUTIONS CHRIS BROOKS PLOVER, WI (715) 342-4153 cbrooks@centraldoorsolutions.com CENTRAL WI WINDSHED PARTNERS GROUP SHANNON ROHDE HANCOCK, WI (715) 249-5424 cwwp@uniontel.net

Ozone Generators RONS REFRIGERATION & AC INC EUGENE MANCL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 421-1525 eugene.mancl@ronsrefrigeration.com

Packaging GREEN BAY PACKAGING JOHN LAABS WAUSAU, WI 46 BC�T October

(715) 845-4201 jlaabs@gbp.com

Packaging Equipment OEM FABRICATORS INC THOMAS AABY WOODVILLE, WI (715) 698-7323 toma@oemfab.com POWER BRUSHES INC SCOTT DUNCKEL TOLEDO, OH (800) 968-9600 spd@powerbrushes.com SAND COUNTY EQUIPMENT PAUL CIESLEWICZ BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-6652 sandcounty@uniontel.net THORPACK MARTY KOLPACK BRYANT, WI (715) 627-7333 mkolpack@thorpack.com TRI STEEL MANUFACTURING COMPANY SCOTT HOMSTAD GRAND FORKS, ND (701) 772-5591 scotth@tristeelmfg.com VOLM COMPANIES INC MARSHA VERWIEBE ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4826 mverwiebe@volmcompanies.com WARNER & WARNER INC JAY WARNER PLOVER, WI (715) 341-8563 jay.warner@warnerpackaging.com

Packer THE LITTLE POTATO COMPANY SANFORD GLEDDIE EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA (780) 414-6075 sanford@littlepotatoes.com

EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com

Plant & Soil Analysis ROCK RIVER LABORATORY BUFFY UGLOW WATERTOWN, WI (920) 261-0446 buffy_uglow@rockriverlab.com

Planters MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com

Plastic Machining & Fabrication BADGER PLASTIC & SUPPLY INC LARRY SEARL PLOVER, WI (715) 345-0009 lsearl@badgerplastics.com

Post Harvest Sanitation & Storage Treatment JET HARVEST SOLUTIONS BILL STONEMAN MCFARLAND, WI (608) 268-7040 billstoneman@wfstoneman.com

Potato & Vegetable Planting Equipment WINDRIDGE IMPLEMENTS BRIAN NORDSCHOW DECORAH, IA (563) 382-3613 bnordschow@windridgeimplements.com

Potato Cooperative UNITED POTATO GROWERS COOP OF WISCONSIN INC DANA RADY ANTIGO, WI (715) 610-6350 drady0409@gmail.com

Packer/Grower

Potato Equipment

RPE INC RUSSELL WYSOCKI BANCROFT, WI (800) 678-2789 jenny.bula@rpespud.com

BIG IRON EQUIPMENT INC ZACH MYKISEN PLOVER, WI (715) 344-3401 zach@bigironequipment.com

Packing & Storage POTATO PLANT INC LONNIE KROGWOLD JON KROGWOLD AMHERST, WI (715) 824-3240 ppspud@wi-net.com

Pilers MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE

GENERAL METAL FABRICATION LTD GERALD BAUMAN WINKLER, MANITOBA, CANADA (204) 325-9374 gerald@generalmetal.ca HJV EQUIPMENT DAN MANN ALLISTON, ONTARIO, CANADA (705) 435-3226 dan@hjvequip.com

MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com MILESTONE INC SHANE MITCHELL BLACKFOOT, ID (208) 785-4285 info@milestone-equipment.com NOFFSINGER MANUFACTURING RYAN WERNSMAN GREELEY, CO (800) 525-8922 rwernsman@noffsingermfg.com OEM FABRICATORS INC THOMAS AABY WOODVILLE, WI (715) 698-7323 toma@oemfab.com POWER BRUSHES INC SCOTT DUNCKEL TOLEDO, OH (800) 968-9600 spd@powerbrushes.com SAND COUNTY EQUIPMENT PAUL CIESLEWICZ BANCROFT, WI (715) 335-6652 sandcounty@uniontel.net TIP INC STEVE TATRO CUSTER, WI (715) 592-4650 tip@tipinc.net TOMRA SORTING SOLUTIONS KATHLEEN CHANCE WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (916) 388-3900 kathleen.chance@tomra.com TRI STEEL MANUFACTURING COMPANY SCOTT HOMSTAD GRAND FORKS, ND (701) 772-5591 scotth@tristeelmfg.com

Potato Sales JORDE CERTIFIED SEED LLC MITCH JORDE CANDO, ND (701) 968-3244 mitch@jordepotatoes.com

Processors CHIPPEWA VALLEY BEAN CO INC CINDY BROWN MENOMONIE, WI (715) 664-8342 cbrown@cvbean.com KETTLE FOODS INC LORI ALJETS SALEM, OR (503) 586-1556 laljets@diamondfoods.com MCCAIN FOODS USA KERRY LARSON WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 342-8106 kerry.larson@mccain.com POWER BRUSHES INC SCOTT DUNCKEL TOLEDO, OH (800) 968-9600 spd@powerbrushes.com

Refrigeration NELSONS VEGETABLE STORAGE SYSTEMS INC HOLLY NELSON PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6660 holly@nelsonsveg.com

(715) 421-1525 eugene.mancl@ronsrefrigeration.com

Sales FEEDING AMERICA / FEEDING WISCONSIN MOLLY JAKUBEK PEWAUKEE, WI (312) 659-2396 mjakubek@feedingamerica.org

Sales/Brokers ALSUM FARMS & PRODUCE LARRY ALSUM FRIESLAND, WI (920) 348-5127 larry.alsum@alsum.com BUSHMANS’ INC MIKE GATZ MIKE CARTER ROSHOLT, WI (715) 677-4533 michaelg@bushmansinc.com LANGLADE POTATO DISTRIBUTING JIM KAPUSTA ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4873 jimk@langladepotato.com

RONS REFRIGERATION & AC INC EUGENE MANCL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI

continued on pg. 48

Others know ag lending.

WE KNOW IT BETTER.

©2016 Badgerland Financial, ACA. NMLS ID 458065.

Pressure Washers HYDROCLEAN EQUIPMENT INC AARON STORDEUR DEPERE, WI (920) 337-0109 aaron@hydrocleanequipment.com

Printing SPECTRA PRINT CORPORATION HEIDI OKRAY STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-5175 hokray@spectraprint.com

When it comes to lenders, you have options. But if you value more than a low interest rate, the choice is easy. To us it’s about more than financing. It’s about providing you with industry-specific solutions and expertise to meet your goals, not ours. Like loan NMLS ID 458065.

Badgerland Financial, ACA. loan conversion option and a commitments for the long ©2015 term, a convenient patronage program that has returned more than $111 million to members just like you.

If you haven’t already, get to know Badgerland Financial.

Let us prove why we’re the better option.

(877) 789-9058 badgerlandfinancial.com BC�T October 47

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory. . . continued from pg. 47

Sales/Brokers- continued MIKE BENBEN INC MIKE BENBEN JR STURTEVANT, WI (262) 886-3363 dan@mikebenben.com RPE INC RUSSELL WYSOCKI BANCROFT, WI (800) 678-2789 jenny.bula@rpespud.com SUNRAIN VARIETIES LLC JIM CORNEILLIE IDAHO FALLS, ID (208) 552-3096 jcorneillie@sunrainvarieties.com

Sanitation Chemical Supplier ANDERSON CHEMICAL COMPANY BRUCE ANDERSON LITCHFIELD, MN (320) 693-2477 banderson@accomn.com

Seed & Varieties SUNRAIN VARIETIES LLC JIM CORNEILLIE IDAHO FALLS, ID (208) 552-3096 jcorneillie@sunrainvarieties.com

Seed Certification Agencies MICHIGAN SEED POTATO ASSN JEFF AXFORD GAYLORD, MI (989) 732-4433 jwamspa@gmail.com MINNESOTA CERTIFIED SEED POTATO GROWERS ASSN MIKE HORKEN EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-4956 michael.horken@state.mn.us WISCONSIN SEED POTATO IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION INC ALEX CROCKFORD ANTIGO, WI (715) 623-4039 abcrockford@wisc.edu

Seed Sorghum Sudangrass Cover GAYLAND WARD SEED CO INC CARSON WARD HEREFORD, TX (800) 299-9273 carson@gaylandwardseed.com

Software AG CONNECTIONS RICK MURDOCK 48 BC�T October

MURRAY, KY (270) 435-4369 rick.murdock@agconnections.com

FARGO, ND (701) 261-0289 jbergman@pinnip.com

Soil Amendments

ADVANCED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (ADS) JUSTIN THOMPSON CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI (715) 210-9088 justin.thompson@ads-pipe.com

POSSIBILITIES UNLIMITED ELLIE WOMELDORF PLOVER, WI (715) 281-1743 ellie_womeldorf@yahoo.com

Soil Amendments & Liming CALCIUM PRODUCTS INC BECKY HECK MINERAL POINT, WI (715) 450-1291 becky.heck@calciumproducts.com

Soil Fumigation Sales/Service TRI-EST AG GROUP CHRIS FURMAN TIFTON, GA (800) 872-0644 cpfurman@triestag.com

Solar Energy NORTH WIND RENEWABLE ENERGY JOSH STOLZENBURG STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 630-6451 info@northwindre.com

Sprayers/Fertilizer Equipment AG SYSTEMS INC GUY MATHIAS DEFOREST, WI (608) 846-9064 gmathias@agsystemsonline.com

Sprout Control 1,4 GROUP JOHN BERGMAN FARGO, ND (701) 261-0289 jbergman@pinnip.com

FRITO LAY – PEPSICO JOSHUA PARSONS RHINELANDER, WI (715) 365-1640 joshua.parsons@pepsico.com HANSEN-RICE INC TAMI MCINTYRE NAMPA, ID (208) 465-0200 tmcintyre@hansen-rice.com JET HARVEST SOLUTIONS BILL STONEMAN MCFARLAND, WI (608) 268-7040 billstoneman@wfstoneman.com MPB BUILDERS INC DOYLE POKORNY RIPON, WI (920) 748-2601 doyle@mpbbuilders.com OAK RIDGE FOAM & COATING SYSTEMS JED STELLMACHER GREEN LAKE, WI (920) 294-6800 jeds@oakridgepoly.com RPE INC RUSSELL WYSOCKI BANCROFT, WI (800) 678-2789 jenny.bula@rpespud.com

Sprout Inhibiting

SERVICE COLD STORAGE LLC LES DOBBE STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 544-4565 ldobbe@servicecold.biz

NELSONS VEGETABLE STORAGE SYSTEMS INC HOLLY NELSON PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6660 holly@nelsonsveg.com

TECHMARK INC PATRICK MORRIS LANSING, MI (577) 322-0250 pmorris@sbcglobal.net

Sprout Inhibitors

Storage Control Systems

RONS REFRIGERATION & AC INC EUGENE MANCL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI (715) 421-1525 eugene.mancl@ronsrefrigeration.com

NELSONS VEGETABLE STORAGE SYSTEMS INC HOLLY NELSON PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6660 holly@nelsonsveg.com

Storage 1,4 GROUP JOHN BERGMAN

RONS REFRIGERATION & AC INC EUGENE MANCL WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WI

(715) 421-1525 eugene.mancl@ronsrefrigeration.com

Technology GPS Steering CROP IMS LLC FRANK TIPTON EFFINGHAM, IL (815) 590-8206 ftipton@cropims.com

Tile Plows CROP IMS LLC FRANK TIPTON EFFINGHAM, IL (815) 590-8206 ftipton@cropims.com

Tires SCHIERL TIRE & SERVICE CENTER DOUG EICHTEN STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 387-2569 douge@teamschierl.com

Transportation MARK TOYOTA OF PLOVER TIM DURIGAN PLOVER, WI (715) 254-9661 tim@markmotors.com

MOORE OIL COMPANY STUART GOETSCH PLOVER, WI (715) 345-2800 sgoetsch@mooreoil.com PLAINFIELD TRUCKING INC DARLENE THURLEY PLAINFIELD, WI (715) 335-6375 dar@plainfieldtrucking.com SCHIERL TIRE & SERVICE CENTER DOUG EICHTEN STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 387-2569 douge@teamschierl.com WISCONSIN KENWORTH CORY HECKENDORF MOSINEE, WI (715) 693-3900 cory.heckendorf@csmtruck.com

Truck Dealer BRICKNERS OF WAUSAU TOM BOGUMILL WAUSAU, WI (800) 462-8806 tom@bricknerfamily.com JX TRUCK CENTER TRACY JONAS

MOSINEE, WI (715) 692-2250 tjonas@jxe.com MARK TOYOTA OF PLOVER TIM DURIGAN PLOVER, WI (715) 254-9661 tim@markmotors.com MID-STATE TRUCK SERVICE INC JAY WEIDMAN PLOVER, WI (715) 344-2931 p.trucksales@midstatetruck.com QUINLANS EQUIPMENT INC TOM QUINLAN ANTIGO, WI (715) 627-4331 info@quinlansequipment.com SCAFFIDI TRUCKS ROBERT MARKLEY STEVENS POINT, WI (715) 344-4100 rmarkley@scaffidi.com V & H INC FRED SADOWSKA MARSHFIELD, WI (715) 486-8800 f.sadowska@vhtrucks.com continued on pg. 50

AG 800 ADJUSTABLE WHEEL TRACK SPREADERS Our all-new adjustable wheel track spreaders provide years of rugged use.

The AG-800 features a high-grade 304 stainless steel unitized onepiece body construction.

Conveyor trough, metergate, rear skid section, gearbox mounts and roller chains are also constructed of 304 stainless steel for longer durability.

ag systems, inc

4180 Reardon Rd., DeForest, WI 53532-2759 608.846.9064 • 800.523.2350 BC�T October 49

2016 WPVGA Associate Division Directory. . . continued from pg. 49

Truck Dealer - continued WISCONSIN KENWORTH CORY HECKENDORF MOSINEE, WI (715) 693-3900 cory.heckendorf@csmtruck.com

Wall, Ceiling Panels & Doors EXTRUTECH PLASTICS INC GREGORY SHEEHY MANITOWOC, WI (888) 818-0118 gsheehy@epibp.com

Washline Processing Equipment TRI STEEL MANUFACTURING COMPANY INC SCOTT HOMSTAD GRAND FORKS, ND (701) 772-5591 scotth@tristeelmfg.com

Washers

Waterproofing

Well Drilling

MAYO-HARRISTON MIKE DELISLE EAST GRAND FORKS, MN (218) 773-1234 mikedelisle@mayomfg.com

OAK RIDGE FOAM & COATING SYSTEMS JED STELLMACHER GREEN LAKE, WI (920) 294-6800 jeds@oakridgepoly.com

ROBERTS IRRIGATION CO INC

Water Treatment Supplier

Weather Monitoring

ANDERSON CHEMICAL COMPANY BRUCE ANDERSON LITCHFIELD, MN (320) 693-2477 banderson@accomn.com

SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES BRIDGET BOZARTH AURORA, IL (815) 436-4440 bbozarth@specmeters.com

COMPANIES

50 BC�T October

PAUL ROBERTS PLOVER, WI (715) 344-4747 proberts@callroberts.com SAMS WELL DRILLING ELLYN REDEKER RANDOLPH, WI (920) 326-5193 ellynr@samswelldrilling.com

CREATING CONNECTIONS

INSPIRING INNOVATION

IDENTIFYING TRENDS

FINDING SOLUTIONS CULTIVATING BUSINESS

Marketplace

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions and Consumer Education

Spudmobile Stays in High Demand, Approaches 40 Months in Operation When you are coming up on three and a half years of traveling throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest touting Wisconsin potatoes and the buy local message, and you still have requests coming in for additional events, you know you have something good going.

Such is the position of the Wisconsin Spudmobile. It has been a true trooper (as has the team making sure it gets safely from place to place) through not only difficult weather at times, but also an incredibly and increasingly busy schedule!

I’m willing to bet there are few RV owners who have used their vehicles more frequently than we’ve used the Spudmobile since its August 2014 debut. And what’s even better is that many events continue to be new! A few of the recent highlights involve 52 BC�T October

Above: These two young lassies are having a “whale of a time” with Spudly at the 2016 Irish Fest (thus the Irish lingo), August 19-20 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo courtesy of Irish Fest

the central and eastern part of the state.

Irish Fest in Milwaukee welcomed the Spudmobile with open gates for the first time this year. And what a privilege it was to attend! Located in the family area for two days of the festival on the Summerfest grounds, the Spudmobile was a popular attraction.

And although we couldn’t find a kilt to fit him in time for the event, Spudly made an appearance as well and was quite a hit with those who were wearing ethnic attire!

BADGERS VS. LSU Not long after that came the beginning of September, and specifically, Saturday the 3rd, when two college football teams went head to head at the iconic Lambeau Field

Above: Two young lads are happy to stand by Spudly outside the Spudmobile. They are anxious to make some spuds after their visit to Irish Fest on August 19-20 in Milwaukee.

Top: A large crowd pauses outside the Spudmobile at the 2016 Irish Fest to watch a parade commemorating the August event.

Right: Spudly didn’t have a kilt, and this guy wasn’t going to share his, so a picture would have to do! It’s a good thing Spudly was sporting green on his jersey and promoting Wisconsin potatoes at Irish Fest in August.

in Green Bay. And what a game it was between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Louisiana State University Tigers.

Outside the stadium prior to kickoff, mixtures of purple/yellow and red/ white were in abundance. The Spudmobile received its typical parking spot near the Veterans Memorial Monument, on the corner of Armed Forces Drive and Oneida Street.

Mad Dog and Merrill also came to help draw in a crowd. It became quickly apparent, however, that “drawing in a crowd” occurred naturally with the samples they were preparing. As they prepared 2,000 samples of a special creole potato dish to welcome the large group from

August 2016

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the South, the samples were gone as quickly as they were placed on the platter, and were completely gone in less than an hour.

ESPN was feet away, sharing statistics and details of what would soon prove to be a very colorful matchup, to say the least. Bucky’s Badgers would pull ahead with a win over LSU with only minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Spudmobile and crew would leave having brought a heightened awareness of the state’s potato industry to the large crowd that filled the stadium. Now that’s one hot potato promotion that “sure looks it!” continued on pg. 54

Badger Common’Tater

THE VOICE OF THE WISCONSIN POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

Above: The weather was “fierce hot” during Milwaukee’s Irish Fest this year in August, but that didn’t stop crowds from coming out to enjoy the event and visiting the Wisconsin Spudmobile.

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Whether you are a grower, industry partner or simply enjoy rural life, sign up to receive this prestigious publication in print version, delivered direct to your mailbox for $18/year (12 issues). r Assistant Professo Jeff Endelman, addresses crowd of Horticulture, Field Day. at Rhinelander

wisconsinpotatoes.com/blog-news/subscribe BC�T October 53

Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 53

Above: This group of lads and lasses plays the “bug game” inside the Wisconsin Spudmobile during Irish Fest in Milwaukee.

Top Right: The area outside Lambeau Field was booming with red/white and purple/yellow when the Badgers played the Tigers in Green Bay on September 3, yet another great venue at which to showcase the Wisconsin Spudmobile!

Right: This group had no problems providing potato samples to the large crowd that came for the Badgers football season opener at Lambeau Field against LSU on September 3. Pictured left to right are: Nick and Dianne Somers, and Jeanine and Ryan McCain, all of Plover River Farms in Stevens Point.

Bottom Left: There was nothing but love outside Lambeau Field between Badger and LSU fans on September 3 for the first game of the season.

Bottom Right: Mad Dog (right) and Merrill (left) stand by Spudly during the pre-game promotion for the Badgers vs. LSU game on September 3.

They featured a very healthy way of preparing potatoes with a little kick of creole to welcome Louisiana visitors!

54 BC�T October

Seed Piece Syngenta “Grow More Experience” Sites Showcase Seed Varieties and Innovations With the goal of offering an up-closeand-personal view of seed trails and performance at the local level, Syngenta offers more than 60 “Grow More Experience” sites across the continent.

The company realizes that local conditions require local expertise, and the sites offer a unique educational resource where retailers and Syngenta Seed Advisors™ can see Syngenta’s products in action and learn how to address local production challenges with customers.

With 16 new crop protection products and an expansion of its seeds offerings, Syngenta is able to showcase these innovations at this year’s locations, including trials featuring Acuron® corn herbicide and Orondis® and Trivapro® fungicides.

“At our Grow More Experience sites, you receive an immersive experience,” said Bob Kacvinsky,

a Syngenta agronomy service representative based in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“This is a tremendous learning opportunity, because you can walk into the field, dig up roots, gain a deeper understanding of how crops grow and see which products and agronomic practices can enhance your business,” Kacvinsky adds.

BRINGING SCIENCE TO LIFE Scott Heinrich, an agronomy sales manager with Farmers Cooperative in Dorchester, Nebraska, has seen firsthand how the York, Nebraska, Grow More Experience site has benefitted him and his customers.

“The site brings science to life in a real-world setting,” he said. “It lets you see the whole system in action in the field and put things into a dollarsand-cents perspective.”

Syngenta designs each Grow More Experience site with local growing conditions and production practices in mind. As a result, attendees have

Above: Syngenta offers more than 60 “Grow More Experience” site locations across North America in 2016. The sites provide retailers and Syngenta seed advisors an opportunity to see science in action with an educational resource at a local level.

a front-row seat to trials showcasing the best new Syngenta technologies that can bring maximum value to farmers’ fields.

The sites also demonstrate how growers can use existing Syngenta products more effectively.

Each site focuses on local crops, including corn and soybeans in the Midwest, cotton and rice in the South, vegetables in the East and specialty crops in the western United States. The sites reflect the integration of agronomic principles, Syngenta genetics, Seedcare solutions and crop protection products.

To learn more about a Grow More Experience site near you, contact your Syngenta sales representative, or go to www.knowmoregrowmore. com to read in-season updates from select sites across the country. For the latest news and trends in agriculture, go to www.syngentathrive.com.

BC�T October 55

Badger Beat Management to Storage: Potato Blackleg and Soft Rot

By Amanda J. Gevens, Associate Professor & Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Plant Pathology

While “traditional” blackleg and soft rot,

are not uncommon in potato production, depending upon crop conditions, the presence of these diseases in association with the detection of Dickeya species (spp.) in some production areas has raised concern as the crop is harvested and considered for storage.

This article provides a review of blackleg and soft rot disease and management caused by Dickeya and Pectobacterium spp.

The primary bacterial pathogens that cause potato blackleg and tuber soft rot are Pectobacterium atrosepticum, P. carotovorum, P. wasabiae, and more recently in the United States, Dickeya spp. Previously, all of these pathogens were grouped in the same genus Erwinia.

Dickeya and Pectobacterium affect many host species, including potato, carrot, broccoli, corn, sunflower and parsnip; legumes and small grains are not known hosts. Dickeya dianthicola was confirmed in the eastern United States in just 2015, causing significant potato losses in some areas.

Dickeya appears to spread rapidly over long distances via seed potatoes, was first reported in the Netherlands in the 1970s and has since been detected in many other European countries, and now in the United States.

Under the right environmental conditions, infection of seed with blackleg pathogens can result in symptoms including poor emergence, chlorosis, wilting, tuber and stem rot, darkened or black stems that are slimy and death. These symptoms result from the cell-wall-degrading enzyme activity of the bacteria within Left: The presence of blackleg in association with the detection of Dickeya species (spp.) has raised concern as the crop is harvested and considered for storage. Here is a close-up of black leg. Photo courtesy of Amanda Gevens

56 BC�T October

the plant tissues on which they infect.

Although disease symptoms are often indistinguishable between Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp., Dickeya spp. appear to require lower inoculum levels in order to start disease, have ability to spread through the plant’s vascular tissue better than Pectobacterium, are more aggressive and require higher optimal temperatures for disease.

TEMERATURE & MOISTURE Blackleg and soft rot bacterial diseases are promoted by cool, wet conditions at planting and high temperatures after emergence.

While the pathogens can be spread in infested seed, other sources of inoculum include soil, irrigation water and insects.

Levels of infection are dependent upon seed-handling/cutting techniques, soil moisture and temperature at planting and emergence, cultivar susceptibility, severity of infection of seed, and potentially, the number of bacteria in irrigation water, cull piles or other external sources.

Sanitation and disinfesting of potato cutting equipment and proper handling reduces spread and aids in control of the pathogen. Treating seed to prevent seed piece decay by fungi can also contribute to blackleg control.

Since the pathogen does well in cool, wet soils, avoid planting in overly wet soil. Crop rotation away from

potato for two-to-three years for Pectobacterium and just one-to-two years for Dickeya species will help control this disease as the bacteria do not survive well in soil.

While seed borne or vascular blackleg cannot be reversed with applications of fungicides or bactericides, spread of the bacterial pathogen from infected to healthy plants and aerial stem rot may be managed in the field with fungicide tank-mixes that contain copper. Most often, conditions favoring plant to plant spread include high winds and driving rains or heavy overhead irrigation.

It is likely that Dickeya was present and spreading in seed potatoes and on farms in affected states for a couple years (2013-2014) without causing significant disease damage due to cool temperatures. In 2015, however, temperatures were warmer and the presence of Dickeya resulted in significant disease outbreaks on

commercial potato farms.

Symptoms caused by Dickeya spp. tend to develop when temperatures exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit, while Pectobacterium predominate below 77 degrees. Increased detection and recognition of this rapidly spreading disease problem has prompted additional sampling and monitoring efforts from within numerous seed certification and regulatory agencies.

CHALLENGING FIELD CONTROL Field control of aerial stem rot is challenging. Copper-containing fungicides such as Kocide can provide some control of aerial stem rot and can aid in managing bacterial infection after the crop has suffered hail or driving rain/wind damage. continued on pg. 58 RIght: The primary pathogens that cause potato blackleg, shown here, and tuber soft rot are Pectobacterium atrosepticum, P. carotovorum, P. wasabiae, and more recently in the United States, Dickeya spp. Photo courtesy of Amanda Gevens

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Badger Beat. . . continued from pg. 57

However, note that results of these approaches have had varied success throughout the United States. In work

by Dr. Dennis Johnson of Washington State University, the famoxadone + cymoxanil (Tanos) plus mancozeb tank-mix alternated with mancozeb + copper hydroxide (ie: Kocide) was an effective chemical tool in reducing aerial stem rot in potato.

Irrigation management to reduce excess water also greatly enhanced control of aerial stem rot. Copper hydroxide applications alone did not have as effective of control as Tanos + copper hydroxide.

Symptoms of soft rot on potato tubers appear to be similar whether caused by Dickeya or Pectobacterium.

Tuber soft rot ranges from a slight vascular discoloration to complete decay. Affected tuber tissue is cream to tan in color and is soft and granular.

Brown to black pigments often develop at the margins of decayed tissue. Lesions usually first develop in lenticels, at the site of stolon attachment or in wounds. Recent studies showed that Dickeya spp., particularly at temperatures of greater than 80 degrees Fahrenheit, cause more severe rots than P. atrosepticum and are more likely to produce a creamier, cheesy rot.

Dickeya dianthicola has the ability to remain dormant in tubers when temperatures are low (ie: at harvest and in seed storages). As such, the crop may look good going into storage, and may store well, but the bacteria can cause disease and spread the next year if infected potatoes are planted into warm soil.

In this scenario, seed tubers may rot

58 BC�T October

in the soil causing poor emergence, or infected plants may emerge and survive just long enough to spread the disease to surrounding plants.

Pectobacterium and Dickeya spp. can be challenging to manage due to the absence of curative pesticides or resistant varieties and the limited ability to predict the severity of the disease in the field. An integrated management approach is essential for mitigating blackleg and soft rot of potato.

Planting and Production Season Management • Plant Pectobacterium and Dickeyafree seed potatoes into welldrained soil at temperatures less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant during conditions that favor fast emergence.

• Cutting seed spreads Pectobacterium and Dickeya within a lot. Consider planting uncut seed when possible. If cutting seed, ensure that cutting equipment and planter are thoroughly sanitized between lots. Ensure that cut tuber surfaces are suberized prior to planting. Bacteria cannot enter plant tissues unless there is a port of entry (ie: un-suberized cut surfaces or bruises). Seed-applied fungicides may prevent seed piece decay and can indirectly prevent seed contamination during cutting.

• Utilize crop rotation of two or more years with a non-host crop.

• Seed should be warmed prior to planting so that it is approximately the same temperature as the soil to reduce condensation. A film of water or a wet surface favors bacterial infection.

•A void over-irrigation and excessive fertilization (may impact plant and tuber maturity).

•C onsider copper fungicides, which can be effective against disease and dry out lesions.

Late Season and Post-Harvest Management •D elay harvest up to 21 days after vine kill to ensure complete skin set.

•A void wet soil conditions at harvest to prevent soil from sticking to tuber skins.

•M inimize cuts and bruises at harvest.

• I f soft rot is present in a portion of the field, this part of the field should not be harvested. If infected tubers are stored, store them separately.

•H arvesting equipment should be sanitized between lots.

•P rovide adequate ventilation to reduce conditions favorable to bacterial infection. Check stored tubers regularly for temperature increase and odors. Spot treat problem areas to minimize spread.

•R educe bacterial load on tubers as they enter storage and once in storage through use of post-harvest treatments such as chlorine dioxide, hydrogen dioxide or ozone.

•D ry potatoes before storage or shipping.

Acknowledgements: Al-Mughrabi, K., 2016.

Dickeya: A new threat to potato production in North America. SpudSmart. Online May 19; Charkowksi, A.O., 2016. Personal communication on Dickeya status, character, and management.

New Products Heat and Control E-FLO Electroporation Makes Better Chips

by improving crunch, taste and texture using Pulse Electric Field (PEF) technology.

Heat and Control, in response to snack processors recognizing a demand by consumers for a healthy snack product with an enhanced taste and “mouth feel,” developed technology for significant product improvement in chip crunch, taste and texture.

Using the process of Pulse Electric Field (PEF) technology, the E-FLO™ Electroporation processing system by Heat and Control has been developed with not only the processor in mind, to help with improving yield, but also the consumer, where the potato chip is crunchier and also healthier.

The Pulse Electric Field (PEF) process perforates the cell walls of the potato, creating micro-holes that allow the asparagine and sugars to be washed out of the potato in a cold wash, which lowers acrylamide in the final product. This process reduces or eliminates the need for blanching in most cases.

Heat and Control has released the E-FLO Electroporation processing system to a range of equipment, which has shown significant product improvement in the chip crunch, taste and texture, as well as achieving reduction in acrylamide formation and oil content. This also means the potato chip is lower in fat content.

our range of equipment and adds a new variation to the way the potato product is prepared prior to the frying process.”

“Current testing shows lower acrylamide in the final product, while producing a healthier and better tasting, crunchier quality potato chip,” Kane concludes.

There is noticeable improvement in cutting or slicing of potatoes which has a two-fold effect. First, slicer yield is higher; plus, the slicer blade life is extended. Secondly, the improved texture of the potato slices themselves means there is less oil

uptake during the cooking process, resulting in a healthier product.

Processors can also realize further cost savings by the reduction of blanching requirements in the preparation of the product.

This patent protected technology is now available to provide key food safety, quality and efficiency enhancements for the food processor. The design is compact for easy integration into existing processing lines or new lines.

Applications are for potato chips and French fries, with formed potato products and other root vegetables to follow.

For further information on this product, or to view it at a working facility, visit www.heatandcontrol. com or email info@heatandcontrol.com.

Or stay up to date with the latest information and follow Heat and Control on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, search “Heat and Control.”

POTATO PREPARATION Bobby Kane, Heat and Control sales manager in the southern and western European and Middle East regions, says, “This new product enhances BC�T October 59

NPC News Potato Growers Host Farm Tour for EPA Staff Farmers get opportunity to interact with agency decision makers The National Potato Council (NPC) led a delegation of 12 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff on a tour of Minnesota potato fields. The annual field event gives EPA staff the opportunity to see potato production, discuss pesticide utilization and interact with farmers outside the confines of Washington, D.C. Growers provide employees at EPA an in-depth look at their pesticide stewardship practices and the process of bringing potatoes from field to table. The 2016 tour was held August 16-18 in various locations surrounding Park Rapids, Minnesota.

“The tour offers potato growers a chance for extended interaction with agency decision-makers,” said Chuck Gunnerson, this year’s organizer and president of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association. “It’s a unique opportunity for both growers and policymakers, one that the NPC undertakes to enhance understanding 60 BC�T October

on both sides.”

Participants from the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, including members of the divisions that handle product registrations and reviews, made visits to the local farms of Pete Ewing and R.D. Offutt Farm Operations, and Sand Plain Research Farm at Becker, Minnesota.

The Sand Plain Research Farm is affiliated with the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station.

FRESH POTATO PACKING PLANT EPA participants visited a fresh potato packing plant, witnessed harvest activity, experienced an aerial application demonstration, toured recently planted pollinator forage habitat, discussed the use of cover crops and crop rotations, received detailed insight on day-to-day potato

Above: Nick David, Ph.D., a Midwest regional agronomist at R.D. Offutt, explains field conditions and disease modeling to EPA members who attended a tour of Minnesota potato fields.

production activities and learned more about university field plot trials to maximize nitrogen efficiency.

“The field tour hosted by NPC allowed me to see firsthand how pest management tools work and to gain a better understanding of how potatoes are harvested,” said Nikhil Mallampalli, entomologist in the Biological and Economic Analysis Division of the Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA. “I came away from the tour with a greater appreciation for the pest management challenges of growers and the work they do to produce a crop for a market that has rigorous quality standards,” Mallampalli added.

Apply Now for Potato Leadership Institute Class of 2017 The National Potato Council (NPC) and Potatoes USA are accepting applications for the Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI) class of 2017. The annual eight-day program, to be held Feb. 8-16, 2017, is designed to identify, develop, and cultivate new leaders within the U.S. potato industry.

During the program, 20 potato growers and industry representatives from across the country focus on leadership development, public policy, marketing, team building and public communication.

The 2017 class will begin in Bangor, Maine, where participants will receive an overview of the U.S. potato industry and tour local

production areas, storages, fresh pack facilities and processing plants.

The group will then travel to Washington, D.C., where the focus shifts to national legislative and regulatory policy priorities for the U.S. potato industry.

Participants are selected through state organization nominations and a committee facilitated by NPC and Potatoes USA, who jointly coordinate the program. The Institute is made possible each year through a major sponsorship from Syngenta, which has a long history of commitment to leadership development in agriculture.

The Institute is also accepting applications for a scholarship

available to a grower who lacks a state or local potato organization. The scholarship covers the $2,000 PILI registration fee, air transportation, lodging and meals. All applicants will be reviewed by the selection committee.

Registration forms and scholarship applications are available online at http://nationalpotatocouncil. org/events-and-programs/potatoindustry-leadership-institute/ or by contacting Hillary Hutchins at hillaryh@nationalpotatocouncil.org.

The deadline for both applications is October 14, 2016.Â

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BC�T October 61

Eyes on Associates

By WPVGA Associate Div. President, Wayne Solinsky, Jay-Mar, Inc.

Greetings all, It has been a good growing season and we are finishing it up by harvesting the fruits of our labor.

One topic I want to address is safety.

Please be safe out there in your haste to get everything harvested, and always remember, safety first. There are so many things that can happen and they happen in a second, so be careful. We don’t need to lose any more of our members.

There are several things still in the planning stages for the WPVGA Grower Education Conference & Industry Show. We are looking to finalize our entertainment for the evening banquet.

Part of what we want to accomplish is to provide a fun reason for our attendees to stay and enjoy the evening. Call it a date night at our expense, but please plan on attending.

That is what it is all about—an appreciation for you, the industry members.

We have changed the exhibit hours this year. On Tuesday, the hours have been changed from 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. (last year) to 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (this year). Wednesday was 7:30 a.m.3:30 p.m., and will now be 8:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. This was due to requests from exhibitors to not have to be at their booths for such a long duration.

We try to accommodate.

If you haven’t made your reservation as an exhibitor, please do so as soon as possible to lock in your spot at the Grower Education Conference.

62 BC�T October

PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS? We are conducting a survey to determine exhibitor interest in having a break-out session where they are given the opportunity to introduce and explain any new or cutting-edge product to industry attendees. This request has been made in the past, and we are trying to accommodate it in the best way that we can. So after our survey, we will be in a better position to evaluate how to best go about this.

On a different note, we as the Associate Division are reaching out to all of our members to raise money for an important cause, namely water education public relations. We need to get our message across to the general public using science-based facts as to how we as an industry are using water responsibly, and that we are growing and producing more per acre, using less water, than ever before.

We are also researching and trying to explain how our vegetable crops being grown for food and nourishment for mankind use far less water to grow per year than trees would need if they were growing in their place.

We are being faced with an onslaught of negative articles and misinformation that the public is disseminating by listening, reading and forming their opinions based on one-sided speculation rather than science and facts.

KICKSTART FUNDS Thanks to our fantastic support from our sponsors and golfers at the PUTTTATO Open, we have generated funds from it and other events so we as the Associate Division Board are willing and able to match the first $25,000 to kick start this much needed Water Task Force, or Water, Research and Education Fund.

We need to have our voice heard loud and clear. So please help out as much

as you can with this worthy cause.

I also want to send a huge thank you to Adam Flyte from Flyte Farms for donating sweet corn to the Hancock Field Days the last several years. He has willingly donated the great tasting sweet corn, and we are extremely appreciative. So if you get the chance, please extend a big, hearty thank you to him. It takes willing people like Adam and Flyte Farms to make events like this successful.

We are already contacting golf courses for next year’s PUTT-TATO Open.

Each year we send out requests for bids from all of the local golf courses that can handle a group as large as the one we bring in. Once we get the bids back, the Associate Division makes a decision as to where our next event will be held based on price, accommodations and willingness to work with us.

For any of the growers and associates who are members at these golf courses, please advise your respective courses to be as competitive as they can be if they want a chance to host this great event.

Everyone have a safe, productive harvest this fall. I hope we have a good fall and are able to get all crops in before the frost.

We the WPVGA Associate Division are here to help the industry, so if you have any questions, comments, ideas or concerns, please contact me or any of our board members so we can better assist and provide our best representation for you, our members.

Thanks for reading. Be safe, be happy, and most of all, be content. There is no better place to be than at peace with yourself.

As always, from me to all of you,

Wayne Solinsky

WPVGA Associate Division President

Potatoes USA U.S. Potato Exports Hit Second Highest Level on Record Total U.S. potato exports for the July 2015-June 2016 marketing year grew 4 percent in value to $1,693,395,167, the second highest level on record.

The fresh weight equivalent (fwe) volume of exports increased 6 percent to 3,219,892 metric tons (MT) or 70,985,739 hundredweight (cwt).

This growth was led by increases in the volume of exports of frozen potato products, up 11 percent, fresh potatoes, up 8 percent, potato chips, up 3 percent, and seed potatoes, up 6 percent. The only category to decline was dehydrated potatoes, down 3 percent.

Frozen potato products are still the dominate export item, accounting for 52 percent of the total, with dehydrated potatoes second at 27 percent.

U.S. exports were assisted by the conclusion of the West Coast port delays, improved market access and Potatoes USA promotional programs. Growth was tempered by the strong U.S. dollar, both relative to competitors and to the export markets, continued market access restrictions, particularly for fresh potatoes, and increased competition from the European Union due to expanding processing capacity there.

For market year 2016, the volume of frozen product exports was 992,707 metric tons valued at $1.1 billion.

The top five export destinations were as follows: Japan, 246,082 MT, up 9 percent; Mexico, 126,508 MT, down less than 1 percent; China, 118,670 MT, up 58 percent; South Korea, 89,975 MT, up 13 percent; and the Philippines, 49,944 MT, up 3 percent.

Exports of dehydrated potatoes were down 6 percent to 134,780 MT and valued at $200 million. This is still the second highest level on record,

with much of the decline occurring in May and June 2016. The top five export destinations were as follows: Canada, 38,204 MT, up 9 percent; Japan, 27,258 MT, down 19 percent; Mexico, 24,112 MT, up 2 percent; the Philippines, 8,436 MT, up 98 percent; and China, 7,176 MT, down 8 percent.

FRESH POTATO EXPORTS RISE Fresh potato exports were up 8 percent to 441,990 MT, valued at $183 million. Fresh exports include table stock as well as chip stock, and fresh potatoes destined for frozen processing. The top five export destinations were as follows: Canada, 213,411 MT, up 10 percent; Mexico, 93,323 MT, up 13 percent; Japan (all chip-stock), 36,208 MT, up 108 percent; Taiwan, 19,860 MT, up 18 percent; and South Korea (all chipstock), 15,026 MT, down 38 percent.

Exports of potato chips, which are mainly fabricated chips, were up 3

percent to 49,521 MT and valued at $192 million. Mexico is the largest market at 14,932 MT, up 3 percent, and Canada is the second largest at 12,168 MT, up 2 percent.

Seed potato exports were up 14 percent to 15,095 MT and valued at $7 million. However, these figures are not 100 percent accurate as fresh potatoes are sometimes misclassified as seed potatoes and vice-versa.

Prospects for continued growth in U.S. exports look good as worldwide demand for potatoes and potato products continues to grow, however the strong dollar and increased competition will continue to moderate this growth. The National Potato Council will continue to work on market access issues, and Potatoes USA is expanding its international marketing and promotions programs.

These programs are partially funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture “Market Access Program,” “Emerging Markets Program,” “Quality Samples Program” and “Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops” program funds obtained through the Foreign Agriculture Service.

For further information, please contact Potatoes USA Chief Marketing Officer John Toaspern, john@ potatoesusa.com, 303-369-7783. continued on pg. 64

US Potato Exports July – June Fiscal Year $ Millions $1,800

25%

$1,600

3%

$1,400

0%

$1,200

6%

$1,000 $800

8%

$600 $400 $200 $0

2014/15

2015/16

Frozen

Dehy

Fresh

Chips

Seed BC�T October 63

Potatoes USA . . . continued from pg. 63

FDA Revises Nutrition Facts Label for Potatoes The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released revisions to the Nutrition Facts Label that has graced the back of packaged foods for more than 20 years. The revisions reflect recent advances in nutrition knowledge and are designed to better help consumers make informed decisions about the foods they eat and feed their families.

• Vitamin B6: 12% (previously 10%)

The new label requirements are mostly good news for potatoes, particularly the required inclusion of potassium as it will increase awareness of this important nutrient and highlight the content of potatoes (particularly relative to other foods).

• A slightly re-tooled design to better emphasize calories by making the font larger and bolder.

None of these changes impact the claims that can be made in terms of “a good or excellent source of,” however any callouts on packaging will need to be adjusted to reflect these new Daily Value percentages.

Other notable changes to the new label include:

That being said, the FDA has made adjustments to their Recommended Daily Value of many nutrients, including several that appear on the potato nutrition label. This changes the percentage of Daily Value listed on the label for those below:

• Serving sizes that more closely reflect what people actually consume today. Serving sizes will now be based on the “reference amount customarily consumed,” or RACC. For multi-serving food products that could either be consumed in one or multiple sittings, a dual column label will be used to indicate the nutrition information “per serving” and “per package.”

• Fiber: 7% (previously 8%) • Calcium: 2% (previously 2%) • Iron: 6% (unchanged) • Potassium: 13% (previously 18%) • Vitamin C: 30% (previously 45%)

• Inclusion of “added sugars” in both grams and percent daily value (% DV) to help consumers know how much sugar has been added to the product. According to the 2015-2020

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, less than 10 percent of total calories should come from added sugars.

• T he substitution of vitamins A and C with potassium and vitamin D in both milligrams and % DV. Iron and calcium will remain. This change reflects the fact that potassium and vitamin D were identified as “nutrients of concern” in 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

•U pdated % DVs for sodium, dietary fiber and vitamin D that are consistent with the Institute of Medicine recommendations and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

•R emoval of “calories from fat” based on research indicating that the type of fat is more important than the amount. Nonetheless, “total fat,” “trans fats” and “saturated fat” will remain.

•M ost food manufacturers will be required to use the new label by July 26, 2018. Manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales will have an additional year to comply with the new rules.

WPIB Focus Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison Month

Jul-15

Aug-15

Sep-15

Oct-15

Nov-15

Dec-15

Jan-16

Feb-16

Mar-16

Apr-16

May-16

Jun-16

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,679,466.61

553,089.04

2,232,555.65

Assessment

$100,717.55

$33,240.32

$133,957.87

Month

Jul-16

Aug-16

Sep-16

Oct-16

Nov-16

Dec-16

Jan-17

Feb-17

Mar-17

Apr-17

May-17

Jun-17

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,596,377.06

706,549.40

2,302,926.46

Assessment

$96,214.65

$46,392.12

$142,606.77

64 BC�T October

Ali's Kitchen Column & Photos by Ali Carter, Vice President, WPGA

Taco Tots—Tater Tots Dressed to Taste Like Tacos!

Who doesn’t love tater tots?

They are a basic comfort food that brings back childhood memories for many, and today I am sharing with you a recipe that adds a bit of a delicious twist to these classic puffs of potato. And I’m tickled to tell you that this is a recipe my teenage daughter created and has been making, without any assistance from me, for the past three years.

Since its creation at our home, we’ve noticed that similar recipes are popping up and it seems that just maybe we don’t have quite the unique recipe we initially thought we had. This knowledge hasn’t taken the wind out of my daughter’s sails one little bit; she’s a whiz kid in the kitchen and simply thrives on

her time there (her dream is to be a chef one day and own her own restaurant).

Best of all, she enjoys sharing the kitchen with me and her siblings while we all cook together. It’s wonderful family time that I cherish.

I share this recipe with you today, not only because it is tasty, but also to highlight how fun and simple cooking with potatoes can be. It is easy recipes such as this one that allows for littler hands of children and grandchildren to be a part of the meal process.

I have asked Alayna to write out the recipe and tell you a bit about how she came to start preparing this

INGREDIENTS: 1 bag of tater tots 1 pound of ground beef ½ onion, diced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ tablespoons cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 1 can black beans Handful of pickled jalapeños, or to taste ½ onion diced 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese SUGGESTED TOPPINGS: Sour cream, Salsa, More pickled jalapeños, Cheese sauce

continued on pg. 66 BC�T October 65

Ali's Kitchen. . .

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continued from pg. 65

particular meal. She was excited about the opportunity and I am a pleased mother to have her do so.

“One day while I was watching a cooking show, this perfect, taco-y meal came to me. What if you took an awesome childhood favorite, tater tots, and dressed them up with some adult topping and made them taste like a taco?” she asks.

“This was one of the best ideas I have ever had,” Alayna says. “I decided to call them Taco Tots! Why has nobody thought of this before? This is genius. Ever since the first day I made them they were a huge hit with my brothers, and I knew then that they would one day be on my menu at my restaurant. These Taco Tots are not even that hard to make.”

INSTRUCTIONS: “The very first thing you need to do is turn the oven to 415 degrees

Fahrenheit and put the tater tots in a 9x13-inch greased pan,” Alayna explains. “Then season the tater tots with salt and pepper to taste, and put all of that in the oven for about 15 minutes.”

“While the tater tots are baking, put the ground beef, half the onion, garlic and seasonings in a pan and cook it over medium high heat until the meat is cooked all of the way through,” she continues. “Once the tater tots have been cooking for about 15 minutes, turn the broiler on high and brown up the tater tots on as many sides as you can.”

“When the tater tots are browned all of the way, add everything else on top and put back under the broiler until the cheese is melty and a little brown and bubbly. Tada!! You have Taco tots! Enjoy, and top with taco toppings such as sour cream and salsa,” Alayna recommends.

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P.O. Box 327 Antigo, WI 54409

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