1801_Badger Common'Tater

$18/year | $1.50/copy | Volume 70 No. 1 | JANUARY 2018

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

WPVGA INDUSTRY SHOW & TRUCKS/ EQUIPMENT ISSUE INTERVIEW:

Joe Bushman President Liberty Packing and J&J Potatoes POTATO PINK EYE Rears its Ugly Head GROWER EDUCATION Conference Speakers Set A HALF CENTURY Of Crop Rotation REMOTE SENSING Forum Held for Farmers

Harvest at J&J Potatoes Inc. continues a tradition that dates back over a century.

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On the Cover: From when this issue’s interviewee, Joe Bushman, first started working on the farm until today, J&J Potatoes Inc. went from digging two rows of potatoes at a time to 12 rows, using two four-row windrowers and a fourrow Lenco harvester. The photo was taken during harvest at J&J Potatoes of Galloway, Wisconsin, also home to the Liberty Packing arm of the business.

8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW: The Bushman family has been growing potatoes in Galloway, Wisconsin, since 1909. The business includes Liberty Packing, where this issue’s interviewee, Joe Bushman (right) and his son, Joey (left), hold bags of russet potatoes.

While Joe is president of J&J Potatoes and Liberty Packing, Joey is an equally integral part of both businesses, running the packing shed and taking care of sales, among many other duties.

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR..... 6 NEW PRODUCTS............... 47 NPC NEWS........................ 56 PEOPLE ............................ 32

FEATURE ARTICLES:

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

14 POTATO PINK EYE causes storage issues after challenging ’17 harvest season

POTATOES USA NEWS...... 46

18 REMOTE SENSING CONFERENCE addresses need to analyze data gathered 36 GROWER ED PREVIEW: Researcher presentations/topics set for conference 4

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

Treasurer: Nick Laudenbach Directors: Paul Cieslewicz, Kenton Mehlberg, Zach Mykisen & Joel Zalewski Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board of Directors: President: Bill Guenthner Vice President: Charlie Mattek Secretary/Treasurer: J.D. Schroeder Directors: Jeff Fassbender, Dan Kakes

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: Kathy Bartsch Vice President: Devin Zarda Secretary/Treasurer: Deniell Bula Directors: Jody Baginski, Brittany Bula, Paula Houlihan & Marie Reid

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

Mission Statement of the WPVGA: To advance the interests of WPVGA members through education, information, environmentally sound research, promotion, governmental action and involvement.

Mission Statement of the WPVGA Associate Division: To work in partnership with the WPVGA as product and service providers to promote mutual industry viability by 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 subscription rates: $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 January

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MARK YOUR

Calendar JANUARY 8-10 POTATOES USA WINTER MEETING Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL 10 POTATO BUSINESS SUMMIT Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL 10-12 POTATO EXPO Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL 10-13 NPC ANNUAL MEETING Rosen Shingle Creek Resort Orlando, FL 25 2018 WI AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK FORUM UW-Madison Campus, Union South, Varsity Hall II Madison, WI 25-27 GLOBAL ORGANIC PRODUCE EXPO Presented by The Packer Hollywood, FL

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INTERNATIONAL CROP EXPO Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND

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MIDWEST MINT GROWERS MEETING Wilderness Resort Wisconsin Dells, WI

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POTATOES USA ANNUAL MEETING Marriott City Center Denver, CO

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Planting Ideas Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) was formed in 1948 “by potato growers for potato growers.” In fact, the name spoke volumes: “The Potato Growers of Wisconsin” was founded on February 13, 1948.

With 2018 marking 70 years of the WPVGA, it’s fitting to look back at the roots of the association, how it has evolved and grown, and why it remains an integral spoke in the wheel of potato and vegetable growing.

Look for a full-blown feature article on the 70th anniversary of the WPVGA in the upcoming March 2018 issue of the Badger Common’Tater, in which we’ll take a look back, as well as at the present and toward the future of the association and its indelible impact on potato and vegetable growing.

From the beginning, the WPVGA was set up to promote and protect the interests of potato growers and handlers in the state of Wisconsin, and to arrange, hold and conduct meetings of growers and handlers. The mission remains the same, as the WPVGA aims “to assist members to be successful through education, information, environmentally sound research, promotion, governmental action and involvement.”

The Badger Common’Tater is just one avenue through which the WPVGA achieves its goals. In this issue alone are researched articles aimed at helping growers improve their crops, quality and yield. One such feature talks about how potato pink eye has proven problematic in 2017, causing storage issues after a challenging harvest season. A second article reviews a “Remote Sensing Conference” hosted by the University of WisconsinMadison and well attended by growers and industry professionals who wanted to hear the latest on remote sensing, data and the need for integrated research to determine the best way to analyze data gathered.

The Grower Education Conference & Industry Show is another avenue for the entire agricultural industry to come together and share products, advancements and ideas. Preview the Grower Education Conference and the full slate of speakers and topics to be presented, in this issue.

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

JOE BUSHMAN, president,

Liberty Packing Inc. and J&J Potatoes Inc.

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

NAME: Joe Bushman TITLE: President COMPANY: Liberty Packing Inc. and J&J Potatoes Inc. LOCATION: Galloway, WI HOMETOWN: Galloway YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: 30 years PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: n/a SCHOOLING: High school ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: St. Joseph’s parish council AWARDS/HONORS: WittenbergBirnamwood School Board president, 15 years FAMILY: Wife, Wendy, married for 40 years; two children, Joey and Bethany; and five grandchildren HOBBIES: Bowling, hunting and grandkids

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The Bushmans have been growing potatoes for more than a century in the Galloway, Wisconsin, area. Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Hall of Famer Joseph Bushman began farming there in 1909.

Joseph’s grandsons, Joe (this issue’s interviewee), Brian, Bob, Jon and Jerome (Jerry) all continue to work in the potato industry, as do many of the founding father’s great-grandchildren. And from all indications, the Bushman legacy will continue for years and generations to come.

and including 12 long-haul trucks, nine of which are mainly used for potatoes and three for equipment.

Joe and his brother, Brian, incorporated J&J Potatoes and Liberty Packing of Galloway, in 1987, when their father, Ernie, retired.

They started the two companies in an effort to separate the growing and packaging of potatoes.

“It gave us the opportunity to haul our own product,” Brian says. “Today our potato business is so demanding.

We drive to Washington Courthouse and Shelby, Ohio, and to Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois and Salisbury, North Carolina.”

“We came up with the name J&J Potatoes from the initials of our first-born sons, Joey (Joe’s son) and Jordan (Brian),” Joe explains, “and the Liberty Packing name came from the Liberty-brand boxes we pack that my uncle, Harry Bushman, patented.”

MANDATE EATS INTO MARGINS

Another arm of the business is Bushman Trucking, founded in 2006, but really going back to the 1980’s,

At any one time, Bushman Trucking employs as many as 22 drivers, a far cry from the one truck Joe, Brian, Bob and Jon had in 1983, which they drove from farm to farm, hauling equipment and produce.

The profit margins are low in the trucking business, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Above: A third-generation potato farmer and president of Liberty Packing Inc. and J&J Potatoes Inc. in Galloway, Wisconsin, Joe Bushman has seen a transformation in farming practices in his lifetime, including technological advances, overall efficiency and streamlined operating methods.

2017 Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate, which took effect December 18, isn’t likely to help.

“Our biggest fear is profitability with the ELD mandate,” Brian says. “It will take us 40 percent longer in some cases, if we’re running to Washington Courthouse and have to take an extra day because the driver is sitting at the loading dock.”

The ELD mandate allows 11 hours of drive time in a 14-hour window. So, if four-to-six hours of the 14 hours is spent in shipping and receiving after one leg of a trip, it leaves less than 10 hours of drive, fueling, break, lunch or dinner time for drivers, and loading or unloading.

“It’s not so much the mandate or even the electric logging,” Brian explains, “but that the mandate is written by people who aren’t drivers.

They don’t realize that if you’re sitting in the dock, you have to drive that much longer without a break to make up the time.”

the rest of the potato and vegetable growing operation:

Left: A potato field stretching to the horizon is a common sight in Galloway, Wisconsin, and has been for more than a century.

How many acres do you farm? We try to grow around 675 acres of potatoes, all fresh, mostly of the Silverton variety. We’ve been having very good luck with them.

Right: In the old days, potatoes were packed in 50-pound bags or 100-pound burlap. But today, Joe Bushman of J&J Potatoes Inc. says customers have their choice of 5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 pounds, and whatever size profile they want, either non-A, A size, 5-9-ounce or 10-ounce potatoes.

We also plant some Goldrush to get started a few weeks earlier.

Is it strictly potatoes or other vegetables, and how many acres of each? We grow around 600 acres of sweet corn, 250 acres of soybeans and some alfalfa.

I believe your father, Ernie, worked the farm, and your grandfather, Joseph, and now your son, Joe Jr.?

There must be tremendous pride there. What are you most proud of regarding your family legacy and the farm? I’m the third generation, yes, and the fourth generation is my son,

The fifth generation, my older grandchildren, Aiden and Drayden, are already starting to help and always want to come to the warehouse.

My son, Joey, is an integral part of both businesses. At J&J Potatoes, he will do the planting, cultivating, spraying and irrigating of the potatoes. At Liberty Packing, continued on pg. 10

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“Someone’s going to have to play hardball with the shippers and receivers. Sure, electronic logging should lessen the hours of service violations,” he concludes, “but whoever thought of this isn’t in trucking.”

Though Joe diverted trucking questions to Brian, he graciously took time to answer questions about

Joey, and Brian’s son, Ryan, along with my son-in-law, Kevin Kersten.

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 9

he runs the packing shed and takes care of sales.

My daughter, Bethany Kersten, is the receptionist and secretary at Liberty Packing. Her husband (Kevin) also helps with the growing of the potatoes, running forklift and the selling of potatoes.

My nephew, Ryan Bushman, takes care of the sweet corn and soybean planting. He also helps with growing the potatoes, and when harvest

comes, he runs the Lenco Harvester.

I’m very proud of all of them and all their hard work.

Speaking of kids, what was it like on the farm for you as a kid? I just always remember working on the farm, riding the planter, irrigating and driving when I could reach the gas pedal.

Tell me about some of the technological advances on the farm,

or maybe how things are done differently today than when you first started on the farm. Start with planting. We went from a two-row planter to a six-rower outfitted with GPS. I think that GPS is one of the best advances in technology that we’ve seen.

For spraying, we went from a 24-row pull-behind sprayer without a cab to a 42-row air-conditioned machine with self-leveling booms and a Raven sprayer control.

Irrigation went from “laying pipe” every 60 rows and “changing guns,” with mud up to our knees, to the GPS pivot systems now. It’s no wonder I was good at running track in school. continued on pg. 12

Above: Joe Sr.’s daughter, Bethany Kersten, shown in front of Lady Liberty, is the quality assurance manager at Liberty Packing. Joe Bushman (left) stands with his son, Joey, in front of a pallet of Liberty Potatoes. Joey is an integral part of J&J Potatoes and Liberty Packing, involved in the planting, cultivating, spraying and irrigating of potatoes, running the packing shed and taking care of sales.

Left: At J&J Potatoes, the crew harvests around 675 acres of fresh potatoes, mostly of the Silverton variety.

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 10

How have harvesting and storage changed? We used to dig two rows at a time, but then we probably only had 180 acres. Now we dig 12 rows with two four-row windrowers and a four-row Lenco harvester.

Storing the crop now in climatecontrolled buildings has really helped us keep the potatoes in better condition and able to market them longer, although we still like to be done by the first week in April.

When it comes to grading potatoes, it used to be pretty simple—it was either 50-pound bags or 100-pound

12 BC�T January

burlap. Today, it’s whatever the consumer wants—5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 pounds, and whatever size profile they want, either non-A, A size, 5-9-ounce or 10-ounce potatoes.

Is the business aspect, sales and volume, better or worse than in the past? Sales volume has been good. It started out slow early in the year, but at that time, I think the buyers were waiting for cheaper prices.

This Thanksgiving push, we were turning away orders. It looks like Christmas rush will be busy as well.

The market for the rest of the year

Above: Though the dollar bill is there for scale, healthy Silverton potatoes do equate to money at J&J Potatoes.

Current Page: As the logo on his jacket indicates, Brian Bushman (standing next to his brother, Joe) handles the trucking arm of the business— Bushman Trucking.

looks great with prices strong!

Do you think J&J Potatoes and Liberty Packing will for sure pass to the next generation, and if so, does that make you proud? Yes, they do a lot of the work already. I am very proud of the man my son has become. It’s nice to have family you can trust and rely on.

Above: An Exeter boxer at Liberty Packing takes a picture every few milliseconds and sorts potatoes by size.

Right: Modern machinery makes it possible to dig 12 rows with two four-row windrowers and a four-row Lenco harvester.

Below: Joe Bushman’s granddaughter, Kiya Kersten, sits atop a mountain of potatoes in one photo, and his grandson, Drayden, watches a bin loader in another captured moment.

BC�T January 13

2017: Pink Eye in Potato is Problematic The physiological disorder causes storage issues after a challenging harvest season

By Yi Wang, UW-Madison Dept. of Horticulture, Amanda Gevens, UW-Madison Dept. of Plant Pathology and Paul Bethke, UW-Madison Dept. of Horticulture/USDA Fall of 2017 was a challenging harvest season for potato growers in Central Wisconsin because of the less-thanideal patterns of temperature and precipitation.

Late September had several days with daily high temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit that shut down most harvest operations. Early October brought in quite a few rain events.

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This abnormal weather pattern created numerous challenges for potato storage quality. Particularly, potato pink eye and subsequent diseases have been problematic.

Pink eye is a costly physiological condition that results in elevated storage losses for producers and increased waste material for processors. Pink-eye-affected tubers placed into storage tend to have above average weight loss, heat generation through respiration and diseases such as soft rot.

Pink eye is characterized by an ephemeral external pink coloration frequently, but not always, located around the eyes of freshly harvested tubers, particularly at the bud end (Figure 1).

PE is also associated with corky patch (or bull hide) syndrome, which is described as thickened patches of skin that extend up to 1/10-inch into the tuber flesh. The patches are difficult to remove during commercial processing and may lead to rejection of potatoes at the plant.

EXTERNAL SYMPTOMS External symptoms of pink eye are often accompanied by brown patches in the tuber flesh immediately underneath the skin.

Although the brown blotching from pink eye resembles internal Above, Figure 1: The pale-red coloration circled is a typical symptom of potato pink eye.

brown spot or heat necrosis, the latter disorders are characterized by brownish spots that tend to appear inside the vascular ring rather than just underneath the skin.

The outermost part of a potato tuber is the native periderm, which is made up of three cell types from outside to inside: the phellem (skin), the phellogen and the phelloderm (Figure 2).

Cells beneath the native periderm are called cortical cells (Figure 2). During tuber maturation, the skin develops into a protective layer that provides resistance to water loss and broad resistance to pathogen attack.

Much of what we know about the physiology of pink eye began with pioneering work conducted in the laboratory of U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist Dr. Ed Lulai (references 1 and 2 below).

Figure 2: The outer cell layers of a potato are illustrated. Image courtesy of Dr. Ed Lulai

Under the microscope, phellem cells in healthy native periderm fluoresce a light blue color when illuminated with ultraviolet light, while phellogen, phelloderm and cortical cells do not fluoresce (Figure 3).

Comparatively, in pink-eye-affected tubers, phelloderm and cortical cells fluoresce brightly, and the phellem layer shows signs of

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deterioration or may be absent, suggesting damaged or dead cells (Figure 4).

SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFECTION Therefore, pink-eye-affected tubers frequently lack the protective barrier provided by the phellem cells, resulting in susceptibility to infection continued on pg. 16

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Potato Pink Eye. . . continued from pg. 15

by a variety of pathogens.

Pink eye differs from the normal wound healing response in that it can occur in the absence of visible damage to the skin. It should be noted that only necrotic/symptomatic periderm tissues of pink-eye-affected tubers are unable to heal and block further pathogen infection.

Pink eye diagnosis on an individual tuber does not imply a lack of functional native periderm on the entire tuber.

Pink-eye-associated diseases seen so far in 2017 storages have included Pythium leak (caused by Pythium ultimum), bacterial soft rot (Pectobacterium or Dickeya spp.), pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica) and Fusarium dry rot (Fusarium sambucinum).

Previously, the microbes Verticillium spp. (involved with potato early dying) and Rhizoctonia solani (involved with damping-off and black scurf) were thought to be linked with the occurrence of pink eye.

However, we now know that these microbes are not required for pink eye development. Pink eye is a Top Right, Figure 3: A photo taken through a microscope shows light-blue fluorescence from the skin of a healthy potato. The area indicated by “PM” is the phellum (skin), while the white, outlined bar at bottom-right is shown for scale and measures 100 micrometers. Image courtesy of Dr. Ed Lulai Right, Figure 4: The microscopic photograph shows fluorescence from pink-eye-infected tissue in the tuber flesh. The area indicated by “PM” is the phellum (skin), while “PE” is pink eye, and “(AF)” is auto-fluorescent. The bar at bottomright is for scale and equates to 100 micrometers.

Image courtesy of Dr. Ed Lulai

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physiological disorder caused by periods of excess soil moisture and warm temperatures, especially during the late stages of tuber bulking.

In years when pink eye develops, symptoms typically appear within 7-10 days after excessive precipitation events.

PERIDERM CELL DAMAGE Excess soil moisture and heat can cause oxygen deprivation in the potato root zone, leading to cell damage of the tuber native periderm and pink eye symptoms.

These conditions also promote soilborne disease development, which exacerbates potential losses from storage.

Research by agronomists Michael Copas, A.J. Bussan, et al. (reference 3 below) has shown that subsoil tillage can limit the development and progression of pink eye symptoms.

Subsoil tillage increased water drainage from the tuber zone following excess precipitation.

Increased drainage decreased the length of time soils were water saturated and therefore reduced the time during which oxygen availability to the tubers may have been restricted.

pink eye development because early senescence of vines amplifies environmental stresses. A reduction in canopy coverage allows soils to warm faster on sunny days.

In summary, the 2017 harvest season was ideal for promoting the development of pink eye and postharvest diseases at some locations in Central Wisconsin.

Growers have no control over the occurrence of extreme temperatures and precipitation that promote pink eye development. However, management practices that minimize water saturated soils can make the pink eye problem less severe.

Scouting the crop for pink eye symptom development prior to and during harvest might allow for informed decisions to be made about likely storage duration and best endproduct use.

References 1. Lulai, E.C., Weiland, J.J., Suttle, J.C., Sabba, R.P. and Bussan, A. J. (2006). Pink eye is an unusual periderm disorder characterized by aberrant suberization: A cytological analysis. American Journal of Potato Research, 83, p. 409–421.

2. Sabba, R.P., Bussan, A.J., & Lulai, E.C. (2008). Relationship between pink eye symptoms and cell damage in the tuber periderm and cortex. American Journal of Potato Research, 85, p. 466–476.

3. Copas, M.E., Bussan, A.J., Drilias, M.J. and Charkowski, A. (2008).

Influence of compaction and subsoil tillage on soil conditions and pink eye. American Journal of Potato Research, 85, p. 342–352.

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Equally important was the prevention of compacted soil development in the first place.

REDUCE SOIL MOISTURE Subsoil tillage may be best used in fields where excess water is a problem or where there are compacted areas near field entrances or headlands.

Reduced soil moisture also helps to limit the development of soil-borne diseases.

Although pink eye is not caused by potato early kill, potato early dying may increase the susceptibility of potato plants to

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BC�T January 17

Growers Participate in Remote Sensing Conference Forum for farmers and other industry reps examines remote sensing research and strategies

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater Many potato growers, agronomists and researchers are interested in the use of remote sensing to improve crop management and variety development.

The conference itself was funded by a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) planning grant awarded to UWMadison’s Dr. Jeff Endelman in the summer of 2017.

A Remote Sensing Conference, held on the University of WisconsinMadison campus, November 14, 2017, addressed a national effort underway to coordinate efforts and obtain federal funding for remote sensing research.

The grant and resulting conference were actively supported by Potatoes USA and the Potato Research Advisory Committee (PRAC).

The advisory committee is a collaborative effort between Potatoes USA, the National Potato Council

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and state potato organizations to improve industry coordination and competitiveness on potato research projects nationally.

The Remote Sensing Conference was not only well attended, but a coming together of the some of the greatest minds in the use of remote sensing for disease detection and management; measuring water stress; screening germplasm; scouting insects; managing nitrogen; potato breeding and production; field sampling and overall farm economics.

Speakers included Endelman and Andy Jensen, the latter of the Northwest Potato Research Consortium in Oregon; Sindhuja Sankaran of Washington State University; Phil Townsend, Amanda Gevens and Paul Mitchell of UWMadison; and Paul Bethke of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

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Above: In small group sessions during the Remote Sensing Conference, growers and industry reps were asked to identify obstacles in utilizing remote sensing for potato production and variety development, and how researchers and the University Extension could help.

were Ian MacRae, David Mulla and Carl Rosen, and additionally representing the Land of 10,000 Lakes was Craig Poling of Sentek Systems.

Sagar Sathuvalli came from Oregon State University; Iliyana Dobreva made the trip from Texas A&M University; Jeremy Buchman represented Black Gold Farms and the great state of North Dakota; Mike Larsen of Mart Produce traveled from Idaho; and Crop Trak’s Keith Tinsey arrived from Michigan to speak about decision support systems.

Even though remote sensing has numerous agricultural applications, including everything from crop breeding to variety selection, the consensus is that there’s a need for integrated research to determine

the best way to analyze big data gathered.

The costs of remote sensing can often offset the return on investment, and there’s confusion over how best to transition from research to application.

Sensing can be affected by weather, with cloudy day imaging different from sunny days. So, it’s important to do calibration.

There are a variety of remote sensing devices marketed heavily to growers, including handheld sensors; manned and unmanned ground and vehicle sensors; phenotyping robots; blimps; UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles) and satellites.

INTERPRETING DATA Remote sensing is not just about

Left: USDA-ARS researcher Paul Bethke (left) and UW-Madison Professor Phil Townsend (right) take their discussions on reflectance spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging to the side of the room during the Remote Sensing Conference in November.

Right: Jeremy Buchman of Black Gold Farms in North Dakota presented his ideas on using remote sensing for potato yield sampling. He says remote sensing can help provide yield estimates to sales and customers, and information to storage managers, which is all, he notes, part of the “game of taters.”

collecting images, but also extracting and three-dimensionally reconstructing those images, computing and ultimately interpreting the data so it’s useful.

Whether using reflective spectroscopy to measure wavelengths, and thus disease, leaf continued on pg. 20

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Remote Sensing. . . continued from pg. 19

mass and foliage, or hyperspectral reflection for disease management, the imagery has to complement other resources farmers have.

Raw data is only useful if it provides information growers need. The goals of remote sensing, after all, are economic and environmental sustainability, social responsibility, high crop yield, quality, profitability and reduced risk.

Is remote sensing simplifying the growing process, making it better, or how is it affecting the user?

The general feeling expressed by growers at the conference is that, right now, remote sensing is a good decision support system rather than a predictive system, and that a realtime link to causation is essential.

Finding a way to collate big data into one place so it’s useful, to put

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Left: During small group breakout sessions toward the end of the Remote Sensing Conference, UWMadison Professor Jed Colquhoun suggested ways the UW Extension could help growers analyze data to improve yield, as well as manage nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium applications.

Right: Washington State University’s Sindhuja Sankaran (center, holding microphone) discusses the future of high-throughput sensing while growers, researchers and industry representatives listen in.

it into a public domain, and then to interpret the data, might be ways the public-sector Extension can help.

Wisconsin grower Andy Diercks of Coloma Farms suggested that, perhaps right now, the best use of modern big data gathered from remote sensing is to simply achieve consistency in fields, from one field to another. “They might not be perfect crops,” he allows, “but at least, from corner to corner, the fields would be similar.”

Ultimately, the topics discussed, and information gathered, at the Remote Sensing Seminar will be used to develop a larger research proposal that could be funded through the USDA’s SCRI program.

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Marketplace

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions & Consumer Education

2017 Potatoes Display Contest Closes on a High Note For the second year in a row, the Wisconsin potato industry challenged retailers across the Midwest to showcase their most creative ideas in displaying potatoes during the month of October, also known as PotatoPalooza month.

After much consideration in reviewing the entries, which doubled from 2016, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is pleased to announce that Trig’s in Rhinelander is once again the first-place winner of the 2017 Wisconsin potatoes display contest.

edible WPVGA logo, as well as potato breads and cakes. The deli showcased loaded baked potatoes, potato salads and ready-made meals with red potatoes as a side dish.

Those walking through the spirits department were introduced to Great Northern Distilling potato vodka.

And customers were greeted by the Spudmobile outside as they walked into the store.

Amidst all of this, consumers were able to participate in contests throughout the store and win a variety of prizes.

Top: For its 2017 Wisconsin potatoes display, Trig’s in Rhinelander utilized quarter-sized bins, banners touting cooking tips by variety and nutritional information, and WPVGA-provided images of two-time Olympian and NHL All-Star Joe Pavelski (far right), who hails from Plover, Wisconsin. All this was one facet customers saw in the produce department.

The decision comes because of the significant effort the store put into incorporating every one of its departments into the potato promotion. For example, there was a vast potato display in the produce department, along with suggested toppings for a loaded baked potato, recipe tear pads, posters and banners on potato nutrition and buying local.

There was a Spudly coloring contest for kids to win a gift basket, a cutting board prize went to the person who guessed the correct number of potatoes in a jar, and another lucky winner took home a Leinenkugel’s outdoor lawn chair simply for having walked through the Spudmobile, Wisconsin’s traveling billboard, and tasting a free potato-dish sample.

Middle: A loaded baked potato bar welcomed Trig’s Rhinelander customers to the deli area.

Topping choices included broccoli, mushrooms, jalapeños, melted cheese, bacon and onions.

The bakery featured cookies in the shape of Wisconsin, complete with an

Employees sported “Buy Local Buy Wisconsin” t-shirts with the WPVGA

Of all the entries, Trig’s was the only store that incorporated each

22 BC�T January

logo on the front, and two were dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, enjoying the interaction with shoppers throughout the day.

TOTAL-STORE PARTICIPATION

says Theisen.

and every aspect of its landscape into some type of Wisconsin potato promotion, which resulted in customers leaving educated and inspired with new and creative preparation ideas.

“In Rhinelander, we got more involved with our local food pantry and University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station at “A Night on the Farm.” We also wanted to do more to educate ourselves and the community on the health benefits of potatoes,” he continues.

This is what pushed them over the edge to win the contest for the second year in a row.

“We cannot thank the WPVGA enough for having the contest.

Winning last year was such an honor.

Being able to win a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for selling local and then turning it around and supporting our communities with the sale was a win-win for our store, company and community,” says Don Theisen, store manager of Trig’s Rhinelander.

“Now we get to do it again and we are pretty jacked up! This year we challenged ourselves to do even more as a store and company,”

“Who knew potatoes were the best energy producing veggies that also help control blood sugar levels, prevents kidney stones, etc.?”

Theisen asks. “We obviously learned a lot.”

“Getting involved in this promotion has improved our product knowledge and merchandising, as well as our relationships with the farmers, suppliers and the community,” he adds. “We look forward to further building these relationships in the

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Left: A bottle of potato vodka from Great Northern Distilling in Plover, Wisconsin, is featured next to a martini glass full of Wisconsin potatoes in the store’s “Cellar 70” spirits department as part of Trig’s 2017 Wisconsin potato promotion and contest submission.

Right: Three members of the Trig’s Rhinelander team show off some of the baked goods they prepared to promote the Wisconsin potato industry, namely a potato cake and Wisconsinshaped potato cookies with an edible WPVGA logo on top.

future and supporting our Wisconsin families in what they do best!”

This year, Trig’s was awarded a 2016 Cub Cadet UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) at a December 20 giveaway event in the presence of the Trig’s team and WPVGA Promotions Committee members.

It’s truly been a valuable partnership that the WPVGA looks forward to continuing. continued on pg. 24

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Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 23

Hartford Piggly Wiggly Recognized as Runner-Up Out of the entries, WPVGA would also like to recognize Piggly Wiggly in Hartford, which put time and effort toward a Wisconsin potato display in their store as well.

The store featured WPVGA logos and “Buy Local” quarter-sized bins in its produce department, along with banners on potato types, varieties and uses, the chance to win a gift card upon guessing the correct number of potatoes in a jar, posters of NHL

24 BC�T January

All-star and two-time Olympian Joe Pavelski and an end cap that included “Meet Our Growers” information along with product.

It has truly been a pleasure for the Promotions Committee to see the wonderful efforts put forth from retail stores in the Midwest as they support and communicate the importance of buying local and buying Wisconsin to their customers.

Left: Customers of Piggly Wiggly in Hartford had the opportunity to play the “guess how many potatoes are in the jar” game for the chance to win a $10 gift card.

Right: Brian Collegnon, produce manager of Piggly Wiggly in Hartford, shows off part of the store’s 2017 Wisconsin potatoes display.

Next to Collegnon is a banner communicating potato uses by variety, which is valuable for consumers in picking out the right potato type for their desired use.

Bottom: The Piggly Wiggly team in Hartford incorporated the WPVGA logo into their potato display, as well as banners touting uses by variety and information about the Wisconsin growers who provide the potatoes. The store utilized images provided by the WPVGA of NHL all-star Joe Pavelski, which communicated nutrition information along with the benefits of incorporating potatoes into healthy and active lifestyles.

Alice in Dairyland Visits Spudmobile The Spudmobile never ceases to attract a crowd, including a diverse array of visitors and sometimes even celebrities.

One such visitor stopped by the Spudmobile and stayed long enough to help serve potato samples at the November 6 Green Bay Packers game.

Crystal Siemers-Peterman, the 70th Alice in Dairyland, enjoyed her time touting the “Buy Local, Buy

Wisconsin” message while serving football fans a hearty Wisconsin potato dish made by the industry’s favorite grilling duo, Mad Dog and Merrill.

Alice in Dairyland also stopped by Wisconsin’s traveling billboard on December 3.

If you aren’t convinced they all had fun during her visits, take a look at the accompanying photos!

Above: Crystal Siemers-Peterman, the 70th Alice in Dairyland (center), helps serve Wisconsin potato samples, artfully grilled by Mad Dog (left) and Merrill (right), at the Spudmobile before the Green Bay Packers game, November 6.

Right: Alice in Dairyland (left, black coat with back turned) makes her way to the corner of Oneida Street and Armed Forces Drive in Green Bay on November 6, where she and Casey Kedrowski (right, holding tray), of Roberts Irrigation in Plover, hand out hearty Wisconsin potato samples to football fans during the Spudmobile’s visit.

Above: Casey Kedrowski (right) of Roberts Irrigation and Crystal Siemers-Peterman, the 70th Alice in Dairyland, pause from handing out potato samples for a quick photo opportunity in front of Lambeau Field in Green Bay. BC�T January 25

Now News Valley Irrigation Captures AE50 Award Innovative design of X-Tec advanced center drive is recognized nationally The innovative design of the Valley® X-TecTM advanced center drive from Valley Irrigation has received national recognition in the form of a prestigious AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

AE50 awards honor the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries. The Valley X-Tec will be featured in the January/February 2018 special issue of ASABE’s magazine Resource: Engineering & Technology for a Sustainable World. For more details, visit www.asabe.org/AE50.

The Valley X-Tec is a new DC drive and motor for center pivot irrigation machines. It provides full torque power at any speed, and allows the pivot to move twice as fast as a standard, high-speed center drive motor, providing greater flexibility and control to growers.

The patented alignment technology and DC motor provide constant movement for consistent application of water and chemicals, while maintaining consistent machine alignment over varying terrain.

INCREASE CROP YIELDS “Our goal is to help our growers become more efficient and increase crop yields,” says Valley Product Manager Christopher Righter.

“Growers have seen great benefits from the new X-Tec drive, with healthier crops enabled by the improved speed and control that Valley FastPassTM technology delivers,” Righter adds. “Earning the AE50 award is a great honor that shows our product development teams have done great work that

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Companies from around the world submit entries to the annual AE50 competition, and up to 50 of the best products are chosen by a panel of international engineering experts.

The judges select innovative products that will best advance engineering for the food and agriculture industries.

The AE50 awards program emphasizes the role of new products and systems in bringing advanced technology to the marketplace.

These engineering developments help farmers, food processors and equipment manufacturers increase efficiency, enhance quality, improve safety and increase profits.

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Rural Mutual Insurance Partners with Insight FS Policyholders rewarded for purchasing farm products and services to do what’s in the best interest of our policyholders,” says Todd Argall, vice president of customer acquisition and services. “We felt this new partnership would allow our policyholders an opportunity to save money, while still taking care of their insurance needs.”

Rural Mutual Insurance Company, a top farm insurer in the state of Wisconsin, is excited to announce its new partnership with Insight FS, a Division of GROWMARK, Inc. Insight FS is a leading cooperative providing agri-finance, agronomy, energy, feed, grain marketing and turf products to its patrons in Wisconsin.

This partnership gives Rural Mutual’s farm policyholders access to the Insight FS Rewards program.

Through the Insight FS Rewards program, patrons are rewarded for purchasing products and services needed for their farming operations.

Now, rewards can be increased through the purchase of a crop hail insurance policy and/or a multi-peril policy through Rural Mutual.

Above: Through the Insight FS Rewards program, patrons are rewarded for purchasing farm products and services.

Reward payments are based on total interest paid on Insight FS agrifinance loans. Full program details can be found at www.insightfs.com/ disclaimer.

Rural Mutual and Insight FS prioritize rewarding customers for their loyalty.

In addition to the Insight FS Rewards program, earlier in the year Rural Mutual introduced what is terms the only farm dividend program in the state.

Contact your local Rural Mutual Insurance agent today or visit www.ruralmutual.com for more information.

“At Rural Mutual, we’re always trying

continued on pg. 28

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BC�T January 27

Now News. . . continued from pg. 27

Midwestern BioAg Lands Wisconsin Innovation Award TerraNu Nutrient Technology gives crop producers manure-sourced nutrients Announced October 4, Midwestern BioAg, Inc. received the 2017 Wisconsin Innovation Award in the category of agriculture.

The ceremony recognized the state’s most innovative products and services from nine industry categories. The 2017 winners were selected by a panel of 23 experts from around Wisconsin, and span all business sectors—technology, food, healthcare, agriculture, nonprofits, education, government and the like— throughout the state.

Midwestern BioAg received the honor

in recognition of the company’s vision for the future of agriculture and its newly released, innovative fertilizer line made with TerraNu Nutrient Technology™.

TerraNu Nutrient Technology is a breakthrough manufacturing process that gives crop producers convenient access to manure-sourced nutrients from livestock farms, closing the nutrient imbalance in American farming.

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Midwestern BioAg CEO Tony Michaels, President and CFO Sue Gullickson, COO Trey George and Vice-President of Sales Jim Krebsbach were in Madison

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to receive the award.

“This is a great honor for all of us,” Michaels said. “It has been a true collective effort between our company and all of our partners to bring this concept to life. We are excited to present TerraNu Nutrient Technology as the next great innovation in the agriculture industry, the next generation in plant nutrition and soil health.”

“The Wisconsin Innovation Awards seek to celebrate and inspire innovation, and highlight the creative spirit from the state’s leading public, private and nonprofit sectors,” said Matt Younkle, co-founder of the Wisconsin Innovation Awards and CEO of Cardigan, LLC. “We want to congratulate all finalists and winners from the 2017 Wisconsin Innovation Awards, and look forward to encouraging an even greater environment of innovation in the year to come,” Younkle concludes.

Midwestern BioAg, based in Madison, Wisconsin, manufactures and distributes fertilizers that build soil health to increase yields and quality of both food and forage.

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Above: Midwestern BioAg CEO Tony Michaels (left) accepts the 2017 Wisconsin Innovation Award in the category of agriculture.

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MidwesternBioAg.com/TerraNu. continued on pg. 30

BC�T January 29

Now News. . . continued from pg. 29

Potato Industry Provides Meal to Less Fortunate Jubilee House in Wausau, Wisconsin, accepts donations and feeds hungry Jubilee House in Wausau, Wisconsin, is an organization that serves weekly dinners to the less fortunate of the area. Various clubs, organizations and individuals offer to prepare and serve the meal.

Jonathon and Sandra Bushman of Bushman Associates sales in Galloway, Wisconsin, provided a meal in September, offering, of course, potatoes with a multitude of toppings, salad, bread and dessert.

The Bushmans recruited helping hands, mostly relatives, to prepare and serve the meal, which they do twice a year.

Great reviews came from the partakers.

Above: From left to right, Jerry and Barbara Bushman of Bushmans’ Inc., a Knights of Columbus volunteer, Tyler Hegewald of Bushman Associates Inc. sales, Margaret Hegewald, Esther Clairmore and many others serve dinner to the less fortunate of the Wausau, Wisconsin area.

Alsum and Wagner Farms Enter Partnership Agreement helps Alsum Farms supply growing customer base with potatoes Alsum Farms, Inc., and long-time Wisconsin potato grower Wagner Farms of Grand Marsh, Wisconsin, entered into an agreement for Alsum Farms to purchase Wagner Farms' potato equipment. Alsum is leasing land and storage buildings from Wagner Farms and continues the strong history of potato production in Adams County.

“We look forward to taking our working relationship with the Wagner and Parr families to the next level,” says Larry Alsum, president and CEO of Alsum Farms & Produce. “The partnership allows us to continue our long-term relationship with Wagner Farms and supply our growing customer base with quality Wisconsin potatoes.”

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Alsum Farms operates more than 2,300 acres in the lower Wisconsin River Valley and Grand Marsh to grow russet, red, gold and fingerling potatoes.

To learn more about Alsum Farms & Produce, its full line of products or for delicious potato recipes, visit www.alsum.com.

About Alsum Farms & Produce: Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc., is a grower, packer and shipper of potatoes, re-packer of onions and a wholesale distributor of a full line of fresh fruits and vegetables. Headquartered in Friesland, Wisconsin, Alsum Farms is also a member of the eco-friendly Wisconsin potato Healthy Grown® initiative.

About Wagner Farms: Wagner Farms, established in 1897 and irrigating since 1965, is a grower of potatoes, vegetables, grain and beef in Grand Marsh, Wisconsin, located in the fertile soils of Adams County. For more than four generations the Wagner and Parr families have been growing quality products and farming the land.

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People Reinemann is Associate Dean for Extension & Outreach Doug has an appreciation for the impact of the college’s activities on its partners Doug Reinemann, chair of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Biological Systems Engineering, has been named College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) associate dean for extension and outreach.

In this role, Reinemann is charged with the organization, content and effectiveness of the college’s extension and outreach programs, as well as aligning CALS programs with those of UW-Extension Cooperative Extension.

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Reinemann joined the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Cooperative Extension in 1990. Since then, he has served as a professor and a UW-Extension milking equipment/energy specialist.

His research and outreach experience has largely focused on machine milking systems, rural energy issues, renewable energy technology and sustainable biofuels production.

“Doug comes to the position with experience both in administration

from his department chair role and in extension and outreach from his years on the faculty,” says CALS Dean Kate VandenBosch.

“So, he is already starting with a great appreciation of the impact of the college’s activities on our many

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32 BC�T January

partners outside of the university— and the impact of that engagement on the activities and scholarship of CALS faculty and staff,” VandenBosch adds.

The scope of the position is solely focused on the extension and outreach activities of CALS. RESPONSIBILITY CHANGES Responsibilities related to the oversight of Cooperative Extension personnel on other campuses and in the counties, previously significant components of the associate dean position, now fall to two recentlycreated and filled Cooperative Extension associate dean positions.

“This is a time of multiple transitions for Cooperative Extension—the implementation of an internal reorganization, changes to the staffing plan in counties and a return of Cooperative Extension under the roof of UW-Madison,” notes VandenBosch.

“Doug’s experience will help maintain the strong partnership of the Extension with CALS. At the same time, the new CALS-specific focus of this position expands his capacity to provide leadership, vision and support for college-based outreach efforts,” she says.

Reinemann, who grew up in Sheboygan County fully engaged in agriculture and surrounded by relatives and friends, has spent a good portion of his career focused on sustainability.

In the early 2000s, he organized the Green Cheese Project, bringing together a diverse group of UW experts to help respond to a request from the dairy community: to quantify the carbon footprint and sustainability of Wisconsin’s dairy industry, and assess the environmental impact of integrating dairy and biofuel production systems.

Lakes Bioenergy Research Center’s sustainability group, tasked with examining environmental impacts of biofuels production systems, and served as the group’s leader for five years.

IMPORTANCE OF OUTREACH

“I’m excited to serve in this position because I understand the important roles that outreach and extension have played and can continue to play in connecting the university with the people of the state,” says Reinemann.

“We must be responsive to immediate needs, answering today’s questions. We also need to be forward-looking and work to answer tomorrow’s questions as they arise,” he says.

Outreach has always been an important component of Reinemann’s work. Over the years, he has created various extension programs for industry stakeholders that have been shared broadly.

His “MilkTech” programs, for instance, were developed in dialog with industry to meet the needs of milking machine technicians, and these programs continue to be delivered around the state, as well as nationally and internationally.

Reinemann earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in agricultural engineering at UW-Madison, and his Ph.D. in agricultural engineering at Cornell University.

Reinemann’s vision for the future involves a healthy, resilient and responsive approach to extension and outreach.

He assumed the associate dean position on January 1, and has an office in Ag Hall.

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People. . . continued from pg. 33

Gov. Walker Appoints Sheila Harsdorf DATCP Secretary Wisconsin Farm Bureau is pleased with former state Senator’s appointment In November, Gov. Scott Walker announced the appointment of veteran state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP).

Harsdorf leaves the state Senate to take on her new role.

A senator since 2001, Harsdorf is the first woman to head DATCP in the department’s 88-year history.

“Sheila’s experience as a highly respected, dedicated legislator and dairy farmer makes her an excellent fit to lead DATCP,” Walker says.

“I am honored to serve as DATCP secretary and I thank Gov. Walker for entrusting me to lead,” Harsdorf says. “I’m excited to work with and support our farmers, businesses and consumers to promote a fair marketplace and economic growth in Wisconsin’s vibrant agriculture industry.”

Former DATCP Secretary Ben Brancel retired in August, and the department has been run by Interim Secretary Jeff Lyon.

“Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation is extremely pleased with Gov. Walker’s

appointment of Sheila Harsdorf as Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection,” states Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation President Jim Holte.

OUTSTANDING AG ADVOCATE “Having known Sheila for 30-plus years, she will be an outstanding advocate for Wisconsin agriculture.

Sheila understands the diversity and strength in the state’s $88.3 billion agricultural economy,” Holte adds.

“Wisconsin farmers are in good hands with Sheila at the helm of this important agency. She has served as a consistent voice for agriculture in her tenure in the legislature,” Holte continues.

Sheila worked diligently with her colleagues on Wisconsin’s “Right to Farm” legislation and “Use Value” assessments of farmland laws. These two pieces of landmark legislation remain critical to the future of agriculture in Wisconsin.

She has been very supportive of conservation programs, specifically the producer-led watershed initiatives, funding for non-point source cost sharing and county land conservation staff.

“As a former Wisconsin Farm Bureau Discussion Meet winner and a Pierce County Farm Bureau board member, Sheila understands Farm Bureau and the needs of Wisconsin farmers,” Holte says. “We look forward to working with Sheila in her new role.”

34 BC�T January

Irene Seidl Passes Away Irene Seidl, of Pickerel, Wisconsin, died Wednesday, November 29, 2017, at Aspirus Langlade Hospital. She was 83 years old. She was born on April 11, 1934, in Deerbrook, a daughter of Peter and Frances (Mallo) Solin.

She married Frank Seidl on February 14, 1953, at St. Wencel Catholic Church, Neva. He preceded her in death on January 3, 2017.

Irene attended Little Chicago Grade School and graduated as the Maxwell Academic Award recipient. In 1952, she graduated from Antigo High School.

She was employed at Lockwood Graders for several years, and Irene and Frank operated a potato farm in Neva and Bryant for many years.

In the mid-1970’s, Irene began a career with the United States Post Office. In May 1985, she was appointed post master of the Pickerel Post Office. She retired in 1995.

CHURCHES AND CLUBS Mrs. Seidl was a member of St.

Wencel Catholic Church and its rosary society, St. Mary Catholic Church, the Springbrook Homemakers Club and the Pickerel-Pearson Lions Club.

Her hobbies included playing golf, cards, fishing, gardening, going to rummage sales with her grandchildren, trips to the casino and reading.

Survivors include a son, Art (Gay) Seidl, Neva; a daughter, Peggy Fassbender, Bryant; 10 grandchildren: Ashley (Mike) Darr, Antigo; Scott (Brittney) Fassbender, Suamico; Jeff (Aly) Fassbender, Deerbrook; Stephanie Fassbender, Bryant; Ryan Fassbender, Bryant; Ann Marie (Adam) Chrudimsky, Minnetonka, Minnesota; Jennifer (Jason) Abrahamzon, Maryville, Tennessee; Liz (Al) Marien, Bryant; Diane Seidl, student at UW-Milwaukee; and Mark Seidl, at home.

Irene is also survived by eight greatgrandchildren: Will, Jimmy and Olivia Irene Darr; Luella and Lochlan Fassbender; Paisley Fassbender; Sam Abrahamzon and Adalynn

12-17 Badger Common'Tater 1-3page AD (7x3).v1.outlines.pdf

1

2017-10-30

Chrudimsky; and a brother Edward (Betty) Solin, Chippewa Falls.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Jim Fassbender; three sisters, Mary (Gerald) Kryka, Ann (Russell) Grafmiller and Frances (Roy) Wiegert; and two brothers, Joseph (Hattie) Solin and Peter (Vida) Solin.

A funeral mass was celebrated on Saturday, December 2, 2017, at St. Wencel Catholic Church, with Rev. David Zimmerman officiating.

Burial took place in the parish cemetery.

3:46 PM

BC�T January 35

Slate is Full for 2018 Grower Education Conference Information-packed presentations highlight Grower Education Conference & Industry Show The background work is being done to make the 2018 Grower

Education Conference & Industry Show, February 6-8, 2018, as dynamic, well attended and informative as humanly possible.

Register today to attend the 69th UW Extension and Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Grower Education Conference & Industry Show at the Holiday Inn in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Growers attending the conference will have the opportunity to get a head start on the season with expert market outlooks, research reports, information on new technologies and agribusiness advice.

With so many hot-button topics and presentations, it’s difficult to pinpoint a few, but presentations focus on everything from nitrogen and phosphorous management to water issues, soil health and microbial activity, sustainable agriculture practices, remote sensing, retaining agribusiness workers, potato variety selection, seed treatments and, of course, pest and disease control.

The conference will feature an excellent slate of speakers and is a great place for growers to get the advice, tips and insights that will give them the edge they need in today’s tough business climate.

The conference’s annual WPVGA Associate Division Banquet, Wednesday evening, is the premier social event in the Wisconsin potato industry with great food and 36 BC�T January

beverages, camaraderie and good times!

In addition to the annual industry awards, there will be drawings for cash prizes, with $1,500 to be given away, including 10 individual cash prizes and a $500 grand prize winner (must be present after the awards banquet and during the evening’s entertainment to win).

Banquet attendees will be treated to the music of a lively and talented University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point jazz group performing after the awards ceremony.

REGISTER NOW! To register for the conference, please complete the Individual Registration Form by visiting: www. wisconsinpotatoes.com/admin/ wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ Registration-Form-Individual2018-fillable.pdf and return it with payment to WPVGA, PO Box 327, Antigo, WI 54409.

If more than one person from the same company is attending, please

use the Group Registration Form (www.wisconsinpotatoes.com/ admin/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ Registration-Form-Group-2018fillable.pdf). If you have questions, please contact the WPVGA Office at (715) 623-7683.

ROOM RESERVATIONS There is a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center reserved for conference and show attendees. The room rate is $101 for a single or double room.

To reserve your room and take advantage of this rate, visit www. wisconsinpotatoes.com/events/ 2018-grower-education-conferenceindustry-show/ and scroll down to the Holiday Inn Booking Link.

For those who prefer to make reservations over the phone, please call 715-344-0200, press 3 and reference the group name Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association or refer to group block code PVG. The room block will expire on January 26.

Make plans now to attend this valuable event. Please note that conference registration rates will increase after January 19, so register today!

CONFERENCE PROGRAM SESSIONS & SCHEDULE:

2018 UW Extension & WPVGA Grower Education Conference Tuesday, February 6, 2018 Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center, Stevens Point, WI General Session - Moderator T. Houlihan Expo 1 and 2

Time 7:30 - 8:20

Registration

8:20 - 8:30

Welcome and opening remarks - Tamas Houlihan, Executive Director, Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Antigo, WI

8:30 - 9:00

How well do EC maps represent soil properties in the Central Sands? - Dr. Mallika Nocco, Smith Conservation Research Fellow, Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

9:00 - 9:30

Impacts of irrigation management on nitrate leaching - Dr. Carl Rosen, Professor and Department Head, Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

9:30 - 10:30

Morning Break - Visit Exhibit Hall/Poster Session

10:30 - 11:00

Potato carbohydrates: what’s in the middle counts - Dr. Paul Bethke, USDA-ARS, Research Plant Physiologist and Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

11:00-11:30

Blackleg/Dickeya management: An overview from Europe - Dr. Triona Davey, Head of the Potato Branch for SASA, Edinburgh, Scotland.

11:30-12:00

Challenges of a changing climate and extreme weather on sustainable agricultural production - Dr. Chris Kucharik, Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

12:00 - 1:15

Lunch: Legislative Update - (1) Ron Kuehn, DeWitt Ross & Stevens, (2) Feeding America Update

Breakout Sessions

Expo 1 Environmental Quality Moderator - R. Groves

Expo 2 Crop Management Moderator - K. Schroeder

Sands/Spruce Soil and Plant Health Moderator - K. Williams

1:30 - 1:50

Ben Bradford - Pesticide contaminants in groundwater-fed streams

Mike Copas - Managing seed physiology to your advantage

Dennis Halterman Traditional and novel approaches for control of potato late blight

1:50 - 2:10

Chuck Bolte - Water Flow & Phosphorus Monitoring in the Antigo Flats Potato & Vegetable Production Area--where are we going and how do we monitor progress?

Felix Navarro - Advanced potato variety selection and performance

Francisco Arriaga - Soil physical properties as determinants of healthy soils and plants

AJ Bussan - Scheduling agronomic and fertility inputs

Richard Lankau - Soil microbial communities and common scab suppression -- who do we have, who do we want, and how do we get there?

2:10 - 2:30

2:30 - 3:30 Breakout Sessions

Carl Rosen - ESN research in Minnesota

Afternoon Break - Visit Exhibit Hall/Poster Session Expo 1 Water and Natural Resource Conservation Moderator - K. Schroeder

3:30 - 3:50

Robert Smail - Remote Sensing Methods for Observing and Estimating Evapotranspiration

3:50 - 4:10

Elizabeth Stapleton / Kevin Hedinger - WPVGA High Capacity Well Database: Observations, Trends, and Implications

4:10 - 4:30

Ankur Desai & Ammara Talib Water from ground to sky: New approaches to observing and predicting field to basin scale ET over crops and plantations

4:30 - 8:00

Expo 2 Bringing Value to Agriculture Moderator - Associate Division

Sands/Spruce Variety Improvement Moderator - J. Endelman Felix Navarro - In Season and Storage Performance of New Chip Potato Varieties

WPVGA Associate Division 10 min presentations featuring new technologies and approaches in agricultural management of potato and vegetable production systems.

Shelley Jansky - A new direction in potato breeding

Grace Christensen - Marker-assisted selection for PVY Resistance

Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association and WPVGA Associate Division Reception

2018 UW Extension & WPVGA Grower Education Conference Wednesday, February 7, 2018 Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center, Stevens Point, WI General Session - Moderator J. Wyman Expo 1 and 2

Time 8:00 - 8:30

Potatoes USA Update - Blair Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Potatoes USA

8:30 - 9:00

U.S. Potato Market Overview & Trends - Chef RJ Harvey, Global Food Service Marketing Manager, Potatoes USA

9:00 - 9:30

Implementing 2017 Wisconsin Act 10: High Capacity Wells and the Central Sands Lakes Study - Adam Freihoefer, Section Chief, Division of Environmental Management, Water Use Section, WI DNR, Madison, WI

9:30 - 10:30

Morning Break - Visit Exhibit Hall/Poster Session

10:30 - 11:00

Recruiting and Retaining Agribusiness Workers - Paul Mitchell, Professor and Director of the Renk Agribusiness Institute, Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

11:00 - 11:30

Blackleg management in the Northeastern U.S. - Dr. Jianjun Hao, Assistant Professor, School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME

11:30- 12:00

The future of technology in agriculture: a 10,000 ft. view - Dr. Brian Luck, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Biological Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

12:00 - 1:15

Lunch: (1) John Keeling, NPC, and (2) Industry Appreciation Awards Expo 1 Potato Disease Updates Moderator J. Wilbur

Expo 2 Remote Sensing and Imaging Technologies, Moderator K. Schroeder

Triona Davey - Occurrence and Transmission of Potato Mop Top Virus - a European Perspective

Kaitlin Morey Gold - Using hyperspectral reflectance based predictive models for early disease detection in potato

1:50 - 2:10

Shunping Ding - An integrated study of QoI resistance in the Potato Early Blight Complex

Phil Townsend - What do leaf spectral measurements tell us about potato performance?

2:10 - 2:30

Jay Hao - Seed treatments for blackleg management

Shelley Jansky - Thermal imaging to detect verticillium wilt

Breakout Sessions

1:30 - 1:50

2:30 - 3:30 Breakout Sessions

Madhu Jamallamudi Using potato grade slip reports to improve quality/performance

3:50 - 4:10

Yi Wang - Effects of wound healing management on potato storage quality Paul Fowler - The domestic market opportunity for chlorogenic acid - an antioxidant found in potatoes

Deana Knuteson Healthy Grown: Market Updates

Susan Leaman - FSMA Overview: Why are we talking about FSMA if potatoes are exempt?

5:15 - 6:00

Social Hour

6:00 - 10:00

WPVGA Associate Division Banquet

38 BC�T January

Mary Ruth McDonald - Stemphylium leaf blight in onions

Paul Bethke - Skin quality in red potatoes

Afternoon Break - Visit Exhibit Hall/Poster Session Expo 1 Expo 2 Sands/Spruce Potato and Storage Quality Market Development, Wisconsin Muck Meeting Moderator K. Schroeder Moderator D. Rady Moderator K. Williams

3:30 - 3:50

4:10 - 4:30

Sands/Spruce Wisconsin Muck Meeting Moderator K. Williams

Jed Colquhoun Weed management updates Amanda Gevens Timing and occurrence of onion foliar pathogens - product sequences Sofia Macchiavelli-Giron - Integrating at-plant and post-harvest fungicide treatments for control of potato silver scurf

2018 UW Extension & WPVGA Grower Education Conference Thursday, February 8, 2018 Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center, Stevens Point, WI General Session - Moderator W. Stevenson Expo 1 and 2

Time 8:00 - 8:30

Jeff Endelman, UW Horticulture - Potato breeding program

8:30 - 9:00

Yi Wang, UW Horticulture - Efficient irrigation management for potato production

9:00 - 9:30

Ann MacGuidwin, UW Plant Pathology - Regional perspectives about nematodes in potato systems

9:30 - 10:00

Alex Crockford, WCSP Director - Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program updates

10:00 - 10:15

Morning Break

10:15 - 10:45

Russ Groves, UW Entomology - Insect management over an extended season

10:45 - 11:15

Jed Colquhoun, UW Horticulture - Weed and vine management updates

11:15 - 11:45

Amanda Gevens, UW Plant Pathology - Rethinking potato early blight control for Central Wisconsin

11:45 - 12:15

Matt Ruark, UW Soil Science - What’s next with nitrogen management with potato

12:15

Adjourn - and Thanks for your Attendance and Participation

1:00

WPVGA Annual Meeting

Plainfield, WI • 715-335-4900 BC�T January 39

Badger Beat

2017 Insect Pest Management Review

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

Above-normal rainfall, consistent soil moisture and intermittent

or insufficient natural controls in Wisconsin favored a few select insects and contributed to a slight increase in prevalence and damage in some crops.

Among these, early-season seed maggots (Delia spp.) were slightly more abundant than normal in susceptible vegetable crops, including green beans, cole crops (cool season vegetables such as kale, cabbage and broccoli), cucurbits and onions, although it isn’t always the same species in each case.

The seedcorn maggot (SCM) is a perennial pest of germinating seeds and young seedlings in a wide range of vegetable and agronomic crops. In addition to corn, SCM has a large host range, including numerous common vegetable crops.

In high numbers, SCM can decimate entire crop stands if left untreated and during conditions where crops

are slow-growing due to the cool spring conditions. SCM can be an increasing problem when susceptible crops are planted in succession.

Injury to plants is caused exclusively by the larval stages of SCM. Larvae will feed in the cotyledons and belowground hypocotyl (stem) tissue of seedling plants, resulting in a variety of damage symptoms.

Above: The seedcorn maggot is a perennial pest of germinating seeds and young seedlings in a wide range of vegetable and agronomic crops.

Feeding damage in germinating seeds will often kill seedlings before they emerge. Poor germination or poor stands of susceptible crops may

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indicate a SCM problem.

IRREGULAR CROP EMERGENCE In addition to SCM, other issues may compromise stand counts and germination. In cool, wet soils common fungal pathogens such as Pythium may cause similar patterns of irregular crop emergence.

To best diagnose SCM damage, dig up un-emerged seedlings to look for feeding directly on the seed or sprout tissue.

Often seedlings will survive below ground feeding but emerge with damage to the first true leaves or have no leaves at all (often called “snakehead” seedlings). Direct damage to the hypocotyl will often appear yellow and wilted.

Another exception was the early prevalence of wireworm in some selected locations. Wireworms include the larvae of several species of click beetles (beetles that flip into

the air with an audible click when turned upside down).

These larvae feed primarily on grasses and grass crops such as corn.

However, they have a broad host range that includes beans, beets, cabbage, carrots, ginseng, lettuce, onion, peas, potatoes and radishes, as well as herbaceous ornamentals.

Only the larval stage of click beetles can cause damage.

WIREWORM FEEDING The wireworm feeds on seeds, preventing germination, or on the underground roots and stems of the plants, causing them to wilt and stunting their growth.

Dead spots scattered throughout a planting may indicate wireworm activity. If you dig up the seedlings in affected areas, you will find them riddled with holes.

the roots of wilted plants. Wireworms tend to cause the most damage 1-4 years after plowing up sod in poorly drained lowlands, but they are not exclusive to those areas.

Wireworms can ruin the tubers of potatoes by burrowing small, round tunnels. Clean cultivation and crop rotations that avoid susceptible crops may reduce wireworm numbers.

Some species of wireworms thrive in poorly drained soil and can be controlled by improving drainage.

Clean summer fallowing of infested fields has been effective in some areas.

Seeds are more susceptible to wireworm damage if they take longer to grow. As a result, planting in warmer soil can speed up germination and reduce the amount of time that wireworms can cause damage.

Larvae may also be found feeding on

continued on pg. 42

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BC�T January 41

Badger Beat. . . continued from pg. 41

Weed Management Research Update and Outlook

By Jed Colquhoun, professor and Extension specialist, UW-Madison, Dept. of Horticulture

Weed management got off to a challenging start in the 2017 growing season, particularly in the northern production areas with heavier soils where wet weather prevented field activities.

In general, potato weed control was decent on coarse-textured soils that are well drained, although herbicide resistance appears to still be on the move and increasing in prevalence.

We’re still waiting on some national regulatory re-registration decisions that may affect herbicides used in potato and rotational vegetables, including diquat and linuron.

Stay tuned for updates on any label changes that may result from that process.

At a national level, much attention has been directed toward alleged cases of off-target dicamba and resulting injury to susceptible crops, including non-dicamba tolerant soybean and specialty crops.

NEW DICAMBA RULES As a result, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new rules for dicamba use in resistant crops, including classifying the dicamba products used on these crops as restricted use, requiring specific training and detailed record keeping, reducing the wind speed allowance,

outlining specific tank-cleaning procedures to avoid contamination and reducing the times during the day in which applications can be made.

EPA will monitor the success of these and other new requirements in the 2018 growing season.

From a research standpoint, the future looks bright. The 2017 growing season was very busy but productive for our program thanks to the dedicated work of Dan Heider and Rich Rittmeyer.

This research pays dividends for growers and the industry by optimizing production, reducing risk and securing new economically solvent and efficient management tools. Highlights include: In the herbicide evaluation program, we’re currently working four active ingredients toward registration in potato. We conduct similar research on the vegetables grown in rotation in potato.

In recent years, this has included replicated field studies in horseradish, onion, celery, beans (dry, lima and snap), cabbage, carrot, pea, garden beet, sweet potato, processing and ornamental pumpkin and mint.

This process typically starts with a multi-species herbicide screen, where we take a first look at many herbicide active ingredients across more than a dozen vegetable crops.

Those that show promise are moved on to crop-specific replicated studies, and if there remains to be crop safety, added value for weed control and registrant interest, we then conduct refined studies to evaluate potato variety/type tolerance, weed control spectrum, multiple soil types and viable use patterns (timing, rate, adjuvants, tank-mixes, etc.).

All four of the active ingredients we’re currently refining pose particularly low risk of weed resistance development and are unique sites of action in potato.

Three of the four are very near registration (one has now been registered for use in Canada with the U.S. following; for one the registrant is conducting residue work to establish a potato tolerance; and one would be an expansion of a regional label to include Wisconsin).

We’re now refining the use patterns for these herbicides to establish the optimum timing, rates and tankmixes for more holistic integrated

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with herbicides.

We continued work to identify potential new vine desiccants and alternative vine management strategies that can be integrated with herbicides.

Additionally, non-chemical strategies such as flame burning followed by flailchopping adequately managed vines and would be applicable to organic production.

In the past year, we completed a multi-year research project looking at various mechanical and physical vine management strategies with a focus on early fresh market potato production, where vines can be most challenging, but market incentives are typically high.

We’ve spent much time in recent years investigating the effect of offtarget herbicides, such as through tank contamination, on potato seed crops and commercial production in the year after exposure.

This work included yellow-fleshed and red-skinned varieties, and investigated the influence of vine management on tuber yield and size distribution, skinning and stolon separation at harvest, and after three weeks of storage.

Strategies such as flail-chopping the top third of the potato plant eight days prior to diquat application adequately pre-disposed the vines to better kill

This continues to be a significant issue in commercial production, where we’ve observed fields with emergence reduced up to 85 percent.

This is particularly problematic when potato is grown in rotation with nearby grain crops, where many of the herbicides are long-lasting and very active at low doses.

In many cases, the herbicide symptoms aren’t visible in the seed crop but appear in the following year, making detection a challenge.

In our current work we’re looking at simple, affordable ways to detect non-visual stress in winter grow-outs with a hand-held NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) sensor, in essence, creating an NDVI “signature” for herbicide-damaged seed.

Our work has expanded beyond the pest management realm by grower and industry request and with creative opportunities to advance production.

As such, we continue to develop and manage the Wisconsin Water Stewards program to customize and optimize farm-specific water use in the Central Sands, we’re evaluating the carbon and water footprints of new versus older potato varieties, and we’re working on a “big data” machine learning project that will allow growers to move precision agriculture from decision support to decision making. continued on pg. 44

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BC�T January 43

Badger Beat. . . continued from pg. 43

Goldrush Response to Nitrogen Rate and Timing

By Matt Ruark, UW-Madison, Dept. of Soil Science Research was conducted at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station evaluating Goldrush potato yields across nitrogen fertilizer rates from 30 to 345 pounds (lb.)-nitrogen/acre (N/ ac.).

First, yields were about 15 percent lower than yields in 2016. But, similar to research in previous years, the optimum N rate was 210 lb.-N/ac.

44 BC�T January

with N rates above this rate (255, 300 and 345 lb.-N/ac.), resulting in slightly lower yields (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Total potato yield at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station across seven nitrogen rates in the 2017 growing season.

In this study, 30 lb.-N/ac. of N was applied at planting, with the remaining nitrogen being split across three

applications (emergence, tuber initiation and two weeks after tuber initiation—May 15, June 5 and

June 19, respectively).

Interestingly, when averaged across base application rates of 200 lb.-N/ac. or more, a single additional application of 30 lb.-N/ac. applied July 5 increased yields by 11 hundredweight (cwt.)/ac., but when there were two applications

of 30 lb.-N/ac. applied July 5 and July 17, had little to no effect, averaging a 3 cwt./ac. yield loss.

Using estimates of dry matter content and nitrogen content of the tuber, a yield of 455 cwt./ac. would remove 123 lb.-N/ac.

With an application rate of 210 lb.-N/ ac, this yield indicates that the partial nutrient balance was 58 percent, or 58 percent of the N applied was removed in the tuber. This would be considered a good nutrient balance percentage for potato production systems.

2017 Review of Diseases in Wisconsin Potatoes

By Amanda J. Gevens, Extension vegetable pathologist, associate professor, UW-Madison Potato diseases are associated with temperature and moisture. The most accurate summary of the 2017 season is that disease was as variable as the weather when considering across the entire state and production cycles.

Overall, early blight and brown spot set on later, with some of the greatest pressure in August. We saw flushes of brown spot show at the very tail end of the season, just prior to vine kill in many parts of Central Wisconsin.

unexpected tuber infection in storage.

By season’s end, all growers struggled a bit with unusual weather. Of note was the high temperatures, in the 90’s, with too much water within the month of September.

This condition, in some locations, resulted in high incidence of pink eye. While not a disease itself,

the damaged periderm becomes somewhat of a “welcome mat” to multiple opportunistic diseases such as Pythium leak, bacterial soft rot and Fusarium dry rot.

Others experienced higher incidence of bruising if moisture or temperatures were off at harvest, which later revealed secondary infection by Fusarium, primarily.

Of relatively minor, yet not insignificant incidence, were diseases including blackleg caused by Dickeya and/or Pectobacterium species and white mold.

Late blight was confirmed in 13 counties, overall in 2017, on tomato and/or potato from July 26 to September 20. The predominant genotype or clonal lineage was US-23 (generally sensitive to mefenoxam and metalaxyl), however, US-8 was also confirmed in six counties.

Most of the confirmations made in early and late season were from tomato plants, with potato confirmations coming in primary during the month of August.

LATE BLIGHT SPORE MOVEMENT The disease was controlled well in commercial potatoes, but some lateseason weather conditions seemed to promote movement of late blight pathogen spores, resulting in some BC�T January 45

Potatoes USA News In-Store Potato Banners Available

Merchandise displays highlight versatility and convenience of potatoes

Potatoes USA developed a variety of in-store display merchandise to elevate potato promotions for retailers throughout the United States. These banners highlight the versatility and convenience of potatoes.

The elegantly designed displays showcase mouthwatering potato dishes on a slate background and utilize an eye-catching potato font. This unique typeface will be used to engage retailers and connect with consumers throughout the campaign.

The design also highlights a “U.S. Grown” seal, which has been trending as more and more retailers are promoting local and U.S. produce.

Research1/ shows that consumer

basket sizes are, on average, nearly twice as large when fresh potatoes are in the basket and nearly 2.2 times larger when frozen potatoes are included, the highest of all adjacent produce categories.

This makes potatoes the number one vegetable in weekly volume sales per store. Potatoes USA is committed to helping retailers increase their bottom lines with strategic produce selections, store placement and instore promotions.

These designs are now available to retailers nationwide to be displayed in strategic, high-traffic areas of the produce department to increase potato demand, sales and volume.

For more information, contact Ross Johnson at ross@potatoesusa.com.

Potatoes + Cafés = Perfect Pairing For the second year in a row, Potatoes USA participated in the Seoul Café Show, which is the largest café- and coffee-shop-focused event in South Korea.

Café owners and chefs were intrigued by all the dishes that could be made with minimal equipment, and consumers were delighted by the delicious food.

Over a four-day period, business owners and consumers visited the Potatoes USA booth to learn about the versatility of U.S. potato products and sample delicious café foods, including soups, scones, salads, muffins, sandwiches and more.

With cafés and coffee shops being the fastest-growing food industry in Korea, potatoes are sure to be excellent ingredients for success.

46 BC�T January

Right: Café owners in South Korea were intrigued by all the dishes that could be made using potatoes and minimal equipment.

/Source: Nielsen Perishables Group FreshFacts®; Total Produce Database; 52 weeks ending 12/31/16.

1

New Products

FieldNET Advisor Customized for Potato Crops The new tool optimizes irrigation through better decision making

FieldNET Advisor, an advanced irrigation management solution, will be available for use on potatoes and other crops for the 2018 growing season.

The latest addition to the FieldNET®

by Lindsay line of products, the tool uses patented technology to deliver the information growers need to make faster, better-informed decisions about when, where and how much to irrigate, improving yields while reducing water usage and other input costs.

“When we launched FieldNET Advisor in early 2017, it was for use on corn and soybeans. We’re very excited that we now can offer the smartest solution in irrigation to potato growers, too,” says Brian Magnusson, vice president of irrigation technology at Lindsay Corporation.

“It combines more than 40 years of crop and irrigation science with FieldNET’s cloud computing capabilities, remote sensing functionality and machine learning to provide growers with field- and cropspecific irrigation recommendations,” Magnusson adds.

without additional irrigation, yield reduction, due to water stress, will occur. It quantifies the severity of the stress and the crop’s yield sensitivity to water at different

growth stages.

•A utomatically generate variable rate irrigation prescriptions, which continued on pg. 48

After entering the field’s crop type, hybrids and planting dates, the simple, easy-to-use tool will: • Track the available soil water throughout the field by combining a soil map of the field, proprietary and dynamic crop canopy and root growth models, hyper-local weather data and an as-applied irrigation history • Create a high-resolution map showing the soil water depletion levels across the entire field • Forecast the crop’s future water needs and predict when and where, BC�T January 47

New Products. . . continued from pg. 47

are continuously updated to account for actual and forecasted weather, changing crop water requirements and as-applied irrigation • Integrate into FieldNET’s powerful remote monitoring and control platform, giving growers the ability to immediately put their irrigation decisions into action and monitor their progress “FieldNET Advisor is the first, fully closed-loop precision irrigation system. It gathers field information, automatically combines it with massive amounts of third-party data and then processes everything into simple, easy-to-understand irrigation and variable rate irrigation plans,” Magnusson explains.

“The grower can then immediately put those plans into action with the simple touch of a button on

a smartphone, tablet or laptop,” he says.

Magnusson added that, for growers who already have FieldNET remote monitoring and control equipment installed on their pivots, FieldNET Advisor requires no additional hardware, sensors or probes.

FieldNET Advisor recently was

named a 2018 AE50 Award winner.

Presented by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the award recognizes the year’s most innovative designs in engineering products or systems for the food and agriculture industries.

For more information about FieldNET Advisor, talk to your local Zimmatic dealer or visit www.fieldnetadvisor.com.

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For a directory of Wisconsin Certified Seed Potato Growers or a free video, contact:

WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES 48 BC�T January

Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association, Inc. P.O. Box 173, Antigo, WI 54409 715-623-4039 www.potatoseed.org

View a directory of the Wisconsin Certified Seed Potato Growers on your smartphone.

Farmers Edge and Planet Partner Satellite imagery enables growers to improve yields and react to crop stress Farmers Edge™, a global leader in decision agriculture, announced today a strategic partnership to bring Planet’s best-in-class global monitoring data and platform capabilities to the Farmers Edge precision agriculture product suite.

Planet is an integrated aerospace and data platform company that operates the world’s largest fleet of earth imaging satellites, collecting the largest quantity of earth imagery.

Farmers Edge is now a sole distributor for Planet in key agricultural regions, with the right to use and distribute high-resolution, high-frequency imagery from Planet’s three flagship satellite constellations.

“At Farmers Edge, providing our customers with the most concise, comprehensive and consistent data is at the core of what we do,” he adds.

“We understand the need for more image frequency, and that’s why we are partnering with Planet. Daily

imagery is a game-changer in the digital ag space.”

The combination of Planet’s unprecedented data set and Farmers Edge state-of-the-art image processing technology allows for continued on pg. 50

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Through this multi-million-dollar, multi-year global distribution agreement, Farmers Edge and Planet are significantly expanding their existing partnership. The companies will deliver the vanguard of remotesensing-driven and analytics-based agronomy services to growers worldwide.

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Farmers Edge customers will be among the first to take advantage of field-centric, consistent and accurate insights from satellite imagery.

UPDATED FIELD IMAGERY While traditional imagery products provide only a partial, delayed or inconsistent view of fields, this partnership equips Farmers Edge growers with comprehensive, highquality field imagery more frequently updated than any other company in the industry.

“Until now, the challenge with satellite imagery has been that the data was simply not frequent enough to react to crop stress in a timely manner,” says Wade Barnes, president and CEO of Farmers Edge.

Tremendous Brand Compatibility

The DigiFarm continuous network provides extreme accuracy with a signal that works anywhere within the tower network and is compatible with all major brands of GPS receivers.

For details on the DigiFarm RTK Network, contact: John Cooper: 715.370.3956 or Hayden Henry: 715.370.0122

swiderskiequipment.com/precisionfarming DigiFarmAD_V6.indd 1

49 BC�T January 12/11/17 2:46 PM

New Products. . . continued from pg. 49

early crop monitoring and gives growers the best opportunity to correct factors that could limit crop performance and compromise yield potential.

Growers will now have a wealth of field-centric data updated throughout the growing season, including early monitoring of crop stand, detection of pest and weed pressure, drainage issues, hail damage, herbicide injuries, nutrient deficiencies, yield prediction and more.

AG TECHNOLOGY “Farmers Edge is consistently at the cutting edge of innovation in agricultural technology, and we’re proud to expand our partnership with them as we work to improve profitability, sustainability and efficiency for the world’s producers,” says Will Marshall, CEO of Planet.

“The challenges faced by the agriculture industry are complex in nature and global in scale, and we believe our data is uniquely positioned to solve agricultural challenges,” Marshall relates.

important advisors to the farmer can now partner with Farmers Edge and leverage this industry-changing capability within their business,” says Ron Osborne, chief strategy officer of Farmers Edge.

“We’re pleased to be able to help so many in our industry manage risks, in near real-time,” Osborne says.

“This is great for our customers, our partners and agriculture.”

In 2016, Planet awarded Farmers Edge its Agriculture Award, recognizing the company’s pioneering work with ag-based analytics, variable rate technology and fieldcentric data management.

About Planet Planet is an integrated aerospace and data analytics company that operates the largest fleet of earth-imaging satellites, collecting a massive

“Retailers, co-ops, equipment dealers, agronomists and all other

amount of information about our changing planet.

Planet designs, builds and operates over 180 satellites, and develops the online software and tools that serve data to users. Decision makers in business, government and organizations use Planet’s data and machine-learning-powered analytics to develop new technologies, deliver business outcomes, power research and solve the world’s toughest challenges. To learn more, visit http://www.planet.com.

About Farmers Edge Farmers Edge is a global leader in decision agriculture. Combining hardware, software, agronomy and support, Farmers Edge provides growers with the right data to inform farm management decisions that maximize productivity and profitability.

Originating in Canada, Farmers Edge is now active in five countries across the globe and has received international recognition, including the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer Award and Canada’s PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Disruptor Innovator of the Year Award for its agricultural innovations and commitment to global sustainability. For more information, visit www. farmersedge.ca or www.farmersedgeUSA.com.

WPIB Focus Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison 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

706,549.4

1,283,527.92

2,874,985.48

3,531,201.37

9,992,641.23

Assessment

$96,214.65

$46,392.12

$87,862.17

$200,067.53

$246,554.05

$677,090.52

Jul-17

Aug-17

Sep-17

Oct-17

Nov-17

Month

Dec-17

Jan-18

Feb-18

Mar-18

Apr-18

May-18

Jun-18

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,396,699.63

728,925.87

1,091,193.52

2,115,859.48

3,758,248.10

9,090,926.60

Assessment

$97,708.18

$51,117.39

$76,383.31

$148,116.2

$263,042.39

$636,367.47

50 BC�T January

EYES ON ASSOCIATES

By WPVGA Associate Div. President, Sally Suprise, Ansay & Associates

Greetings to you all!

I can’t believe I am writing one of my last “Eyes on Associates” articles and that my one year serving as WPVGA Associate Division president is coming to a close.

members. This is also a time when the raffle drawings are held, and you don't want to miss out on prize money.

Being able to serve a four-year term on the board and participate in the potato and vegetable growing industry has been so rewarding. The WPVGA staff does so much that we Associate Division members might sometimes not realize or take for granted. When you get a chance, thank them for doing such a great job.

Marshfield Clinic will be unable to attend and conduct free cancer screenings, however the Wellness Spa from Stevens Point is offering chair massages if you have a few minutes and want to take advantage of that.

During my first year on the board, the Spudmobile was in the planning stages. I was on the promotions committee the first three years, and looking back, being able to walk through the “RV” and attempt to envision the plans at that time was nothing compared to seeing the vision come to life.

I’ve had the opportunity to participate in various events with the Spudmobile, and to be able to educate others on the Field to Fork concept is a very proud feeling for me.

Our Wisconsin growers and this industry as a whole have so much to be proud of, and I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to support it.

The Associate Division Board has been gearing up for the 2018 WPVGA

Grower Education Conference & Industry Show, February 6-8. Once again, I hope you all can attend.

VENDOR PRESENTATIONS We will again be making time available for brief vendor presentations, with the allotted time extended from five to 10 minutes for each presenter. A letter was sent out to all vendors who expressed interest, asking each of them to submit a summary of their proposed presentation, and our board will review and start the selection process.

During the banquet, we will be treated to the University of WisconsinStevens Point jazz band, so please plan on staying and enjoying the entertainment. This is such a good opportunity to relax and have good conversation with fellow WPVGA

We will again hold a silent auction during the Industry Show with some great items to bid on, so make sure you take a moment to sign up at the designated table.

The WPVGA has had an overwhelming response from vendors that attend, and we do our best to provide space for all who want to participate. I am hoping you take the time to stop by as many vendor booths as possible in support of those who support the WPVGA. I look forward to seeing you all at the 2018 Grower Education Conference & Industry Show, and have a safe January!

Sally Suprise

WPVGA Associate Division President

Above: During Associate Division President Sally Suprise’s time on the promotions committee, she saw the Spudmobile go from a vision to becoming a reality. Here, the Spudmobile is being set up and a potato dish being prepared outside of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. From left to right in front of the Spudmobile are WPVGA Coordinator of Community Relations Jim Zdroik, Dianne Somers of Plover River Farms and WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan. Suprise says she is proud of being able to help educate Spudmobile visitors on the Field to Fork concept.

BC�T January 51

Crop Rotation Study Marks 50 Years UW-Madison’s Lancaster Ag Research Station celebrates half-century of crop rotation study Shortly after it was established in 1963, the University of WisconsinMadison Lancaster Agricultural Research Station embarked on a study of crop rotation, to serve the small farms on the steep hillsides where the Driftless Area slopes down toward the Mississippi River.

Plenty has changed since then, including the size of the farms and the focus of the study, but the goal is still to bridge the divide between cutting-edge research at the UWMadison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the practical

realities of survival and prosperity on the farm.

The 50-year history of the project mirrors changes on Wisconsin farms over the past half century, says station Superintendent Arin Crooks.

“Originally, the goal was to see if we could replace alfalfa in rotation with corn by artificial nitrogen fertilizer, but the oil crisis in the ’70s sent the price of fertilizer sky high,” Crooks remarks.

“So, we began looking to a more sustainable crop rotation,” he adds, “alternating corn and legumes, which

Above: Arin Crooks, far left, superintendent of the Lancaster Agricultural Research Station in Grant County, Wisconsin, explains research projects at a field day in mid-July. Photo courtesy of David Tenenbaum, university communications

move nitrogen from the atmosphere to the roots.”

The station is a 530-acre site west of Lancaster, Wisconsin, with seven fulltime and three part-time employees, and three or four students from UW-Madison, as well as those from other schools such as UW-Platteville and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College.

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.

52 BC�T January

As one of the 12 CALS ag research stations, the site serves UW-Madison agricultural researchers who are testing, improving and adapting seeds and techniques to meet the needs of Wisconsin farmers.

EVOLVING, LIVING PROJECT “We talk about the rotation study as an evolving, living research project,” says Crooks. “For example, 10 or 15 years ago, producers around here started going back to planting winter wheat as a cash grain crop, so we began to test how that would play into productivity.”

More recently, the Lancaster station has embarked on a detailed study of a natural Driftless Area issue: how to shift the cost-benefit equation while grazing cattle in woodlands.

Cattle appreciate summer shade, so in the “silvopasture” study, they are allowed onto wooded pastures when the heat index goes critical. The hope is that regulating pasture usage will

reduce harm to trees and benefit the cattle at the same time.

On July 19, 2017, at one of the station’s annual field days, Sam Schwer, who works 500 acres and raises beef cattle just north of Lancaster near Fennimore, was examining corn plots on fields following various cover crops planted last fall.

Above: Jérémie Favre, agronomy graduate student who works for Assistant Professor Valentin Picasso Risso, walks through a Kernza research plot at the Lancaster Research Station. Kernza is a perennial forage and grain crop that can be grazed in the spring and fall, and harvested for grain in summer. Photo courtesy of Sevie Kenyon, UW-Madison CALS

Having the station do this on-theground research is a “strong decisionmaker,” says Schwer, who is president continued on pg. 54

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Half Century of Crop Rotation. . . continued from pg. 53

of the Grant County Cattlemen’s Association.

“Input costs are rising more and more, and if it works, that’s good, and if it doesn’t, I don’t have to put the money out to test it myself,” he says.

Nearby, Matt and Beth Mueller were discussing a perennial relative of wheat called Kernza that can be grazed and cut for forage, so it may reduce their need for stored feed.

The couple farms 1,100 acres in Rewey, east of Lancaster, where they also raise 400 cows and their calves.

KERNZA ON ROCKY SOIL Matt says they plan to test Kernza on part of a 30- to 40-acre area where the soil is too thin and rocky to be tilled. Visiting the station “gives us ideas to talk about, things to look into,” Matt says. “We’ll come back here in the fall to see how well the cover crop is established.”

The 350-acre Gerry Weiss farm a few miles from the Lancaster Ag Research Station shows the benefit of practical, tested agricultural advice.

“Kernza is new to us, and we hadn’t heard much about it,” says Beth. “It’s good to be able to come here and see it growing, talk to people who have researched it, who can answer our questions.”

As he began raising crops, cattle and swine, stanching erosion was the first order of business.

Hilly fields require long-term thinking.

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When Weiss bought the farm in 1975, it was riven by gullies. Annual erosion measured more than 13 tons per acre.

Weiss, who has a bachelor’s degree in meat and animal science from UWMadison and a doctorate from Iowa State University, knew nothing about farming the steep hillsides of the Driftless Region.

So, he sought advice from the Lancaster station, CALS in Madison and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Left: The Lancaster station is studying the effects of grazing cows in woodlands, aiming to develop guidelines to protect trees, shade cows and reduce the environmental impact of farming. Photo courtesy of Sevie Kenyon, UW-Madison CALS Right: Gerry Weiss has spent a lifetime repairing 350 acres near Lancaster. Now he’s looking for a next generation conservation-minded farmer who appreciates the enormous amount of thought and intelligence that’s converted his farm from a poster child of soil erosion into a textbook example of how to farm the hilly, Driftless Region profitably, sensibly and without waste. Grow forage, he says!

Photo courtesy of David Tenenbaum, university communications

SOIL EROSION PLUMMETS After constructing miles of terraces and bulldozing and filling gullies, soil erosion plummeted to 0.1 tons per acre. Even after the heavy rains of mid-July 2017, bare soil is not visible.

That’s partly due to the intensive battle against erosion. And with grain prices low, the farm is devoted to forage crops and conservation reserves.

Much of that forage comes from permaculture—plantings that grow year after year from one seeding.

“In 38 years following the initial seeding, I have never reseeded 75 acres of waterways and pastures,” Weiss says. “We fertilize and lime, but these are permanent stands. We just harvest hay off them via grazing and mechanical harvesting.”

As Weiss drives his pickup across waterways where gullies once could have hidden a bulldozer, he returns to one name: William “Bill” Paulson,

a Ph.D. agronomist who was director of the Lancaster Research Station from 1963 to 1991.

“Paulson had an uncanny knowledge of pasture seeds,” Weiss says. “USDA had its own seeding specifications for these soil-conservation activities, but the difference is that Bill had actually done it here at the Lancaster Research Station.”

Above: Sam Schwer, who farms near Fennimore, poses at a Lancaster station test plot next to a sign showing the cost and benefits of various cover crops.

Photo courtesy of David Tenenbaum, university communications.

“As we built and seeded the waterways, he had the perfect seed mixture recommendations,” Weiss states. “It was unbelievably positive.

He knew what would work here.”

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NPC News

Bayer Crop Science Hosts NPC Fall Meeting Visit includes tour of research facility that develops crop protection tools On November 7-8, 2017, the National Potato Council (NPC) Executive Committee held its fall meeting at Bayer Crop Science’s facility in West Sacramento, California.

The two-day meeting involved discussions over Potato Expo 2018 and the upcoming 2018 Potato D.C. Fly-In, as well as many legislative and regulatory issues impacting the potato industry.

Bayer Crop Science also provided a tour of its state-of-the-art research facility that develops and enhances

a variety of crop protection tools with a specific focus on microbial products.

“We appreciate Bayer’s hospitality in allowing us to use their facility.

They have been a valued partner of NPC for many years, and seeing their work in action was a highlight of our meeting,” says Dwayne Weyers, NPC president.

Right: From far left to right, Dominic LaJoie, Jim Tiede and Daniel Chin, all of the National Potato Council (NPC) Executive Committee, tour a stateof-the-art Bayer Crop Science research facility in West Sacramento, California.

It takes a lifetime to build a farm. But just a few short weeks or months after you’re gone the whole thing could be gone. Which is why planning for your succession calls for a legal partner that understands farming, and farmers. Contact Ruder Ware and talk with one of our experienced ag attorneys. They understand that your farm is not just a business, it’s the accomplishment of a lifetime.

56 BC�T January

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NPC Testifies on Dietary Guidelines for Americans On Tuesday, November 28, 2017, NPC Vice President of Public Policy Kam Quarles testified at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the kickoff of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) process.

USDA held a full day of listening sessions designed to gain information from a wide range of organizations interested in the DGA process. Once finalized, these guidelines will inform nutrition policy decisions for five years.

“We would like to reiterate support for the DGA process to move forward

in a transparent manner to provide the most scientifically sound recommendations to the American public,” says Quarles.

NPC has played an active role in nutrition policy for many years, most recently in correcting various policy decisions under the Obama Administration that disregarded nutrition science in the pursuit of excluding white potatoes from several federal feeding programs.

“It is in our interest to be involved at every step of this process. The DGA will serve as a key piece of the foundation for individual nutrition

Above: National Potato Council President of Public Policy Kam Quarles testified at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during the kickoff of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans process. Photo courtesy of McDermott, Will & Emery LLP

policies for years to come. NPC is strongly urging transparency and allowing science, not activists’ opinions, to guide these future decisions,” Quarles states.

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Seed Piece

Seedcare Institute Celebrates First Anniversary Stanton, Minnesota, facility customizes and tests seed treatment recipes

Based on strong response to its new North America Seedcare

high-quality seeds with uniform coating and active ingredient distribution,” Ramachandran adds.

Built in Stanton, Minnesota, the facility opened in September 2016 as one of the most sophisticated research facilities in the agricultural industry.

The $20 million facility is one of 13 sites that comprise the global network of Syngenta Seedcare Institutes.

Institute, Syngenta is filling a growing need for innovative seed treatment research, advanced customer training and personalized application support.

Key achievements during its first year of operation include successfully developing customized seed treatment recipes, and then testing and scaling up the recipes from the Syngenta lab to commercial-size seed treating plants.

“Through large-scale testing, we’ve validated customized recipes and

transferred them to our customers’ seed production sites across different treating technologies,” says Ravi Ramachandran, Ph.D., head of the North America Seedcare Institute for Syngenta.

“Optimizing the treating process helps our customers increase their operational efficiency and deliver

Global standards ensure that specific procedures are used in the design and documentation of a recipe and a set of quality parameters are fulfilled to meet customer, grower and regulatory needs in each country worldwide.

A quality assurance program that

The Rhinelander Agricultural Research Station, part of the University of Wisconsin – Madison College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, would like to thank the following companies for their support and collaboration during the 2017 field year: • AgSource Laboratories • AMVAC • Case IH/Beaver Machine Co. • Coloma Farms • Crop Production Services— Plainfield • Crop Production Services— Great Lakes • Eagle River Seed Farm • Environmental Scholars of Rhinelander • Gaber Electric • Hanson’s Garden Village • Insight FS • Krapil Electric • Local Food Pantries (Rhinelander, Lakeland, Boulder Junction, Mercer, Nokomis) 58 BC�T January

• M&J Harvesting, LLC • Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems • Northwoods area food pantries • Nortrax—Merrill • Oneida County Master Gardeners • Prentice High School • Riesterer & Schnell • RPE, Inc. • Schumitsch Seed • Sowinski Farms • T & H Agri-Chemicals • Tasteful Selections • TIP, Inc. • Trig’s Food • United Greenhouse

• U.S. Forest Service • UW CALS • UW Department of Horticulture • UW Kemp Natural Resources Station • UW Marshfield, Hancock & Arlington Ag. Research Stations • WI Crop Improvement Association • WI DATCP • WI Dept. of Corrections • WI Dept. of Natural Resources • WI Seed Certification Program • WI Seed Potato Improvement Association • WI Spudmobile • WPVGA Associate Division

involves laboratory analysis of treated seeds for loading levels of key active ingredients helps customers produce high-quality treated seeds.

controlled application and planter testing labs where Syngenta simulates different environmental conditions.

PLANTER TESTING LABS The site also features climate-

“The ability to simulate various climate conditions, from California

New grading line!

Accurate sizing to meet your needs!

Left: Wanderson Oliveira, Seedcare platform specialist, evaluates planter performance of treated seeds.

RIght: Lahcen Grass (top), Seedcare technology lead, and Asmeret Tewolde, seed biology technician, work together to evaluate root health of plants grown in a rhizotron. continued on pg. 60

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WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES BC�T January 59

Seed Piece. . . continued from pg. 59

and the Dakotas to the Carolinas, better enables our researchers to understand region-specific differences in applications and use, and allows them to develop optimal formulations,” Ramachandran explains.

“This has been particularly valuable for customers with multiple seed treating plants located across the country, because it helps maximize yield for every seed planted,” he explains.

Basic and advanced levels of education and training at the Seedcare Institute include recipe customization, hands-on application techniques, equipment automation and more.

In the past year, 2,600 customers were trained at the site and another 675 retail applicators were trained

offsite through more than a dozen Seedcare Academy sessions held across the United States.

Syngenta invests more than $1.3 billion in research and development globally, or $3.5 million every day.

For nearly four decades, Syngenta has been a leader in seed treatment

technology. This heritage dates back to 1979 with the introduction of Concep® seed safener, the first product of its kind for sorghum.

To learn more about Syngenta Seedcare, visit SyngentaSeedcare. com, or join the conversation online at social.SyngentaUS.com.

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Ali's Kitchen Zucchini Roll-Ups Stuffed with Spinach Potato Filling

Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Happy New Year! With the indulgence of the holidays behind us, and as we settle fully into 2018, we’re due for a healthier potato option … don’t ya think?

And healthy does not mean boring!

I’ll prove it to you with these zucchini roll-ups, with spinach potato filling, no less. They’re filled with creamy seasoned mashed potatoes and good-for-you spinach.

I prefer full-fat cheeses when cooking here at the Carter house, but you could easily swap in low-fat ricotta cheese and mozzarella to create an even healthier version of your own.

This recipe is meatless, and my husband was not exactly thrilled

when he sat down at the dinner table and heard my announcement that we were going to be vegetarians for the evening.

He was very gracious, however, and ate without much grumbling.

And, after a couple of bites he complimented the meal despite it consisting primarily of veggies!

If you’re planning to serve the spinach-potato-stuffed zucchini roll-ups to someone who thinks that a meal is not a meal without a chunk of protein on their plate, I suggest baking some chicken breasts seasoned with Italian spices to serve alongside the roll-ups. continued on pg. 62

Zucchini Roll-Ups Stuffed with Spinach Potato Filling Healthy, Gluten Free, Vegetarian 4 large zucchinis 2 cups mashed potatoes (plain) 1 cup fresh spinach leaves (chopped finely) ¾ cup ricotta cheese ¼ cup vegetable stock ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus an additional 3-4 tbsp. to top the rolls) ½ tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. dried oregano ¼ tsp. dried parsley ½ tsp. dried basil ¼ tsp. ground black pepper ½ tsp. salt 2 cups marinara sauce *The number of roll-ups you end up with will depend on the size of your zucchini.

BC�T January 61

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Ali's Kitchen. . . continued from pg. 61

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Rinse the zucchini well and pat dry. Thinly slice each zucchini lengthwise, doing your best to keep the slices no more than ¼-inch thick.

3. Lay the slices of zucchini onto paper towel to absorb any moisture and set aside.

4. Spoon the marinara sauce onto the bottom of a baking dish (a 9”x13” pan works well).

5. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, spinach, ricotta cheese, vegetable stock, mozzarella, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper until all the ingredients

are well combined.

6. To make the roll-ups, place about 2 tbsps. of the mashed potato mixture onto a slice of zucchini and roll the zucchini around the filling from end to end. Place each completed zucchini roll into the baking dish on top of the marinara sauce as you go. Be sure to lay the end of each zucchini roll toward the pan to keep the slices from coming unrolled while baking.

7. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top of the zucchini rolls and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the zucchini has softened and the cheese is lightly browned and thoroughly melted.

Enjoy!

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