1809_Badger Common'Tater

$18/year | $1.50/copy | Volume 70 No. 9 | SEPTEMBER 2018

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

STORAGE & MARKETING ISSUE

INTERVIEW:

Dale Nelson Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems

RESEARCH STATIONS Roll Out the Red Carpet

RON’S REFRIGERATION— Up to any Potato Storage Task

GOOD ROUND OF GOLF At 2018 Putt-Tato Open

AG STATION TECHNICIAN Watches over HARS Storage

A lane dividing flowering potato varieties makes for a spectacular sight on Guenthner Potato Co. land outside of Antigo, Wisconsin.

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On the Cover: The chance to visit blooming potato fields just outside of Antigo, Wisconsin, presented itself, but not just any fields—three varieties, all flowering different colors, in side-by-side plots. Two of the three are clearly visible, divided by a farmer’s lane, on the front cover of this issue, a photo taken in July on Guenthner Potato Co. land.

8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW: Dale Nelson of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems in Plainfield, Wisconsin, has 35 years of experience in ventilation and refrigeration, and has designed potato storage systems from coast to coast, as well as in Canada and Mexico. His company’s booth is shown at the 2018 Grower Education Conference & Industry Show in Stevens Point. Dale says he has a great working relationship with growers and other industry professionals.

DEPARTMENTS: ALI’S KITCHEN.................... 69 AUXILIARY NEWS............... 60 BADGER BEAT.................... 50

14 HANCOCK & ANTIGO HOLD 2018 FIELD DAYS Researchers present field trials, results and analyses

28

38 NOW NEWS

Wisconsin Potato Grower/ Chef Competition Makes Debut at Celebrate Plover

Alsum Farms & Produce will host 2nd Annual Tater Trot NPC NEWS......................... 61 to support local FFA chapters

22 RON’S REFRIGERATION builds potato storages to accommodate the product 46 PUTT-TATO OPEN raises funds for research, scholarships and other initiatives 63 AG STATION TECHNICIAN helps growers monitor potato quality and health BC�T September

MARK YOUR CALENDAR...... 6

MARKETPLACE

FEATURE ARTICLES:

4

EYES ON ASSOCIATES......... 56

NEW PRODUCTS................ 57

PEOPLE.............................. 54 PLANTING IDEAS.................. 6 POTATOES USA NEWS........ 20 SEED PIECE........................ 68 WPIB FOCUS...................... 68

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WPVGA Board of Directors: President: Josh Mattek Vice President: Gary Wysocki Secretary: Rod Gumz Treasurer: Wes Meddaugh Directors: Mike Carter, Mark Finnessy, Bill Guenthner, Eric Schroeder & Eric 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: Casey Kedrowski Vice President: Joel Zalewski

Secretary: Cathy Schommer Treasurer: Rich Wilcox Directors: Chris Brooks, Paul Cieslewicz, Nick Laudenbach & Kenton Mehlberg Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board of Directors: President: Charlie Mattek Vice President: Dan Kakes Secretary/Treasurer: Roy Gallenberg Directors: Jeff Fassbender & J.D. Schroeder

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: Datonn Hanke Directors: Jody Baginski, Brittany Bula, Deniell Bula & 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 September

5

MARK YOUR

Calendar SEPTEMBER 15

2018 SPUD BOWL Community Stadium, Goerke Park, 6 p.m.

Stevens Point, WI

18-22

POTATO BOWL USA FESTIVITIES Alerus Center Grand Forks, ND

26

FARM TO FLAVOR DINNER Discovery Bldg., UW-Madison, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Madison, WI

OCTOBER 16-17

WISCONSIN GROCERS ASSOCIATION INNOVATION EXPO Hyatt Regency & KI Center Green Bay, WI

18-20

PRODUCE MARKETING ASSOCIATION FRESH SUMMIT Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL

27

2nd ANNUAL ALSUM FARMS & PRODUCE TATER TROT 5K Alsum Farms & Produce, 10 a.m.

N9083 County Road EF, Friesland, WI

29-30

RESEARCH MEETING West Madison Ag Research Station Verona, WI

JANUARY 2019 9-11

POTATO EXPO 2019 Austin, TX

FEBRUARY 5-7

WPVGA GROWER EDUCATION CONFERENCE & INDUSTRY SHOW Holiday Inn Stevens Point, WI

25-28

POTATO D.C. FLY-IN Capital Hilton Washington, D.C.

MARCH 26-28

WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE FARM SHOW Experimental Aircraft Association grounds Oshkosh, WI

JUNE 10-12

UNITED FRESH McCormick Place Chicago, IL

Planting Ideas It’s what makes it all worthwhile.

This was not an easy growing season for potato and vegetable growers in Wisconsin. We started with 30 inches of snow in many areas on April 15, and then reached 95-plus degrees on Memorial Day weekend in the middle of planting.

As researchers who gave presentations at the Antigo and Hancock Field Days noted, the wet, hot spring and summer burned off some plants, and affected skin set, canopies, potato size profiles and yield. Diseases, one researcher noted, “are fans of warm weather.” See complete coverage of the field days in the related feature article within this issue.

But as another researcher pointed out, all in all, considering the trials, tribulations and weather, pests and diseases, the 2018 potato crop looks pretty good, with average or slightly below average yields and size profiles.

Of course, some weathered the storm worse than others, with the heat and rain a hit-and-miss proposition, and it wasn’t easy for anyone.

The payoff is when the fruits of the labor are finally realized. It’s what makes it all worthwhile. In the photo above, Casey Kedrowski of Roberts Irrigation (right) and Kenton Mehlberg of T.I.P. (blue shirt, right) represent the WPVGA Associate Division Board in serving Flyte Family Farms corn during the 2018 Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day, July 19.

The gathering of the industry—growers sitting side-by-side with researchers, industry professionals and the general public there to learn about agriculture, and specifically potato and vegetable farming in Wisconsin—is the best way to enjoy the fruits of their labor. With corn and potatoes on the menu, as well as barbecued ribs and chicken, taking a break from the daily toil was just what the doctor ordered.

It’s not a far reach to say field days, farm visits and field-to-fork dinners today are not unlike thresherees of the old days, the community gathering for full days’ of work under the hot sun, only to it down at tables laden with food and refreshments at the end of each day, filling their empty stomachs, taking about the day’s events and enjoying fun and games. Even then, it must have seemed like that’s what all the work was about.

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 DALE NELSON,

president and co-owner, Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc.

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

NAME: Dale Nelson TITLE: Co-owner/President FACILITY: Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc. LOCATION: Plainfield, WI HOMETOWN: Ellsworth, WI

Specializing in agri-ventilation sales and service, Dale Nelson of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc., Plainfield, Wisconsin, works on humidification, refrigeration, computerized controls, custom designs and consulting.

With 35 years of experience in ventilation and refrigeration, Nelson has installed and designed potato storage systems from Michigan to the West Coast and from Canada to Mexico, not to mention the international consulting he has done from the United Kingdom all the way to Buenos Aires.

YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: 20 PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: Numerous SCHOOLING: Ellsworth High School, Red Wing Vo-Tech ORGANIZATIONS: WPVGA Associate Division member AWARDS/HONORS: 1998 WPVGA Industry Appreciation Award, 2003 Associate Division Business Person of the Year, 2008 Industry Appreciation Award and 2011 Friends of the Ag Research Stations Award FAMILY: Wife, Holly, and kids, Zach, Amanda and Drew HOBBIES: Golf, hunting and inspecting storages

Nelson is especially proud of the company’s focus on potato storage management.

“I was living in Boise, Idaho and working commercial refrigeration,” he relates. “Just by chance, I noticed a help wanted ad for a self-motivated person for refrigeration service with some travel, and I applied.”

“It ended up being a job as a service rep for a ventilation company that covered Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Northern California and states all the way back to Michigan,” Nelson says. “In fact, one of the first jobs I had was for Ore-Ida in Plover, Hancock and Grand Marsh.”

“Even though I was born and raised in western Wisconsin, I had no idea that Wisconsin even raised potatoes,”

8

BC�T September

he freely admits. “It was at that time I decided someday I was going to get back to Wisconsin and work in the potato industry.”

Nelson explains that working for Ore-Ida was a great way to get an education in the industry. “It gave me an opportunity not only to solve service issues, but also solve problems like air and humidity distribution, condensation issues and more,” he notes.

Designing and installing potato storage systems is specialized. How did that become your specialty?

Above: Co-owner and president of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc., Dale Nelson describes the company as a ventilation, refrigeration and computerized controls company that specializes in raw vegetable storage design and installation.

From designing, installing and servicing refrigeration, it was an easy transition—with some help from an engineering buddy who was in the potato storage design business—to transfer over to designing potato storages and air distribution.

From there it was just a lot of hard work. As you can imagine, designing equipment and storage layout is one thing, but being able to instruct your customers how to use the tools is a far greater challenge.

It took thousands of hours in storages, crawling over piles, reading books on storage and understanding all the dynamics that happen in a potato storage.

I have also been fortunate to have very good relationships with some of the researchers in this business and customers who want to be the leaders. They have pushed me for solutions and new ideas.

Was it a tough road to get started in the business? How did you break into it and blaze a trail, so to speak?

Like with any business, it was tough to get started. I always hoped that someday I would be able to have my own business, and after working for companies and managing a couple, I had an opportunity—because of Dick Pavelski and Dave Knights—to form a partnership and start Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems, Inc., in May 1998.

In 2006, Holly and I bought Dick and Dave out and became sole owners.

I think we would have started the business anyway, but the partnership made it much easier. The trailblazing was mainly due to demands from customers for new innovations and products.

How did you expand your business to become national and international? I have some customers whose storage work I had been doing for many years. They were able to introduce me to some other clients, and once I started and was successful, word just spread.

Are you still an international consultant for others in the

Above: Dale Nelson says there are significant differences in storage design depending on which potatoes or vegetables a building is designed to hold. A refrigerated onion building is shown in 2018.

business? Explain. At one time I did a lot of international consulting for numerous companies, and I would travel to Europe once a month for three years. I also picked up consulting in Asia, Australia, China and other countries.

I now consult internationally on a very limited basis, as the business here has grown and needs more attention. continued on pg. 10

BC�T September

9

Interview. . . continued from pg. 9

What is it about the potato growing business that attracts you? That is the easiest question yet—the people!

What do you enjoy about working with potato growers and other industry professionals? I have a very good working relationship with the growers and other industry professionals. It is not uncommon to have other industry professionals make special parts to help with some applications. The growers are in some cases demanding in a good way.

It has pushed our company to be the best in can be.

How many people do you employ at Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems? Eight.

What makes you most proud about your business? It’s our service to the industry, our customers and being the leaders in the industry with new products.

Is it a family business and in what respects? It is a family business. Holly and I work here along with some of the kids. But more than that, I feel everyone that works here is family.

What I tell all employees is you spend at least a third of your life at work, so choose a place where you want to

come to work everyday. We try to be that place.

Do you find potato growers to be a passionate and/or intelligent bunch?

Explain. The potato growers are very good at business and extremely good people. A few years back, when we had a family emergency, it was quite amazing, but not surprising, the amount of support our family received from the growers and the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA).

As far as being intelligent, they not only grow and harvest the crop, they store, market and supply their

customers almost year-round.

How many buildings do you design, build and/or service a year? The number of new buildings varies from year to year. In 2017, it was around 20 new ones, and this year only a couple. On the service and sprout inhibiting end, and this is just a guess, but over 300 buildings.

You were thanked a couple times at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS) Field Day this year, for your time and efforts and even volunteer time in troubleshooting.

Why is it important for you to donate your time to HARS? I have been involved with the [Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Storage Research Facility] building from the beginning.

In the early years, there was a lot of turnover with staff leaving, and in Above: Two truckloads of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems refrigeration equipment are being unloaded.

Left: Test barrels are designed as mini storages for post-harvest chemicals, including their own air systems and injection points for applying sprout inhibitors and disinfectants. Every new chemical that goes to Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems is tested (also shown at far left is a cooler for postharvest treatments) and researched before it’s used in commercial storage.

10 BC�T September

some circumstances, it left the facility shorthanded. At that point, I was helping daily until they could become fully staffed.

HARS now has a very good staff, and I am there more or less to help on an as needed basis. I feel that helping at HARS is just a small way of giving something back to the industry.

You are also a member of the WPVGA. Did you ever sit on any of the boards, and why is the

association important to you? I did sit on the Associate Division Board and found it to be rewarding. It’s a very good organization that gives everything back to the industry.

I have the utmost respect for all the time and effort everyone on the board puts in.

What are your main goals as a business owner?

• Treat everyone like you want to be treated

ple Drive Drive Iaple 54467

Left: Dale and Holly Nelson attend the Wisconsin Potato Reception, hosted by the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association and the WPVGA Chip Committee, during the 2018 Potato Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Right: Some trailers are for application of sprout inhibitors and others are job trailers for mechanical installations.

• Try to solve problems to take care of your customers • Be the leader in the industry in ventilation, refrigeration and continued on pg. 12

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 11

sprout control • Treat your customers and employees like family What are your goals for the business itself?

• To always continue taking care of our existing customers with A-1 service • To continue having a steady influx of new customers • Be the leader of new innovations and ideas in ventilation, refrigeration and sprout control Will you pass the business on? The process of that has already started but will be awhile yet. I’m not ready to retire anytime soon.

Is there anything you’d like to add? Nelson’s Vegetable Storage RIght: Pictured are a 200,000 cwt. (hundredweight) potato storage fan house, the electrical layout of another building and a Climacell that cools and humidifies air in a third 100,000 cwt. storage facility.

Below: Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems has performed all Heartland Farms air system designs (shown is a Heartland Farms potato storage facility) for as long as Doug Nelson has been in business.

12 BC�T September

Systems is a ventilation, refrigeration and computerized controls company that specializes in raw vegetable storage design and installation.

There are significant differences in storage design depending on where the storage is located and what it is being used for, such as seed potatoes, process potatoes, specialty varieties, onions, beets or carrots.

Every customer has their own needs that must be addressed when designing the storage. Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems is also dedicated to vegetables postharvest by suppling and applying disinfectants, sprout inhibitors and other chemicals.

Whatever you need in storage for vegetables, we can take care of.

RIght: Portable refrigeration is all part of the operation at Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems.

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Research Stations Roll Out the Red Carpet Hancock and Antigo field days were nicely planned and well-attended affairs

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater Held one week apart, the Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS) Field Day, July 19, and Antigo Field Day, July 26, directly reflected the time and effort researchers, superintendents, ag agents and volunteers put into planning and hosting the events.

As part of his introductory remarks,

Felix Navarro, superintendent of HARS, welcomed guests, highlighted improvements to the research station, and not only thanked his staff, but also the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) for committing $25,000 annually to maintenance of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Storage Facility.

Troy Fishler, research manager for the storage facility, expanded on Navarro’s expressed gratitude, mentioning updates to compressors and air conditioning units resulting from WPVGA funding. Some of the money also went to erect a tarp house to store the station’s bin piler.

Fishler also thanked Dale Nelson of Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems for his tireless efforts in helping update the facility and Above: Dr. Russell Groves (foreground, right), University of Wisconsin (UW) Department of Entomology, discusses integrated pest and insect resistance management with Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day attendees, July 19.

Left: For visual effect, Shelley Jansky, research geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and UW-Madison Department of Horticulture professor, asked students to play the parts of parents, offspring and hybrids in her presentation “New Directions in Potato Breeding” during the HARS Field Day.

14 BC�T September

keep it running, donating time and troubleshooting.

Field wagon tours and research reports included an update by John Bamberg, project leader for the U.S. Potato Genebank, on germplasm research being conducted in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, as well as nationally and internationally.

Researchers Russ Groves, Navarro, Richard Lankau, Yi Wang, Paul Bethke, Shelley Jansky, Jed Colquhoun, Matt Ruark, Amanda Gevens and Jeff Endelman reported from the fields on a variety of subjects ranging from disease and pest management to understanding new potato varieties.

Other subjects included irrigation and nitrogen management; new directions in potato breeding; weed

management and vine desiccation; soil health and common scab suppression; and a potato breeding program update.

Above: In the morning prior to the Antigo Field Day, the research station hosted a workshop in which growers and other attendees were invited out into the fields for a tutorial on how to detect PVY (Potato Virus Y).

SPRING & SUMMER HEAT Bethke spoke on a subject close to all Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers’ hearts this year—the spring and summer heat and its effects on plants, skin set, size, canopies and yield. Diseases, he added, are “fans of warm weather.”

the fields for research reports, Casey Kedrowski, president of the WPVGA Associate Division, thanked the Associate Division and Swine & Dine for providing and serving lunch.

Flyte Family Farms also donated the sweetest-of-sweet corn on the cob for the event.

Gevens expanded on the subject, saying, this year, potato growers experienced poor plant emergence and seed rot because of Pectobacterium, and though late blight has since been detected in Adams County, fungicides have been effective in controlling the disease.

On behalf of the WPVGA Associate Division, Kedrowski also presented checks to Navarro and Becky Eddy, superintendent of the Rhinelander Ag Research Station, for research and upkeep of the stations.

After the wagon rides to and from

Mike Peters, director of the University of Wisconsin continued on pg. 16

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Research Stations Roll Out the Red Carpet. . . continued from pg. 15

Above: WPVGA Associate Division President Casey Kedrowski (in gray shirt in both pictures) presented checks to Stephen Zimmerman, Becky Eddy and Felix Navarro (not shown) during the HARS and Antigo Field Days for research and upkeep of their respective research stations.

(UW)-Madison Ag Research Stations, also thanked guests for coming and for furthering the Wisconsin Idea— fostering the contributions of public universities beyond the boundaries of the classroom and ensuring legislation aimed at benefiting the greatest number of people.

16 BC�T September

Stephen Zimmerman, acting Langlade County Research Station director and UW-Extension agriculture educator, had the distinct honor of welcoming guests to the Antigo Field Day. Zimmerman expressed his gratitude to many in the industry for their contributions to the Langlade County

Research Station, as well as planning the successful field day, including the WPVGA; Wisconsin Potato Industry Board; Wisconsin Seed Potato Below: Jed Colquhoun, professor and Extension specialist, UW-Madison, got waist deep in a soybean field, with potatoes in the background, for his presentation on weed management and vine desiccation during the HARS Field Day.

Improvement Association; Gallenberg Farms; Baginski Farms; Schroeder Brothers Farms; Riesterer & Schnell; Quinlan’s Equipment and Insight FS. On behalf of the WPVGA Associate Division, Kedrowski presented a check to Zimmerman for research and upkeep of the Langlade County

Research Station.

VIRUS DETECTION WORKSHOP In the morning prior to the Antigo Field Day, the research station hosted a workshop in which growers and other attendees were invited out into the fields for a tutorial on how to detect PVY (Potato Virus Y).

Left: HARS Superintendent Felix Navarro describes his research station’s potato variety trial during the 2018 Antigo Field Day, July 26.

Right: Matt Ruark, UW-Madison Department of Soil Science, discusses “all things nitrogen” with HARS Field Day attendees.

During the field day, attendees were welcomed to ride along on wagons continued on pg. 18

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Research Stations Roll Out the Red Carpet. . . continued from pg. 17

and see presentations by Navarro, Daniel Heider, Gevens, Groves, Mike Copas, Wang and Lucia Gutierrez.

Navarro went over the Wisconsin potato and scab variety trials; Copas talked about RPE, Inc. research trials and the tough growing season with heat, stem burn-off, seed decay

and holes in canopies; and Gevens gave updates on potato diseases, including late blight, seed-applied fungicides, and the use of the forecasting and disease modeling tool, BlightCast.

Left: RPE, Inc. senior agronomist and SpudPro Committee Chairman Mike Copas shares research he’s conducted on potato varieties with an attentive Antigo Field Day audience.

Wang informed attendees about her team’s irrigation, variable rate irrigation, nitrogen and fertility

trials at HARS, also confirming that potatoes were susceptible to the heat stress this season.

Right: As part of his potato breeding program update during the HARS Field Day, Jeff Endelman, UW-Madison assistant professor of horticulture, had potato varieties on display for attendees.

Above: UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences agronomist, Lucia Gutierrez, presented her oat variety trials during the Antigo Field Day, with the oat crops making for a pretty picture.

18 BC�T September

In his potato herbicide update, Heider said the UW-IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program had more reports of herbicide injury this spring than in past years because of rain, moisture and heat.

Gutierrez reported on an oat variety trial being conducted at the Langlade County Research Station and how it’s a great rotational crop to achieve higher yield in potatoes. Her breeding program is attempting to determine which varieties of oats are best for the Central and Northcentral Wisconsin area.

As has become tradition, Insight FS provided food and refreshments after the Antigo Field Day at City Park East, a perfect way to wrap up the day and another planting and early growing season in Wisconsin.

Top Left & Right: Not afraid to step up and serve lunch during the HARS Field Day were former and present WPVGA Associate Division board members Nick Laudenbach (striped shirt), Sally Suprise (navy blue shirt), Cathy Schommer (white shirt) and Dale Bowe (black shirt).

Right Center: Mike Peters, director of UW-Madison Agricultural Research Stations, thanked HARS Field Day guests for attending and furthering the Wisconsin Idea.

BC�T September 19

Potatoes USA News

Potatoes USA Holds Productive Summer Meeting in Beautiful Park City, Utah

Left: Potatoes USA Global Marketing Manager Jill Rittenberg discusses potato nutrition with attendees of the 2018 Summer Meeting in Park City, Utah, August 6-9. Among the many nutritional messages to consumers, Jill says a main goal is to ensure people know “Potatoes Fuel Performance.”

There was no shortage of subjects to discuss at the 2018 Potatoes USA Summer Meeting in Park City, Utah, August 6-9, which speaks to the breadth of initiatives the national marketing arm of the industry undertakes each year.

The Potatoes USA International and Domestic Marketing Committees, as well as the Administrative, Executive, Research, Finance, Industry Outreach, Chip and Potato Research Advisory Committees were all given the chance

Above & Right: Executive Chef Daniel Asher took home the 2018 United Fresh Expo “Produce Excellence in Foodservice for Fine Dining Restaurants” award, in part for preparing a potato-based Vegetable Fritters with Avocado Crema recipe. Potatoes USA nominated Chef Asher for the award.

20 BC�T September

to present current and ongoing plans and programs.

Potatoes USA is heavily involved in world potato exports; domestic and international volume sales; market access; retail promotions; potato seed field trials; nutrition educational messages; outreach and public relations; social media; international and domestic foodservice initiatives; marketing, market trends and market research; crop reports; school salad bars; potato recipes;

Above & Below: Not long after Potatoes USA Chief Marketing Officer John Toaspern discussed potatoes as part of a healthy lifestyle and asked the question, “What Are You Eating?”, Summer Meeting attendees were encouraged to participate in the “What Are You Eating?” power walk and breakfast the next day.

restaurant and chef outreach, cooking demonstrations and competitions; foodservice, retail and meal kit potato menu items; potato varieties; chips and chipping varieties; and so much more.

All made for a fascinating and impressive four days at the Potatoes USA Summer Meeting.

Overarching themes were strengthening the demand for U.S. potatoes, breaking into traditional and non-traditional foodservice and retail markets, and promoting the potato nutrition message, particularly, “What Are You Eating?” and “Potatoes Fuel Performance.”

Based on retail sales figures, potatoes are once again one of the most important items in produce. Potatoes ranked third in the vegetable category based on both dollars and volume per store, and they have the second highest household penetration at 88 percent.

Potatoes have consistent sales volume throughout the year and they appeal to all consumers regardless of household income or generation.

POTATO POWER WALK To drive home the “What Are You Eating?” question, Summer Meeting attendees were invited to participate in a circa-3K “What Are You Eating?” power walk around the grounds of Hotel Park City and its adjacent golf course, with mountains in the backdrop and a healthy breakfast provided at the finish line.

National Potato Council (NPC) President Cully Easterday spoke to Potatoes USA Summer Meeting attendees, with his remarks touching on the legislative and regulatory issues that NPC is pursuing for the industry.

between the National Potato Council and Potatoes USA. Both organizations have different but essential roles for our industry, and our combined efforts are delivering real results for U.S. potato producers,” Easterday said.

“We’re extremely proud of the strong working relationship that exists

yoga; historic Park City Main Street shopping; a self-guided Utah Olympic Park Alf Engen Ski Museum tour; and Park City Mountain summer activities like an alpine slide, alpine coaster, scenic ski lift rides, mini golf, gem panning, a climbing wall and more.

During the presentation, he spoke on trade, research, nutrition and Farm Bill programs. Despite the turbulent political climate in Washington, D.C., some very significant wins in these issue areas are happening.

All was presented in a manner to make discussions on national and international marketing and potato industry trends and initiatives pleasant to discuss, digest and understand.

Top Right: Among those speaking at the Summer Meeting in Park City, Utah were two of Wisconsin’s own members of the Potatoes USA Executive Committee, Heidi Alsum-Randall of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, and Eric Schroeder of Schroeder Brothers Farms, Antigo.

Bottom Right: Dressed for success at the Wednesday, August 8, Potatoes USA evening reception and dinner at High West Distillery outside of Park City, Utah, were couples Theresa and Eric Schroeder (Schroeder Brothers Farms), and Shannon and Mark Finnessy (Okray Family Farms). Eric and Mark represent Wisconsin on the Potatoes USA Board of Directors.

Tours and activities during the Summer Meeting, for attendees, guests and their families, included a golf outing; dinners and receptions such as a Wednesday evening tour, dinner and reception at the High West Distillery; spa treatments;

The goals of all Potatoes USA committees presenting at the Summer Meeting are to increase U.S. potato sales and markets and get more people buying and eating U.S. potatoes in more ways.

BC�T September 21

Potato Storages Accommodate the Product Ron’s Refrigeration helps growers of Creamer potatoes with their unique storage needs

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater Eugene Mancl, a master electrician and vice president of Ron’s Refrigeration in Wisconsin Rapids, has worked with numerous growers over the years to design their potato storage buildings.

Most recently, after The Little Potato Company broke ground on a processing plant in DeForest,

Wisconsin, in June 2016, Mancl has collaborated with growers such as Kevin Sigourney, Flyte Family Farms and Taterland Farms to design buildings, including electrical, air and refrigeration systems, to store Creamer potatoes.

Farmers who grow potatoes for The Little Potato Company have specific

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building needs and must box store instead of bin store the small spuds to prevent bruising.

“We’ve always been a full-service mechanical contractor, so working with the growers on these types of projects has been a good fit for our company,” Mancl says.

“The newest storages we’re building incorporate dual-level ventilated floors to allow the grower to store crates holding the smaller profile potatoes,” he explains.

“Eugene has a vast knowledge of all aspects of the products he represents—electrical, air systems Above: Eugene Mancl of Ron’s Refrigeration is collaborating with growers for The Little Potato Company to design buildings, including electrical, air and refrigeration systems, to store Creamer Potatoes.

and building design,” says potato grower Kevin Sigourney. “It was an easy decision to use Ron’s Refrigeration knowing that three pieces of the puzzle would be represented by Eugene.”

Jeff and Chad Rhinehart of Rhinehart Metal Buildings constructed the actual potato storage building for Sigourney, and Docken Concrete and

Hintz Excavating & Trucking were other contractors working on the job.

“We had to accommodate the product we grow,” Sigourney says. “Going vertical with boxes [box storage for The Little Potato Company Creamers] made it more economical than piling bulk, as we would have had to have three times more footage than we have now.”

Above: Boxes are stacked up to six high inside of Kevin Sigourney’s potato storage building, designed to hold The Little Potato Company Creamers he grows. Eugene Mancl of Ron’s Refrigeration worked with Kevin on the electrical and air systems and the building design.

VARIETY STORAGE “These systems are designed using slightly different parameters, giving the growers additional tools to store continued on pg. 24

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Potato Storages Accommodate the Product. . . continued from pg. 23

during more adverse conditions,” Mancl relates, “and allowing for earlier harvest for the different varieties.”

Adam Flyte of Flyte Family Farms says he also contracted Ron’s Refrigeration and Rhinehart Metal Buildings, and that Eugene was an important part of the process from the get-go.

“He helped us with floor design, false floors and pushing air up through the potato storage boxes.

It’s a unique building and Eugene was instrumental,” Flyte says. “He’s an expert in his field and knows what we need for humidity flow, and temperature and air control.”

24 BC�T September

Ron’s Refrigeration started as a dealer for Industrial Ventilation, Inc. in the mid-1970’s and has been an active partner in the industry ever since.

“We have been associated with the potato industry since the ’70s, and it has become a major part of what we do,” Mancl remarks. “Working with growers is great because they are always very hands-on and interested in the latest technology and systems to improve their storages.”

“It’s nice to be able to work with the end user and directly impact their business,” he adds.

He and his crew typically work with a customer to design the storage

Above: The new potato storage building at Flyte Family Farms has come a long way since this photograph was taken in spring 2018. To be completed in time for harvest, it has the capacity to store 170,000 cwt. (hundredweight) of The Little Potato Company Creamers in boxes.

Bottom & Top Left of Opposite Page: Working on the electrical, air and refrigeration systems for Kevin Sigourney, Ron’s Refrigeration uses specialized control systems and refrigeration equipment to maintain the building temperature and humidity and allow the grower flexibility to monitor the product at maximum efficiency.

Air is distributed into the storage building at 38 degrees Fahrenheit.

building, mechanical systems and even the electrical systems.

“We look at each building with respect to product being stored, volume of the building and the customers’ expectations,” Mancl

notes. “We’re able to provide a set of CAD [Computer Aided Design] drawings for the builder to work off of to develop his drawings, saving the customer time and money moving forward.”

TIGHT TEMP CONTROL Vegetables, and particularly potatoes, require a high-humidity atmosphere

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Above: A crane lifts a metal truss onto the Flyte Family Farms potato storage building in spring 2018.

Ron’s Refrigeration uses specialized digital systems and controls to maintain the building temperature and humidity and allow the grower flexibility to monitor the product at maximum efficiency.

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Potato Storages Accommodate the Product. . . continued from pg. 25

the product being stored,” Mancl says.

“These building will have increased amounts of insulation in the sidewalls and ceiling along with a ventilation system designed accordingly,” he adds.

Being completed in time for fall harvest, the Flyte Family Farms building will be able to store 170,000 cwt. (hundredweight) of The Little Potato Company Creamers in boxes, including red and yellow varieties.

The boxes themselves come from the Mecat company in Holland.

“Having Eugene do the electrical portion and HVAC [heating, ventilating and air condition], and then the storage control unit, those go hand-in-hand,” Flyte says. “He has a good understanding of the flow of product in and out of the building.”

“We want to hold potatoes at 38 degrees, which is 10-12 degrees cooler than for chip varieties or, say, Russet Burbanks for McCain’s. The colder the potato storage, the higher occurrence of pressure bruising for bulk storage, but because we’re storing in boxes, we almost eliminate pressure bruising.”

“Our cooling capacity is about double what a traditional storage would be,” Flyte concludes. “Because the boxes are stacked six high, or 28 feet, we need to move air through vertically.”

IMPROVE SERVICES Mancl says Ron’s Refrigeration, with 35 full-time employees and two interns, is always looking for ways to grow the business and improve the services the company provides.

horsepower to put men on the job when needed.”

“He was onsite when he needed to be and works well with other contractors,” Flyte remarks. “He knew everybody. Those guys blend well together. Yes, we’d use Ron’s Refrigeration again.”

That process includes hiring and training specialists in vegetable storage and finding the best and latest technology to offer customers.

“Ron’s Refrigeration has been involved with potato and vegetable growers from the early days of our company and has always been supportive of this industry,” Mancl says. “We are a second-generation business with a laser focus on customer service.”

“Eugene was fantastic to work with,” Sigourney says. “He is always the last contractor to finish a job because of the electrical part, but he has the

The company is also a supporter of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, its events and causes, with both Eugene and his

26 BC�T September

Above: Storage buildings for little Creamer potatoes, such as this one on the Kevin Sigourney farm, have increased amounts of insulation in the sidewalls and ceiling, along with a ventilation system designed accordingly.

brother, Tim, having served on the Associate Division Board of Directors in the past.

“Since our parents started the business in 1973, the company philosophy has been to put the customer needs first, and success and growth will follow,” he remarks. “It’s a mission and direction that work no matter which sector we are in.”

“This industry has changed drastically over the years and our business model has been modified to accommodate those changes and be proactive in the future,” he concludes.

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Marketplace Grower/Chef Competition Held at Celebrate Plover

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions & Consumer Education Potato farmers know how to grow quality potatoes and chefs know how to cook quality food. But how well do Wisconsin potato growers cook and how creative are chefs when it comes to Wisconsin potatoes?

We found out on Saturday, July 28, with the inaugural Wisconsin Potato

Grower/Chef Competition, which was held in Lake Pacawa Park at the Celebrate Plover event.

It turned out to be a beautiful and incredibly fun day that was full of hard work, high energy and excitement, not to mention relationship building between

Above & Bottom Left: Everyone found out just how “appealing” Wisconsin potatoes are at the July 28 Celebrate Plover event, where the firstever Wisconsin Potato Grower/Chef Competition took place at Lake Pacawa Park in Plover. Kirk Wille (far left) of RPE in Bancroft and his teammate, Chef Brandon McCormick (center) of The Iron Grille in Iola rate potatoes from the tasting panel as Larry Alsum (far right) of Alsum Farms and Produce in Friesland reaches in to try a boiled and baked potato from the offered varieties.

farmers and foodservice professionals as well as consumers themselves!

During the competition, one Wisconsin potato grower was teamed with a chef and had to prepare potato-centric dishes in a certain amount of time, and then present them to a panel of judges.

Above: The red varieties featured in the tasting panel and competition were Norland, Rooster and Mimi. The tasting panel kicked off the day on July 28 and included each variety being prepared boiled and baked and without any seasonings, flavorings or pairings. This allowed each team to evaluate and learn about each variety and study its characteristics.

28 BC�T September

But before we delve into that part of the day, let’s touch on the educational portion that started everything.

The day began with each of the four teams participating in a tasting panel, which involved specific potato varieties (three russet, three red and three gold that were also featured in the competition) that were prepared unadulterated, with no seasonings, flavorings or pairings.

The three varieties of russets featured were Norkotah, Silverton and Goldrush; the three red varieties were Norland, Rooster and Red Mimi; and the three gold varieties, Yukon, Elfe and Gold Agata. Okray Family Farms of Plover and Alsum Farms and Produce of Friesland provided all the potatoes for the tasting panel as well as the competition itself.

APPEARANCE, FLAVOR & TEXTURE Each of the varieties was featured whole, as both a raw and a baked potato, so the teams could rate the visual characteristics. Then each team was able to try the varieties prepared boiled and baked, and rate each one according to appearance, flavor, texture and overall impression.

This process allowed the chefs to delve into how different

varieties of the same potato type can be, and also allowed them to converse with their teammates, not only about the varieties, but also about the farmers’ growing practices, farm organization, etc.

Above: The inaugural Wisconsin Potato Grower/ Chef Competition teams were, clockwise from top left, Jerry Bushman of Bushmans’ Inc. in Rosholt and Chef Elizabeth Hinner of Thrive Foodery in Wausau; Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms in Friesland and Chef Jolene Lucci of the Back When Café in Wausau; Chef Rob Tuszka of the Silver Coach in Stevens Point and Steve Worzella of Worzella & Sons in Plover; and Chef Brandon McCormick of The Iron Grille in Iola and Kirk Wille of RPE in Bancroft.

continued on pg. 30

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Once the tasting panel ended, each team had to put those potatoes and their characteristics to good use in creative and innovative potatocentric dishes. Each dish could only include the potato varieties featured in the tasting panel and had to incorporate as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible.

Preparing an appetizer in 30 minutes kicked off the first round of the competition. Each team also had to incorporate a mystery ingredient of fresh mint from none other than Gumz Muck Farms in Endeavor.

As the crowd that had gathered in the 40-by-60-foot tent on the Celebrate Plover grounds counted down from 10 to 1 in unison, each team plated their appetizer and anxiously waited to find out which of them the judges would eliminate.

The three judges were Plover Police Chief Dan Ault, Wisconsin Potato Grower Andy Diercks of Coloma Farms and Peter Idsvoog, executive chef of Two Oaks North in Wautoma.

These three had the challenging job of tasting each dish and rating them by round according the following

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criteria: creativity, taste, salability (would you order this on a menu?) and appearance.

Round one resulted in one team going home as the third-place winner.

MAIN DISH The remaining three teams anxiously awaited the next round, which required them to cook up a main dish in 45 minutes. The mystery ingredient for the main dish round was Rye Whiskey from Great Northern Distilling in Plover, which provided a nice, creative twist that brought some ingenuity to light.

Once the judges had come to a Left: Chefs and growers pick the potatoes they want to utilize for the Wisconsin Potato Grower/ Chef Competition at Celebrate Plover in Plover.

There were three varieties each of russets, reds and golds featured for the day.

Middle: Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms and Produce (left) and Chef Jolene Lucci of the Back When CafĂŠ (center) speak with Matt Purchatzke of Northern Plains Distributing, Inc., on getting the desired temperature for their potato crostini. Purchatzke helped with the Big Green Egg Grills that Placeway Pools, Spa and Patio in Plover donated for the event.

Right: Judges Chief Dan Ault of the Plover Police Department (far left), Wisconsin Potato Grower Andy Diercks of Coloma Farms in Coloma (left center) and Executive Chef Peter Idsvoog of Two Oaks North in Wautoma (right of Andy Diercks), watch team four concentrate on cooking as consumers watch the other three teams at the Wisconsin Potato Grower/Chef Competition.

consensus on who would go home as the second-place team after the main dish round, it was down to two teams competing for the runner up versus the grand prize winner in the third and final round: dessert.

The dessert had to be completed in 30 minutes and incorporate the mystery ingredient of fresh blueberries from Flyte Family Farms in Coloma. For this round, the two remaining teams were given a box of

dehydrated potatoes to speed up the preparation process.

Throughout the entire competition, each team could only utilize a Big Green Egg Grill, provided by Placeway Pools, Spa and Patio in Plover, and an open-flame burner for cooking. They also had a supply table, a preparation table, two gallons of water per team for boiling and were given $75 per team to purchase and bring their own locally-sourced ingredients.

Left: Larry Alsum (left) and Chef Jolene Lucci (left center) prepare to present their Wisconsin potato crostini appetizer to the judges as Mad Dog (right center) and Merrill (far right) look on.

Right: The judges, Chief Dan Ault (foreground), Executive Chef Peter Idsvoog (center) and Andy Diercks (far center) receive a dish from Team 2—Kirke Wille (holding dish) and Chef Brandon McCormick (right) as consumers look on and take pictures of the excitement at the Wisconsin Potato Grower/Chef Competition.

All throughout the competition, a crowd of Celebrate Plover attendees continued on pg. 32

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BC�T September 31

Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 31

gathered in the tent taking pictures, watching the teams cooking and supporting buying local, and loudly counting down together as seconds remained in each round.

Another aspect that added to the excitement was that Mad Dog and Merrill, the grilling duo, filmed each moment and turned it into two episodes of their show, “Midwest Grill’n.” The episodes aired the weekends of August 10 and 17 and will repeat later in the year.

Each team walked away with prizes as well. The growers received a wooden plaque engraved with the Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes logo and verbiage congratulating them on what place they won.

The chefs received a MasterCard gift card for personal use and a potato voucher of the same amount to utilize in purchasing potatoes from a grower listed in the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association’s

Thank You! Team 1: • Larry Alsum, Alsum Farms and Produce in Friesland • Chef Jolene Lucci, Back When Café in Wausau Team 2: • Kirk Wille, RPE in Bancroft • Chef Brandon McCormick, The Iron Grille in Iola Team 3: • Steve Worzella, Worzella & Sons in Plover • Chef Rob Tuszka, Silver Coach in Stevens Point Team 4: • Jerry Bushman, Bushmans’ Inc. 32 BC�T September

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WITHHOLDING INFO If you are currently saying to yourself that crucial pieces of information are missing from this article—who was eliminated when and which team walked away as the grand

Above: Jerry Bushman (center with apron) and Chef Beth Hinner (right) take time to breathe after a job well done at the Wisconsin Potato Grower/ Chef Competition. Mad Dog presents them with their awards as Spudly (background) and Steve Worzella (far left) look on.

prize winner, you would be right!

That was by design.

A huge thank you to each of the following for their contributions and participation in making the event seamless: in Rosholt • Chef Elizabeth Hinner, Thrive Foodery in Wausau Judges • Chief Dan Ault, Plover Police • Wisconsin potato grower Andy Diercks, Coloma Farms in Coloma • Chef Peter Idsvoog, executive chef of Two Oaks North in Wautoma Mystery Ingredient Donations • Gumz Muck Farms in Endeavor – fresh mint • Great Northern Distilling in Plover – Rye Whiskey • Flyte Family Farms in Coloma

– fresh blueberries Potato Donors • Okray Family Farms in Plover • Alsum Farms and Produce in Friesland Equipment Suppliers • Placeway Pools, Spa and Patio in Plover – Big Green Egg Grills • Rockmans’ Catering in Plover – tables, open-flame burners and time Celebrate Plover Planning Team • time and help organizing event details and location

Visit the Eat Wisconsin Potatoes Facebook page or simply type “Mad Dog and Merrill” into the search box of www.Youtube.com and look for “MWG1813 Plover 1” for the first episode and “MWG1814 Plover 2” for the second.

This event was truly an allencompassing effort that helped create and strengthen relationships between growers and chefs. While the chefs and growers learned about each other, so did consumers who were there in person or watched the episodes on TV as they discovered restaurants in the area and growers

Above: Chefs, growers and the judges gather around Mad Dog and Merrill as they anxiously wait to find out which team would be the first to be eliminated from the competition after the appetizer round on July 28 at the Wisconsin Potato Grower/Chef Competition.

Left: With the event over, Mad Dog and Merrill don’t waste any time running off with their own supply of Wisconsin potatoes. After all this creativity and innovation, who wouldn’t?

who provide their food.

The day showcased multiple aspects of buying local and why it is so important. And, hopefully, it inspired everyone who witnessed creativity and innovation at its finest. continued on pg. 34

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Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 33

NHL All-Star Joe Pavelski Visits Children’s Hospital Another hockey season is right around the corner. But before hitting

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Above: NHL All-Star Joe Pavelski (right) plays air hockey with Cincere Falls from Madison (back turned in robe) and Adam Beardmore (left) and his mother, of Fennimore, Wisconsin, at the Children’s Hospital in Madison on August 6.

Plover, Wisconsin taught kids how Wisconsin potatoes can power their performance at the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison on Monday, August 6.

Pavelski, who visited with the children for a full hour and a half, was joined by representatives from several Wisconsin potato grower organizations. The NHL All-Star talked about the importance of nutrition, supporting local economies by buying local and striving to achieve one’s dreams.

Educating kids about the health benefits of Wisconsin potatoes and how they provide the energy bodies need to get through and recover from any kind of physical activity is important, as is sharing the different ways families can prepare potatoes in fast and healthy ways.

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“Players help to make a scary hospital stay a little better by taking time out of their busy schedules to show they care about the children who are in the hospital here at American Family Children’s Hospital,” she concludes.

Pavelski’s visit to the American Family Children’s Hospital is in conjunction Sally Suprise, Certified Work Comp with his Wisconsin Potato & Advisor and Certified Sally Suprise, CertifiedAgribusiness Work Comp Vegetable Growers Association FarmAdvisor Insurance Specialist through the and Certified Agribusiness partnership that also includes the International Risk Management Institution Farm Insurance Specialist through the production of various print ads and International Risk Management Institution banners, as well as a 30-second 715.498.4800 WWW.ANSAY.COM commercial that will air again this fall.

715.498.4800 WWW.ANSAY.COM continued on pg. 36 Above: These Children’s Hospital patients are happy to show off their Joe Pavelski autographed hockey cards.

Left: Joe Pavelski (left) observes one patient playing air hockey at Children’s Hospital in Madison.

BC�T September 35

Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 35

Healthy Grown Spotlight:

Gary Bula Farms

It was 2008 when one Wisconsin farm joined the state’s Healthy Grown program as a way of offering “our customer base a product that they knew was grown on an operation that is trying to ensure sustainability within the industry,” says Tamra BulaGarz of Gary Bula Farms in Grand Marsh.

Bula-Garz says that, during a time

when sustainability and ecological practices are high on the priority lists of consumers, it’s important for them to be part of a program that focuses on these principles and “will help to keep us in the forefront of the industry.”

“The more growers that we have on our ‘team,’ the stronger our brand will become,” she adds. “This, in turn,

Above: Tamra Bula-Garz (right) and her dad, Gary Bula (left), are proud to feature their farm in the Healthy Grown program, which Tamra says goes a long way in conversations with customers.

will increase the demand of Healthy Grown produce.”

It’s a strength-in-numbers mentality with a program Bula-Garz characterizes as user-friendly. She estimates it takes her less than 10

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36 BC�T September

hours each season to develop, review and update their weed and pest management plans; less than five hours to compile records for the end of the season audit; and that she attends two meetings annually.

It’s a time commitment she confirms is definitely not a deal breaker for Gary Bula Farms.

LEAD, DON’T FOLLOW “In order to keep Wisconsin agriculture in the forefront, we need to lead, not follow,” Bula-Garz says.

“Our state needs to produce the quality products that people across America are asking for, and Healthy Grown products are the direction that consumers are pushing for.”

Bula-Garz stands firm that expanding the program would be a benefit to Wisconsin, and that the more growers and products that can be branded as Healthy Grown will only “add fuel to the Wisconsin agriculture industry.”

And if you’re still on the fence about whether to jump in with both feet, Bula-Garz says there is help!

Above: The Russet Silverton potato field at Gary Bula Farms, in Grand Marsh, Wisconsin, is certified Healthy Grown.

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BC�T September 37 AG-289A-BCT_Vantage_Brand_Print Ad_Get It Straight_7.25x4.75inch_0817.indd 1

15/09/2017 11:12:28 AM

Now News Trembling Prairie Farms Harvests New Crop Celery Fresh vegetable has mild flavor, snappy crunch and nutritional benefits Trembling Prairie Farms Inc. is in full swing harvesting new crop Wisconsin celery. Now through the first week of October, celery lovers will be able to find homegrown Wisconsin celery at Aldi, Meijer, Piggly Wiggly, Woodman’s and select retail grocers throughout the Midwest.

Located in the muck soils of Green Lake County, Trembling Prairie Farms, a family farm owned and operated

by John and Connie Bobek along with their four children in Markesan, is in its seventh year of growing and packing locally grown celery serving the Midwest retail and foodservice

markets.

The locally grown celery is distributed

by Alsum Farms & Produce, a leading fresh market grower, packer and shipper of Wisconsin grown potatoes, onions and provider of fresh, quality produce, based in Friesland.

In 2012, Trembling Prairie Farms started with three acres of celery and today has expanded to over 45 acres.

The farm starts with a Midwestern selected celery variety that grows extremely well in the Wisconsin climate.

One of many advantages Trembling

Prairie Farms brings to the local market is celery at its peak freshness for a milder flavor and snappier crunch.

GREENHOUSE TO PLANTING The celery is started in local greenhouses in late February to early April and is then transplanted in 12 plantings. Celery planting in the muck soil begins on May 1 with the goal of the last planting to be in the ground

by July 1.

“We’re happy to be able to bring our locally grown Wisconsin celery to the market,” John says. “Whether paired with peanut butter as a healthy kidfriendly snack, chopped in a salad for an outdoor gathering or cooked in a stir fry for dinner, Wisconsin celery offers a fresh taste for consumers looking for locally grown.”

Two medium stalks of celery offer many nutritional benefits, including vitamin C, potassium and two grams of fiber, all with only 20 calories. In the United States, consumers eat an Above: In its seventh year of growing and packing locally grown celery, Trembling Prairie Farms starts each crop in greenhouses, transplanting it on May 1, with this healthy field shown on June 24, 2016.

Left: In this case, “Something Special from Wisconsin” is Trembling Prairie Farms packaged celery that’s distributed by Alsum Farms & Produce.

38 BC�T September

average of six pounds of fresh celery annually. With its many nutritional benefits and versatility, this crunchy, fiber-filling vegetable is delicious and good for you.

For more information on Trembling Prairies Farms Wisconsingrown celery, visit www. tremblingprairiefarms.com or distributor partner Alsum Farms & Produce at www.alsum.com.

About Trembling Prairie Farms Trembling Prairie Farms is a grower of Wisconsin red potatoes, yellow and red onions, and celery on 500 acres of rich muck soil in Green Lake County.

A family owned and operated business, Trembling Prairie Farms has grown to become a major supplier of Wisconsin family farmer grown vegetables serving retail and foodservice markets.

Reinke Announces New Wheel Gearbox Warranty Ten-year, 16,000-hour warranty offered for lateral move irrigation system Reinke announces a 10-year, 16,000hour warranty on its new ReinkeUMC® 740-U-AD™ 10/16-wheel gearbox. The warranty becomes the longest gearbox warranty available in the industry for electric center pivots and lateral move irrigation systems.

“Giving farmers added peace of mind is something we continually strive for in our product advancements and technologies,” says Reinke President Chris Roth. “We are proud to be able to offer this unprecedented warranty to our customers on our new gearbox.”

The industry standard on an electric irrigation system gearbox warranty is 8 years and 8,000 hours. In 2010, Reinke increased its gearbox warranty to 10 years and 10,000 hours.

ACCELERATED GEARBOX LIFE Average accelerated gearbox life testing resulted in the Reinke-UMC 740-U-AD 10/16 lasting twice as long as comparative models, topping 18,000 hours.

And, in a sustained gearbox oil temperature test, the new gearbox maintained a cooler average operating temperature, 15 degrees cooler on average, indicating more energy being channeled into moving the irrigation system and not producing excess heat.

“Our use of high-strength steel makes our pivots 20 percent lighter and 50 percent stronger. This equates to less weight and less overall stress on components, which better solidifies the entire system,” Roth says.

“It’s this purposeful design of our irrigation systems that allows Reinke to continue to add to our list of industry-best warranties,” he concludes.

For more information on the new wheel gearbox, visit www.reinke.com.

About Reinke Reinke Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the world’s largest privately held manufacturer of center pivot and lateral move irrigation systems. Family owned since 1954, and headquartered in Deshler, Nebraska, Reinke develops products designed to increase agriculture production while providing labor savings and environmental efficiencies.

Reinke is a continued leader in industry advancements as the first to incorporate GPS satellite-based communications and touchscreen panel capabilities into mechanized irrigation system management. For more information on Reinke or to locate a dealership, visit www.reinke.com or call 402-365-7251. continued on pg. 40

The Reinke-UMC 740-U-AD 10/16-wheel gearbox features new high-torque gears made from materials that enhance gear lubrication. In a recent independent study, the new model was lined up against a competitor gearbox and a current Reinke gearbox model.

The Reinke-UMC 740-U-AD 10/16 outperformed the other models in all testing.

In average gearbox load capacity testing, measuring the amount of load applied to the gearbox before it begins to “growl” or make noise (signaling the start of extreme gear wear), the new Reinke gearbox overpowered the other models by more than 22 percent, averaging more than 26,000 inch-pounds.

BC�T September 39

Now News. . . continued from pg. 39

Tasteful Selections Expands to Accommodate Growth California facility includes cold storage, quality control and seed processing Arvin, California—Tasteful Selections, the pioneering category leader since 2010 in growing bite-size potatoes, announces another facility expansion to accommodate growing customer and consumer demand.

A specialty potato brand from RPE Inc., Tasteful Selections underwent three prior expansions since coming to market in 2010.

In the company’s infancy, the bite-size potato category was a small fraction

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Above and Right: Citing consumer demand, Tasteful Selections expands its Arvin, California cold storage, quality control and seed processing facility by 148,000 square feet.

in the potato industry, at just three percent of the market.

Since 2010, when Tasteful Selections opened its doors as a grower, packer and shipper of small potatoes, the category has grown significantly, now taking up almost 18 percent of the potato category in both sales and supply.

With the rapid growth of demand, the need for a larger facility came into play just five years after the company opened its doors.

In 2015, Tasteful Selection expanded from its original location to a bigger 200,000-square-foot facility near Bakersfield, California, expanding production capacity, adding washing stations and shipping docks, and developing more sophisticated refrigeration and storage capabilities.

DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH “After double-digit growth in 2016, Tasteful Selections broke ground yet again as more space was needed to meet the exceeding demand. To the east side of the new building, 70,000 square feet of an additional quality control room and cold storage was added.

Now, Tasteful Selections is proud to announce that consumer demand is once again requiring an expansion.

Scheduled for completion in early September, an additional 148,000 square feet of cold storage and seed processing will be added to the now 418,000-square-foot facility.

“The amount of success we have experienced with Tasteful Selections is unprecedented,” explains Russell Wysocki, president and CEO of RPE Inc. “The recent expansions to our facility in Arvin, California, was needed to help us meet the needs and fill the orders of all our customers.

“We are excited that, in addition to our facility expansion, our product line will be expanding as well,” Wysocki adds. Tasteful Selections will be showcasing new products at PMA Fresh Summit, October 18-20, in Orlando, Florida.

HERE TO HELP YOU GROW

About Tasteful Selections Tasteful Selections, LLC is a joint venture of RPE, CSS Farms and Plover River Farms Alliance, Inc. A vertically integrated grower, shipper and marketer of premium specialty potatoes, Tasteful Selections’ best-quality, freshest bite-sized potatoes transform everyday meals into family favorites by adding nutrition, versatility and variety.

About RPE RPE, a second-generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of yearround potatoes and onions. RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions. continued on pg. 42

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BC�T September 41

Now News. . . continued from pg. 41

Compeer Financial Awards High School Scholarships Fund for Rural America distributes $157,000 to Wisconsin graduating seniors The Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America, the farm credit cooperative’s corporate giving program, has awarded 105 $1,500 educational scholarships to graduating seniors across a three-state territory.

Thirty-five student-recipients were chosen in each of the three states Compeer Financial serves—Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin—based on a combination of academic achievement, involvement in agriculture and community, and an essay.

“Compeer Financial’s high school

scholarship program is intended to encourage those interested in agriculture to explore what’s possible for their future,” says John Monson, chair of the fund’s board of trustees.

on to do great things to impact agriculture,” Monson predicts.

“This is another way we are able to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America.”

“Just as these scholarship recipients represent a strong future for agriculture and rural America, Compeer Financial is committed to building a strong future for our clients and our communities,” he adds.

About the Fund for Rural America The Fund for Rural America is the corporate giving program of Compeer Financial, structured to support the farm credit cooperative’s mission to enrich agriculture and rural America.

“The high school seniors who are awarded these scholarships have already made an impact on their local rural communities and will go

The Compeer Financial Board of Directors has dedicated one percent of annual net earnings to support the fund’s focus areas of education, youth engagement, rural development, community enrichment, agricultural advocacy and development, client development and team member giving.

Wisconsin students receiving a Compeer Financial Scholarship for 2018: Adam Riley, Fennimore Alexis Kwak, Ridgeland Alexis Luedtke, Beaver Dam Amanda Guenther, Brandon Anna Evenson, Cambridge Anna Runde, Janesville Ashley Hagenow, Poynette Benjamin Kronberg, Milton Benji Schaefer, Osseo Brady Butzler, Rockland Brady Madigan, Rosendale Brandon Gilberston, Elk Mound Brett Mullikin, Waldo Carter Freymiller, Fennimore Cassandra Berg, Arcadia Cole Berra, Genoa City Colton Klecker, Jefferson Crystal Cafferty, Elroy Dane Trustem, Evansville 42 BC�T September

Dylan Herbrand, Dane Ethan Heelein, Genoa City Grace Link, Deerfield Grady Rielly, Darlington Jessica Jurcek, Jefferson Jessica Sikora, Cornell Jillian Boles, Prescott Jodie Weyland, Neenah Karly Ready, New Glarus Katherine Novak, Sullivan Kuay Fargo, Barneveld Kortney Woldt, Brillion Megan Van Ruiswyk, Waupun Naomi Fogel, Fountain City Paris Lindner, Wisconsin Dells Rachel Moseley, Osseo

The fund is managed by a board of trustees made up of team members from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, and members of the Compeer Financial Board of Directors. More information about opportunities available through the fund can be found at Compeer.com/ giving-back.

About Compeer Financial Compeer Financial is a member-owned farm credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural communities. The $19.5 billion organization provides loans, leases, risk management and other financial services throughout 144 counties in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Based in the Upper Midwest, Compeer Financial exists to champion the hopes and dreams of rural America, while providing personalized service and expertise to clients and the agriculture industry.

Compeer Financial is the third largest cooperative of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of lending institutions supporting agriculture and rural communities with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. For more information about Compeer Financial, visit Compeer.com.

Alsum Farms & Produce Hosts 2nd Annual Tater Trot 5K run/walk supports local FFA chapters and touts nutritional value of potatoes Alsum Farms & Produce is inviting runners, walkers and all those who support FFA to participate in the 2nd Annual Tater Trot 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, Wisconsin, to benefit local FFA chapters.

“Alsum Farms & Produce is excited to host the 2nd annual Tater Trot 5K to help support local FFA chapters and provide a unique opportunity to learn about the nutritional and economic benefits of Wisconsin potatoes,” says Alsum’s Nikki Jedlowski, logistics manager and Tater Trot 5K event coordinator.

“Potatoes are a nutrient powerhouse and the Tater Trot 5K promotes the healthy, flavorful and fresh attributes of the spud, targeting sports enthusiasts and athletes to fuel performance,” Jedlowski adds.

Run or walk the scenic rural route nestled within the Amish countryside in Friesland, which is the highest point of elevation in Columbia County. Start at Alsum Farms & Produce heading west to Sterk Road

and around the potato shed.

Come south on Highway EF toward downtown Friesland to Hein Street.

Loop around Friesland Park and head back north on Highway EF to the finish line at Alsum. All miles and turns will be marked with water stations on route.

Registration categories include:

18-09 Badger Common' Tater 1-3page AD (7x3).v1.outlines.pdf

1

2018-08-13

Above: Last year’s inaugural Alsum Tater Trot 5K attracted more than 100 participants.

• Individuals ages 12+ ($25) • Individuals ages 11 and under ($15) • FREE Kids Fun Run Packet pickup is available on Friday, October 26, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Alsum Farms & Produce. continued on pg. 44

11:58 AM

BC�T September 43

On Saturday, October 27, registration is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

The Kids Fun Run race around the potato shed will start at 9:55 a.m., and the 5K starts at 10 a.m.

Additionally, event highlights will include: • Free parking

• Free Kids’ Fun Run

Left Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association mascot Spudly will be on hand at the 2nd Annual Tater Trot.

• Strollers welcome • Alsum potato samples, fruit and water post-race • Farm fresh produce and vendor market • Harvest activity stations for kids

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• Walk through the Wisconsin Spudmobile—a state-of-the-art mobile education vehicle focused on potato and vegetable production takes visitors on a journey from the farmer’s field to the dinner plate • Meet “Spudly” photo opportunity • Top three male and female runners awarded in each category Alsum Farms & Produce is located at N9083 County Hwy. EF, Friesland, WI (If using GPS, use Cambria, WI 53923).

To register for the event online, visit: https://runsignup. com/Race/WI/Friesland/ AlsumFarmsProduceTaterTrot5K. Or print a registration form that can be found on the Alsum Farms & Produce website at www.alsum. com and mail with payment to: Alsum Farms & Produce, attn: Nikki Jedlowski, P.O. Box 188, Friesland, WI 53935. Register by October 16 to guarantee a T-shirt.

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.

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It Was a Good Round of Golf at the Putt-Tato Open Successful Associate Division tournament raises funds for research, scholarships and more

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

From the get-go, there was a feeling of fun and joviality during the

2018 Associate Division Putt-Tato Open at Lake Arrowhead Golf Course, July 17, in Nekoosa, Wisconsin.

As Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Executive Assistant Julie Braun and Financial Officer Karen Rasmussen checked groups in, Associate Division Board Director Nick Laudenbach sold mulligans to willing and hesitant golfers alike.

Funds raised during the 18th Annual Putt-Tato Open—a four-person scramble with a shotgun start—go toward Associate Division initiatives such as college scholarships to students who are in the families of WPVGA members, agricultural research and donations to several worthy causes throughout the year.

Above: Thirty-four threesomes and foursomes enjoyed a warm summer day, July 17, at Lake Arrowhead Golf Course in Nekoosa, Wisconsin for the 2018 WPVGA Associate Division Putt-Tato Open.

While there are quality door prizes to be won at the end of the day, after a splendid dinner barbeque, it’s evident that golfers largely purchase chances to win to support their industry.

So many segments of the potato and vegetable growing industry attend each year, from insurance companies, banks and lending offices, to real estate agents, fertilizer, irrigation, chemical, implement and equipment dealers, trucking, storage, building and construction, processing, refrigeration, printing, utilities and Far Left: Erik Bunnell of KerberRose S.C. rolls the dice for a prize at the Allied Cooperative sponsored hole during the 2018 Putt-Tato Open in Nekoosa, July 17.

Left: Playing for the Little Pine Creek Farms, LLC team, Kari Flyte of Flyte Family Farms lines up a putt on a beautiful summer day, July 17, during the Putt-Tato Open.

46 BC�T September

even the University of WisconsinMadison.

Every effort is made to ensure that each hole and every hour of the tournament is enjoyable. Hole sponsors offer gifts, games and refreshments, and in addition the raffle prizes and a nice dinner, the event includes a lunch sponsored

by Rural Mutual Insurance: Zinda Insurance Group of Plover and Jim Wehinger of Adams.

COVETED HOLE AWARDS Hole awards for longest drives and putts and being closest to the pins, as well as other monetary prizes, are up for grabs to golfers with the best shots and luck of the day.

Winners of hole prizes were Anthony Molitor; Marv Worzella; Darci Laudenbach; Dawson Knutson; Steve Kizewski; Jake Hofmeister; Thomas Sitzer; Carole Gagas; Deniell Bula; Alex Okray; and Brian Mattmiller.

Platinum, silver, drink and appetizer sponsors were Syngenta; Advanced Farm Equipment, LLC; AgCountry FCS and Compeer Financial; Big Iron Equipment and Spudnik; Calcium Products; KerberRose Accountants; Kretz Truck Brokerage; Lemken USA and Sand County Equipment; McCain

Above: The Green Bay Packaging group was a foursome of willing and able participants at the 2018 Putt-Tato Open. As Keith Gasch tees off, from left to right, John Laabs, Bruce Dorn and Scot Bredl assess the shot.

Bottom: Taking first place with a score of 55 in the 2018 Putt-Tato Open four-person scramble was the Bushmans’ Inc. team, who are, from left to right, Derrick Bushman, Nic Bushman, John Hopfensperger and Chris Lockery. It was apparently Chris’s day, as his raffle prize haul included the Riesterer & Schnell John Deere pedal car, a golf bag donated by the WPVGA Associate Division and a fishing charter sponsored by Broekema Conveyor Belts.

Foods; Volm Companies, Inc. and Yara North America.

The successful fundraising event generated significant dollars to put right back into the industry and would not be possible without the continued on pg. 48

BC�T September 47

Putt-Tato Open. . . continued from pg. 47

contributions from sponsors and the hard work of the WPVGA Associate Division.

Appreciation goes out to sponsors, all Associate Division members who volunteered time and donated gifts and money, and particularly to Braun, Rasmussen and Danielle Sorano of

48 BC�T September

the WPVGA who work hard to make the event a success each year.

The large turnout every year in a close-knit potato and vegetable growing industry ensures that the Putt-Tato Open will be back stronger than ever next year and for many years to come.

Left: One driving force behind Jake Hofmeister, Alex Okray, Charlie Okray (from left to right) and Mike Toth (not shown) taking 2nd place in the Putt-Tato Open, with a score of 56, had to be Alex hitting a double-eagle on a par 5 hole. The team used Jake’s tee shot, and Alex sunk the next ball from 205 yards!

Right: Taking time out from the Putt-Tato Open to pose at one of their carts is the Sand County Equipment team, who include, from left to right, Jay Halbert, Joe Dahlen, Paul Cieslewicz and Jeff Lauritzen.

Top: You could even play beanbags at the Clifton Larson Allen hole, for prizes, of course, as demonstrated here by Joshua Manning, representing one of two McCain Foods USA, Inc. teams.

Above Foursome: With forms like that, it’s no wonder the team of Ron Krueger (black shirt), Casey Kedrowski (white shirt), Dan Mackin (green shirt) and Steve Diercks (blue shirt) took 4th place with a score of 58.

Bottom Left: Enjoying their day on the links are, from left to right, Josh Knights, Wes Meddaugh, Zach Mykisen and Chris Poole.

Bottom Right: Ethan Olson of Allied Cooperative was all smiles after winning the 55-inch smart TV donated by the WPVGA Associate Division.

BC�T September 49

Badger Beat Effects of Temperature on Potato How do hot, warm and cool temperatures affect the potato crop from planting through harvest?

By Paul Bethke, USDA ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit and University of Wisconsin, Department of Horticulture

If there is one thing that potato growers agree on, it’s that every year

Above: At the 2018 Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day, July 19, Dr. Paul Bethke gives a presentation on “Hot Potatoes” and how tubers respond to the hot weather we’ve had in Wisconsin this spring and summer.

Below: Table 1. Commercial potato production favors locations with cool nights.

is different. In the Upper Midwest, a large contributor to those differences is year-to-year variation in the weather.

throughout the summer are relatively cool, with averages in the mid-50’s at most locations.

Although none of us can control the weather, we can use past experiences and data from research trials to anticipate how the crop will respond to weather-related events.

Rapid emergence is promoted by moderate soil temperatures.

Emergence of the crop is prevented when soil temperature is 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) or less and is very slow at 48 degrees F.

This article reviews some of the ways that temperature affects the potato crop from planting through harvest.

Potato is best described as a cool weather crop. As is true for many generalities, however, the devil is in

the details.

Potato prefers locations with cool nights. Table 1 lists average nighttime low and daytime high temperatures at several locations where potatoes are grown for fall harvest.

It is notable that despite covering a wide geographic range, summer temperature profiles are similar.

Particularly, nighttime lows

Above 48 degrees, the rate of emergence increases with increasing temperature. Soil temperatures above 75 degrees can delay emergence, although the inhibitory effect is greater for some varieties than others.

Temperature effects on tuber initiation and set are complicated.

Tuber initiation in many varieties begins two to three weeks after emergence over a wide range of temperatures. However, tuber initiation can be delayed when average daily temperature exceeds 72 degrees.

Tuber set has been shown on a

50 BC�T September

few occasions to decrease when average daily temperatures exceed 70 degrees, and low temperatures at night are thought to promote high set. However, for some varieties, including Russet Burbank, maximum set has been observed at 72 degrees and above.

Vines grow faster than tubers at warm temperatures. When temperatures are warmer, a greater percentage of sugars produced by photosynthesis is used for vine growth.

Vines are typically taller and have smaller leaves when temperatures are higher, and there is a commensurate reduction in tuber bulking. Consequently, the appearance of the canopy can be misleading—rapid growth of vines under high temperature conditions may not be accompanied by comparable tuber growth.

Warm soil temperatures inhibit tuber bulking. Accumulation of starch by developing potato tubers is reduced at elevated soil temperatures. As a consequence, yields are depressed and specific gravity may be reduced as well.

Optimal soil temperature for high tuber yield is 60-72 degrees F, and yields drop off precipitously at soil temperatures greater than 76 degrees.

These data highlight the importance of maintaining a full canopy as

Above: The rate of potato emergence depends on soil temperature.

tubers mature. A full canopy shades the soil and helps to keep the soil temperature low.

Warm temperatures can delay senescence of the crop. Vine senescence is highly dependent on maturity class. Within a maturity class, warm temperatures have been shown to initiate senescence of lower leaves earlier than cooler temperatures, but to prolong the period of leaf growth and overall life of the plant.

and transient periods of high temperature may be more continued on pg. 52

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Above: Potato growth is illustrated at cool, warm and very hot temperatures.

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Badger Beat. . . continued from pg. 51

detrimental to processing quality than consistent high temperatures.

Potatoes can acclimate somewhat to prolonged periods of high temperature. Transient heat leads to stress responses that include disruption of carbohydrate supply to tubers, cessation of tuber growth and reduced oxygen availability in tubers because of increased respiration.

These stress responses contribute to sugar end defects in processing russets such as Russet Burbank, stemend chip defects in chipping potatoes like Snowden and heat necrosis in varieties such as Atlantic.

Early-season stress contributes more to sugar end defects and heat necrosis than late-season stress. In our research, we have found that both mid- and late-season heat stress promotes stem-end chip defects.

Mid- and late-season heat stress promotes stem-end chip defects in Snowden.

Warm and cold temperatures complicate harvest and early storage. Potatoes harvested warm are more likely to rot in storage than those harvested at moderate temperatures.

Optimal pulp temperature at harvest is 50-60 degrees F. Harvesting when pulp temperatures are greater than 65 degrees should be avoided, as this puts the crop at greater risk for disease.

Harvesting at temperatures less than 45 degrees increases the likelihood of shatter bruise and may promote coldinduced sweetening in processing potatoes.

In storage, cooler potatoes should not be placed on top of warmer potatoes

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Above: Mid- and late-season heat stress promotes stem-end chip defects in Snowden.

to prevent moisture coming off the warmer tubers from condensing on the cooler ones. The free water formed promotes disease that can lead to a band of rotten potatoes that extends from one side of a storage bin to the other.

HIGH HARVEST TEMPS High air temperatures at harvest can limit the availability of cooling air for storage. This limitation makes it harder to remove field heat and establish a stable, wound-healing temperature.

The early days of potato storage are critical, and delays in cooling the pile and establishing a small topto-bottom temperature gradient decrease the odds for successful long-term storage.

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You can’t change the weather, however, knowing how the crop might respond to the weather makes for better crop management decisions.

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The general guidelines presented here indicate ways that temperature can influence the growth and quality of the crop. The magnitude of those impacts will vary, because they are influenced by more than just temperature.

Knowing what might happen, however, is an excellent starting point for finding out quickly what has happened, at a time when the greatest number of options for mitigation are available.

People

Alsum-Randall Named to “40 Under Forty” Class Produce Business recognizes Heidi Alsum-Randall as a top young leader

Following is an interview Produce Business conducted with Heidi Alsum-Randall of Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc., Friesland, Wisconsin, as part of the magazine’s “40 Under Forty Project.”

Q: Are you a Gen X’er or millennial?

A little of both. I am very much into the millennial mindset of technology along with social media and how it can advance our company, but I also have the old school work ethics. We still do business with a lot of companies with a handshake.

Heidi Alsum-Randall, chief operating officer, production and sales, Alsum Farms & Produce, Inc., Friesland, WI Age: 36 Personal Information: Married, three daughters Hobbies: Boating; fishing; golfing; Sunday school teacher; Feed My Starving Children pack volunteer; Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer; and director, Cambria-Friesland Chamber of Commerce Motto in life: The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. —Vince Lombardi Work History: A second-generation family member at Alsum Farms & Produce, Alsum-Randall grew up working at the farm alongside her father, Larry Alsum, sister, Wendy, and other family members.

She started grading potatoes while in middle school and was able to work in a variety of different positions at Alsum Farms while in high school and college.

In 2009, she led a branding initiative with an outside marketing firm that interviewed customers and gathered qualitative research to establish Alsum Farms & Produce’s brand identity, the company logo, tagline (Integrity from Field to Fork), merchandising materials and key messaging.

THE FACE OF THE FARMER This resulted in Alsum updating all the operation’s packing to include the face of the farmer—Larry Alsum (president and chief executive)—to an overwhelmingly positive response.

Currently, she serves as the chief operating officer overseeing the production and sales teams that have increased sales and improved efficiencies under her leadership.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a Bachelor of Business degree, she gained experience as a temporary recruiter for WPS Insurance and for deBoer Transportation as a fleet manager.

Alsum-Randall was elected as the first female president of the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board (WPIB) in 2014 and continues to serve as board president. She has also served on the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Promotions Committee since 2009, and on Potatoes USA as a board member since 2014.

She rejoined the Alsum team in 2006 in the national sales department, working to develop new accounts and products.

At the Potatoes USA annual meeting in March, she was elected to serve on the Executive Committee as co-chair of the Industry Outreach Committee.

54 BC�T September

Q: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started your career? To be successful in the produce industry, it is important to always look for opportunities to learn as much as you can, network throughout the industry and volunteer whenever possible.

Q: What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of in your career? I feel extremely blessed and I am proud to work alongside my dad and sister on a daily basis to grow Alsum Farms & Produce.

It takes a team to continue to grow and innovate, and we have a great group of employees at Alsum that work alongside us. One of the achievements I am most proud of is being named the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year in 2016.

Q: What advice would you give someone new to the produce industry? Jump in and have fun.

Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Change is constant in the produce industry and you need to embrace it. You won’t get it right every time but use failures as opportunities to learn and improve.

Q: What do you think the industry can do to promote more produce consumption? I think continued education on the health and nutrition benefits of fresh produce along with providing fast and convenient recipes that are produce-centric will be key to increasing consumption of fresh produce.

The Packer Promotes Tom Karst to Editor-in-Chief Farm Journal Media announces the promotion of Tom Karst to editorin-chief of The Packer as the first key move in significantly expanding the Farm Journal Produce Division content team. Karst takes the helm of The Packer, a trusted and respected produce media brand.

With over 30 years of experience as a thought leader and journalist in the produce industry, Karst most recently served as national editor covering key issues across the entire produce spectrum, creating the Fresh Talk blog, founding the popular LinkedIn “Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group” and speaking at many industry events.

“Tom has been the industry face of The Packer for years and the driving force behind its award-winning relaunch this year,” says Farm Journal EVP/Chief Content Officer Charlene Finck.

a large-scale international trade show for the organic produce industry.

In addition to the vice president/chief content officer position, the produce division is adding two other new key editorial positions immediately—one located in the Northeast and the other on the West Coast—as The Packer significantly ramps up its local markets coverage.

Former produce team members Greg Johnson and Pamela Riemenschneider are no longer with the company.

“These are exciting growth times for The Packer and our full produce portfolio. It’s great to see investment in best-in-class talent, platforms

and products to serve the coastto-coast and international produce audiences,” says Shannon Shuman, vice president and publisher, produce, Farm Journal Media.

“His well-deserved promotion is just the first of a number of key actions we’re taking to build on The Packer’s heritage, and to facilitate expansion of our expanded portfolio via The Produce Market Guide and the Packer’s Global Organic Produce Expo (GOPEX),” Finck adds.

NATIONAL SEARCH According to Finck, the company is also launching a national search for a newly created position of vice president/chief content officer for the produce division.

This new role will serve as the chief content strategist overseeing the company’s produce media portfolio, including The Produce Market Guide platform, The Packer mobile news alerts, a growing digital footprint, The West Coast Produce Expo and The Packer’s newest event, GOPEX,

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LEASING • RENTALS • MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS SALES • PARTS • SERVICE • INSTALLATION BC�T September 55

EYES ON ASSOCIATES

By WPVGA Associate Div. President, Casey Kedrowski, Roberts Irrigation

Whew! That was a busy summer. I really can relate to the adage of “making hay while the sun shines.” My days have been so filled with projects and meetings, most in planning how we are going to fit everything in, while summer seems to be getting shorter and shorter every year.

Below: Though turnout for the 2018 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days wasn’t what Casey Kedrowski was hoping for, he admits looking forward to and enjoying the event every year, as well as the WPS Farm Show and WPVGA Grower Education Conference & Industry Show.

Let’s look at industry trade shows for example—the Wisconsin Public Service Farm Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Farm Technology Days and the Grower Education Conference & Industry Show.

Farm Technology Days was held in Marshfield this year, and I have to say the turnout was not what people hoped it was going to be, or even close in my mind.

Roberts Irrigation, along with some 600 other businesses, had their spots all set up for one of the biggest farm shows in the Midwest. But hot and dry weather didn’t help with getting people out to take it in. Oh well, maybe next year!

The Wisconsin Public Service show in Oshkosh is one of my favorites. Every year it seems to be the unofficial opener to the farming season. Held at the Experimental Aircraft Association grounds, it’s a great show every year, certainly one you should try to make either by yourself or with your family.

There’s stuff to do for everyone.

SHOW OF SHOWS It would be impossible to forget about the WPVGA Grower Education Conference & Industry Show, held in February each year, with the upcoming event at the Holiday Inn

56 BC�T September

Convention Center in Stevens Point, February 5-7, 2019.

everyone in the area dressed to the nines for the event.

The Grower Education Conference & Industry Show comes at the perfect time for those in the ag industry to talk about the past year and what they are looking forward to in the upcoming season.

I’ve been lucky to meet and get to know some fabulous people thus far, and I hope to keep that trend going for many years to come. I also hope all of you enjoy these shows as much as I do.

There are great speakers specializing in almost every segment and discipline of agriculture. The banquet on the evening of the second day is my favorite part, getting to see

Cheers!.

Casey Kedrowski WPVGA Associate Division President

New Products ThorPack LLC Now Distributing for JMC Packaging AB-3000-HS Baler can be integrated with a sewing system or heat sealer for any style of bag JMC Packaging (Johnsen Machine Company) of Burlington, Ontario, Canada has chosen ThorPack LLC to be its newest distributor and promote the company’s full line of equipment. ThorPack is a full-line packaging supplier and equipment sales company.

Martin Kolpack, president, and Richard Thorpe, CEO, managing partners of ThorPack in Polar, Wisconsin, are working closely together to incorporate the finest equipment available to growers, packers and shippers.

ThorPack works directly with equipment manufacturers to stay on top of the latest trends and offer the appropriate machinery capable of complying to the customer’s needs.

To spotlight one of JMC Packaging’s hottest-selling machines, the AB3000-HS Baler is most often utilized in potato, carrot and ice-repack facilities. Commonly referred to as a master baler, it is equipped to run paper or poly and can be integrated with a sewing system or a heat sealer for any style of bag.

NO BAG, NO DUMP Features include a user-friendly touchscreen with an Omron programmable logic controller, ethernet capabilities and bag sensors—if there’s no bag, then no dump. The AB-3000-HS is capable of handling 3-20-pound product bags, available upon request.

“I have seen a lot of equipment produced throughout the years, from many different manufacturers, but the JMC AB-3000-HS Baler is by far

N V S

ELSON’S

continued on pg. 58

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the best being made today,” Kolpack says, “and it comes with excellent tech support available.”

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AGRI-VENTILATION SALES AND SERVICE 24 HR. EMERG. SERVICE BC�T September 57

New Products. . . continued from pg. 57

ThorPack is excited to work with JMC Packaging to promote its line of equipment. ThorPack works hard to

offer the best equipment available for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, and the company is simply a phone

call away.

For more information, contact ThorPack LLC, attn: M. Kolpack, 866-934-7333, mkolpack@thorpack. com, www.thorpack.com.

Modine Unveils BMS Monitoring System Communication board provides control over greenhouse climates and unit heater usage Modine Manufacturing Company (NYSE: MOD), a leader in technology in the HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) industry, showcases the revolutionary Building Management System (BMS) monitoring system.

The Modine BMS monitoring system offers building owners unprecedented control over their heating units, all at the tip of their fingers through the customer’s BMS interface.

“Commercially available BMS thermostats are much more expensive than traditional thermostats,” says Jamie Tuinstra, product manager at Modine. “They allow the end user some control

of their equipment over a central communication hub instead of physically interacting with the

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thermostat itself.”

BRAINS INSIDE THE UNIT “However, common controls such as turning the unit on/off and setting a new limit through scheduling or seasonality provide very little information about the unit’s operation,” he notes. “Modine’s solution was to put the brains inside the unit instead of at the thermostat.”

“This allows signals from the unit’s components to be factory wired so that information specific to the equipment is able to be communicated over BMS without any additional setup by the installer,” Tuinstra says.

By using a simple and inexpensive room sensor, Modine customers can now have functions of a BMS thermostat with the added benefit

of equipment alarms and statuses that would not be available using a conventional BMS thermostat method.

In addition, Modine’s board supports the energy saver function, which de-stratifies warm ceiling air temperatures before turning on the burners.

Features of the new BMS monitoring system include:

For more information about Modine’s new BMS monitoring system visit: https://www.modinehvac.com/web/ products/commercial-gas-fired-unitheaters/effinitytm-ptcbtc.htm.

For more information about Modine’s other HVAC solutions or to find your local representative, visit http://www. modinehvac.com.

About Modine Modine specializes in thermal management systems and components, bringing highly engineered heating and cooling components, original equipment products and systems to diversified global markets through its three complementary business segments: Vehicular Thermal Solutions (VTS); Commercial & Industrial Solutions (CIS); and Building HVAC Systems (BHVAC).

Modine is a global company headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

For more information about Modine, visit www. modine.com.

• Communication over BACnet and Modbus protocols, two of the more common BMS communication types • Able to run on a traditional thermostat input signal (like most Modine equipment is installed with today) or a return air sensor • The board has the capability of controlling three outputs (blower, stage 1 valve and stage 2 valve), and uses temperature at the unit heater to perform energy saver function • Signals sent across BMS allow the unit to be switched between summer/winter operations; change the heating/fan-only set point and set point band; change the energy saver function temperature set point; turn the unit on/off; and report the vitals of the equipment through statuses and alarms wired into the board

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• Standard offering on the Effinity unit heaters and optional on standard efficiency gas-fire unit heaters “The amount of control that greenhouse operators will have with this system is something we think has been missing from the industry,” Tuinstra says.

“Building owners will have more control and information about their units to lower running costs being used and reduce any downtime,” he adds. “The new BMS monitoring system even allows for multi-unit monitoring and integration to ensure an even greenhouse climate.”

BC�T September 59

Auxiliary News

By Devin Zarda, vice president, WPGA

Hello, friends. I hope that

summer has been treating you well.

It’s been a bit of a struggle up here in Antigo due to a lack of rain, but we’ve pushed through.

Since we just started a new term on the Auxiliary Board, I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you to our newest board member via an interview. Not only is Datonn Hanke our newest board member, but she stepped up and filled the spot of secretary/treasurer.

So, let’s get to know Datonn!

Where are you from? I was born and raised in the Almond-Bancroft area. We have a hobby farm right in Almond, and I went to school at Almond-Bancroft.

What business are you associated with? I’m associated with Swiderski Equipment where I’m a marketing specialist.

What is your favorite part of farming? I love everything about agriculture and the wonderful way of life it’s allowed me. I would say my favorite things are the value of hard work I’ve learned from it, the wonderful people I’ve been able to meet and the connection to family and the community it brings.

What is your favorite memory from your time growing up on a farm? I used to show my horses a lot when I was younger, and still do today, but showing and making other horse-crazy friends was so much fun! We were very involved with the Waushara County Fair, and I would say that’s one of my favorite childhood memories.

60 BC�T September

How did you hear about the Wisconsin Potato Grower Auxiliary?

I heard about WPGA from a group of friends that were already members.

I went to my first event at Michelle’s and had a blast, so I joined that night.

How long have you been an Auxiliary member? I’ve been a member for about two years now.

What Auxiliary activities are you involved with, and which ones are you looking forward to joining? I was so excited to go to State Fair this year, and I also look forward to helping serve potatoes at the WPS Farm Show show next March and becoming more involved with the Spudmobile.

What do you hope to accomplish during your term as an Auxiliary board member? I’m hoping to help at as many events as I can and bring some new ideas into the Auxiliary Board.

Above: Datonn Hanke is secretary/treasurer of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary and the newest member on the Board of Directors.

I’m excited for this opportunity.

What is one thing you would say to someone who is thinking about joining the Auxiliary? Take the chance and join. Being on the Auxiliary isn’t just a great way to promote the potato and vegetable industry, but it’s also a great way to meet wonderful people that are just as passionate about the industry as you are.

Alright, friends, that’s all for this month. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Datonn, and I have a feeling that she won’t be going anywhere anytime soon!

Until next time,

Devin

NPC News NPC Summer Meeting Sees Strong Attendance Over 160 potato growers and industry leaders discuss priority issues Over 160 attendees descended on Leavenworth, Washington, July 18-20, for the 2018 National Potato Council (NPC) Summer Meeting. By all accounts, it was an outstanding event with strong attendance, informative sessions and fun activities for all.

The general sessions included guest speakers from the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service, the Northwest Seaports Alliance, the Washington State Potato Commission and Rabobank.

The Summer Meeting is attended by potato growers and industry leaders from all major production areas in the United States interested in being a part of lively discussions on potato industry priority issues such as the Farm Bill, Electronic Logging Device (ELD) and Hours of Service rules, immigration reform, research funding and expanding trade markets.

The NPC Summer Meeting provides an informal atmosphere to discuss these industry issues and multiple networking opportunities to develop and foster business relationships between members of the industry.

“Thanks to all of our attendees and the volunteer leaders who made this event happen. It was a great opportunity to get together, evaluate how we’ve done through the first half of the year and set priorities to finish 2018 strong,” says NPC President Cully Easterday. continued on pg. 62 Above: From left to right, Wendy Alsum-Dykstra, Heidi Alsum-Randall and Larry Alsum of Alsum Farms & Produce, Friesland, Wisconsin, attend the NPC Summer Meeting in Leavenworth, Washington. Larry is first vice president, finance and office procedures, on the NPC Executive Committee.

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Court Rules Against EPA on Chlorpyrifos On August 9, a three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) recent action to maintain the tolerances for chlorpyrifos.

The split decision of the panel (2-1) requires EPA to move forward with its original Obama Administration plan to revoke the tolerances for the crop protection tool.

This ruling is viewed as a victory for environmental activists and a loss for those seeking to return these federal regulatory decisions to a sciencebased process.

The original Obama Administration action relied on outside research to support their conclusion. However, neither the EPA nor the public were allowed to view the data that the study was based upon.

This lack of transparency was a substantial departure from a traditional science-based process and in conflict with the standard that the agency places on registrants when seeking to apply or re-register their products.

The agency can now either comply with the court’s ruling, appeal to the full 9th Circuit or seek to elevate the decision to the Supreme Court for a final verdict.

Farm Bill Conference Set During the first week of August, the U.S. Senate announced its slate of members to negotiate the 2018 Farm Bill conference agreement.

Republicans will be represented

by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-KS; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY; John Hoeven, R-ND; Joni Ernst, R-IA and Sen. John Boozman, R-AR. For Democrats, the Senate conferees include Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-MI; Patrick Leahy, D-VT; Sherrod Brown, D-OH and Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND. In all, 47 House Republican and Democratic members will square off with these nine senators to resolve the differences between the two bills.

In June, the House version of the

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62 BC�T September

Farm Bill narrowly passed 213-211, while the Senate passed its bill 86-11 The potato industry and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance are pressing for passage of some key provisions in any final conference report: • Restoring resources for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program that is vital for potato trade issues and reforming its operation to make it more responsive and efficient (Senate) • Ensuring $80 million is available annually for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative. This is an increase of $25 million annually over the current available amount (Senate) • Enacting a regulatory reform package that reduces the burden on

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THE VOICE OF THE WISCONSIN POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

individual producers and ensures that valuable crop protection tools are available to address current and emerging pest and disease threats (House) •M aintaining vital resources for agricultural export promotion programs through the creation of a new Foreign Market Development Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (both bills) • S upporting continued operation of the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and vital pest and disease prevention and eradication programs (both bills) Senate leadership indicated their desire to send a conference report to President Donald J. Trump shortly after the Labor Day recess.

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Feature Article Ag Station Technician Helps Growers Monitor Potato Quality

Above: Hancock Agricultural Research Station technician Sam Perez balances on top of potatoes in a storage bin that holds about 200,000 pounds of spuds. Photo courtesy of Jeff Miller

Sam Perez does more than maintain and operate equipment on the 500-acre site

By David Tenenbaum, science writer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Communications & Spinoffs Potatoes are heaped high in the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Storage Research Facility at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS). The research station is situated in the middle of the Central Sands area of Wisconsin, one of the most productive potato-growing regions in the country.

using other techniques, Perez and his fellow station employees help growers decide when to market their stored potatoes.

Hancock has stored these potato samples to see how well they will last in storage, and equipment operator Sam Perez keeps a close eye on the spuds.

Storage is a big concern for Paul Bethke and other University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison horticulturists who breed and grow potatoes at the station.

By monitoring sugar levels, frying test batches of potato chips and

“One goal of the breeding and storage programs is to have families

Waiting longer usually means a higher price, but only if the potatoes maintain their quality and remain unsprouted.

eating Wisconsin potatoes at the July 4th barbecue,” says Amber Gotch, who works alongside Perez in the lab.

“That requires nine months of safe storage.”

Wisconsin is ranked in the top five nationally in production of potatoes, sweet corn, green beans, peas, carrots and many other processed vegetables.

POTATO RESEARCH The Hancock station, located along Interstate 39 between Stevens Point and Portage, plays a central role in continued on pg. 64 BC�T September 63

Ag Station Technician Helps Growers Monitor Potato Quality. . . continued from pg. 63

Wisconsin-oriented potato research.

In 2006, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association raised $3.2 million for the storage building where Perez spends half his year.

When fieldwork begins, Perez moves outside as one of the site’s field

technicians where he also performs preventive maintenance and repair on the station’s farm equipment and vehicles.

Above: Sam Perez inspects a chip at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station lab, situated in the middle of the Central Sands area of Wisconsin, one of the most productive potato-growing regions in the country. Potato chip image courtesy of Jeff Miller

During the past five years at HARS, Perez has earned a reputation as methodical and willing to handle any

task. Those qualities made him one of eight UW-Madison employees to receive the 2017 University Staff

What do you expect from the seed potatoes that you buy?

The varieties that yo

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The early generation that you want.

The quality and yie ld you have come to that expect.

Wisconsin has it!

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

WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES 64 BC�T September

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.

Recognition Award.

Lady luck played a significant role in delivering him to a job that he loves.

Sam and Andrea Perez, both Chicago natives, first moved to Wautoma in 2000 and found the Central Sands a welcome relief from the big city bustle.

In 2012, after two unsatisfactory years in Florida, they opted to return to Wisconsin. Unable to decide where to set up house, they taped a state map to the wall and threw a dart.

Seriously.

It struck within spitting distance of the Hancock station. Perez, who had previously worked on potato farms and knew the area, applied for a job.

GROW STRONG Cultivate solid business practices and work with people who understand accounting, payroll, tax, and farming.

In the years since, he’s proven to be a jack of all trades, master of many, and reliable and hardworking enough for Troy Fishler, manager of the the continued on pg. 66 Above: One goal of the breeding and storage programs at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS) is to have families eating Wisconsin potatoes at the July 4th barbecue, says Amber Gotch, who works alongside Sam Perez in the lab.

That requires nine months of safe storage.

Right: Potato & Vegetable Storage Research Manager Troy Fishler poses with a potato at the 2017 Variety and Harvest Expo held at HARS.

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BC�T September 65

Ag Station Technician Helps Growers Monitor Potato Quality. . . continued from pg. 65

UW’s Storage Research Facility, to nominate him for the staff award.

TRUE CARETAKER “Sam is always willing to go out of his way to help others,” says Fishler. “He knows our mission is to help facilitate the research that UW faculty and their staff come to do, and he personally sees to it that they are always taken care of.”

“He’s very generous with his time and is an absolute pleasure to work with,” Fishler adds, “and he has this enormous positive attitude. Some Above: HARS storage facility manager Amber Gotch (left) shows College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Dean Kate VandenBosch (center) and University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank (right) potato chip test batches at the research station.

Left: Sam Perez uses an ACME JUICERator at the HARS lab.

66 BC�T September

people will fight tooth and nail to get out of the less desirable jobs, but he takes it as just another day; he’s a team player and is always willing to help out others.”

Before he moved to potato country 17 years ago, Perez was working as a courier for Chicago law firms “and didn’t know anything about farming or mechanics.” He proved a quick study.

“Sam knows our mission is to help facilitate the research that UW faculty and their staff come to do, and he personally sees to it that they are always taken care of.” – Troy Fishler

“Every machine I found, I could take it apart and put it together like brand new,” he says. “When I take apart an engine completely and put it back together, the initial start is the best feeling. Just to know what you did, that counts for something.”

Some of his skills, Perez says, came from his father who knew no English when he emigrated from Mexico.

“Dad started his own home remodeling company, and I would tag along and watch everything he did,” Perez says. “I just picked it up.

He also worked on cars, would take one apart, take the engine out and put another in. We had our ups and downs, but everything I know is from him.”

Perez and his wife have four children, and even though his manager, Fishler, describes him as “a family man who has his priorities in the right place,” Perez says he likes to be “on the go all the time.”

Mechanics is both a vocation and an avocation for him, and hard work is a gift, not a burden, Perez says. “I take the days one at a time,” he remarks. “I try to live life to its fullest because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”

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BC�T September 67

Seed Piece

Syngenta Manages Second Seed Distribution Center Partnership with Pivot Point Spencer ensures seed supply in key growing areas Syngenta announces its partnership with Pivot Point Spencer, Inc. to manage a second seed distribution center. The cold storage facility is in Spencer, Iowa. The other existing center is in Clinton, Illinois.

Both distribution centers are designed to ensure supply is positioned in key growing areas for Syngenta corn and soy seed customers.

“We are focused on meeting our customers’ needs and ensuring seed supply is a priority,” says Clayton Osburn, Syngenta manager of corn operations in North America.

“Once again, we turned to Pivot Point because they have a track record of delivering high quality customer service,” Osburn adds.

“Our distribution centers position us well to manage the continued growth in our corn seed sales.”

“Our team looks forward to providing superior customer service and continuing to assist Syngenta with building productive, customeroriented relationships,” says Pivot Point owner Russ Wilkin. “We are excited to now be a part of the Spencer community and work with local people.”

The Spencer distribution center is located at the former Eaton Corporation facility, which closed in 2017. The facility ramp-up is expected to add more than 24 new jobs to the local economy over the next three years.

For more information about Syngenta

Above: The new Spencer, Iowa seed distribution center helps Syngenta manage continued growth in the company’s corn seed sales. Photo by David Bowman courtesy of Syngenta

Seeds, visit www.syngentaseeds. com. Join the conversation online by connecting with Syngenta at Syngenta-us.com/social.

About Syngenta Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world-class science and innovative crop solutions, 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown.

Syngenta is committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more, visit www. syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com.

Follow Syngenta on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.

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

Jul-17

Aug-17

Sep-17

Oct-17

Nov-17

Dec-17

Jan-18

Feb-18

Mar-18

Apr-18

May-18

Jun-18

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,396,699.63

1,396,699.63

Assessment

$97,708.18

$97,708.18

Month

Jul-18

Aug-18

Sep-18

Oct-18

Nov-18

Dec-18

Jan-19

Feb-19

Mar-19

Apr-19

May-19

Jun-19

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,631,620.99

1,631,620.99

Assessment

$114,203.25

$114,203.25

68 BC�T September

Ali's Kitchen Potato Chip Baked Chicken Tenders Dijon dill sauce elevates the flavor ratio of this and any dish Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary

Crunchy potato chips create a crispy crust for these baked chicken tenders that everyone in the family will love.

And this Dijon dill sauce … wow. It’s child and adult approved, and I think I’m safe in saying that it could easily be used to elevate the flavor ratio on nearly any savory dish! It’s best when made with fresh dill, but you could easily substitute dried dill if you needed to.

I would just suggest that you increase the amount of dill and allow all the flavors to mingle together in the fridge for a few hours before serving it.

This recipe served four of us easily.

If your crew is larger or smaller than the one I fed today, simply adjust the recipe as needed. continued on pg. 70

Ingredients Dijon Dill Sauce ½ cup sour cream 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 tbsp. fresh dill (finely chopped) 1 tsp. garlic powder Potato Chip Chicken Tenders 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken tenderloin 4 cups of crushed plain potato chips 2 eggs Fresh greens for serving (optional) BC�T September 69

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DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Place potato chips into a gallon freezer bag and seal it tightly. Gently crush the potato chips into small flakes using the palm of your hand or a rolling pin. Add more chips to the freezer bag and continue crushing until you have the amount needed to coat your chicken.

Pour the crushed potato chips into a bowl (a pie tin works quite well, too).

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl or pie tin and whisk until smooth.

One by one, dip each chicken tender into the egg wash and ensure that

70 BC�T September

it is thoroughly coated. Then place the tender into the bowl of crushed potato chips and firmly press the chips onto both sides of the chicken.

Place the coated chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and is completely cooked through.

While chicken is baking, prepare the Dijon Dill Sauce. Add all the listed ingredients into a mason jar.

Firmly secure the lid onto the jar and vigorously shake until all is mixed well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve the potato chip chicken tenders on a bed of greens and drizzle generously with Dijon Dill Sauce.

Enjoy!

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to the 2018 Putt-Tato Open Golf Sponsors PLATINUM SPONSOR Syngenta

SILVER SPONSORS Advanced Farm Equipment, LLC AgCountry FCS & Compeer Financial Big Iron Equipment, Inc. & Spudnik Calcium Products KerberRose Accountants Kretz Truck Brokerage Lemken USA & Sand County Equipment Nachurs Volm Companies, Inc. Yara North America

LUNCH SPONSORS Rural Mutual Insurance: Zinda Insurance Group, Plover, WI Jim Wehinger, Adams, WI

APPETIZER SPONSOR McCain Foods

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RAFFLE PRIZE SPONSORS • John Deere Pedal Tractor – Riesterer & Schnell • Stoeger Shotgun – Gowan USA • Browning Rifle – WPVGA Associate Division • Lake Michigan Fishing Charter – Broekema Beltway USA, Inc. • Golf Equipment Package – WPVGA Associate Division • C3 Remote Control Cooler – Roberts Irrigation; Graphics

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HOLE SPONSORS Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative Allied Cooperative Anderson O’Brien Law Firm

Ansay & Associates BMO Harris Bank CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP County Materials Corporation DeWitt Ross & Stevens Edward Jones/Bob Ebben GZA Geoenvironmental Gowan USA Green Bay Packaging Harriston Industries Jay-Mar, Inc. Keller, Inc. The Little Potato Company McCain Foods USA Mt. Morris Mutual Insurance Company Mid-State Truck Service Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems

Nutrien Ag Solutions Peoples State Bank The Portage County Bank Progressive Ag Rhinehart Metal Buildings Ron’s Refrigeration & AC, Inc. Sand County Equipment Service Motor Company T H Agri-Chemicals TIP, Inc. V & H Trucks Warner & Warner, Inc. Wilbur-Ellis Company Wisconsin Public Service Wysocki Family of Companies

P.O. Box 327 Antigo, WI 54409

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