• Heavy-duty, parallel link trailing coulters to cut the potato vines.
• Larger tires for improved flotation.
• Adjustable rear lift allows operator to raise or lower the rear of the machine to accommodate changing conditions.
• Can-bus system with user-friendly
8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW:
On the Cover: Not shown in the photo on the front cover is Dr. Scott Chapman, who helped Dr. Russell L. Groves, pictured, apply insecticides to a potato crop as part of a 2022 full-season insect management trial at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station. Foliar spray application is part of the job for Groves, an established WPVGA base-funded researcher.
Russell Groves gives a presentation on “Insect Management in Potato Processing Vegetables” at the 2023 Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day. A Professor and Department Chair with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Entomology, Groves is also a well-respected and longstanding WPVGA base-funded researcher and acting chair of the Grower Education Planning Committee. Photo courtesy of Troy Fishler DANA DISHING IT UP Patriotic Picnic Cake and Potato Gratin are perfect way to launch
WPVGA Board of Directors:
PreSideNT: Charlie MaTT ek
Vice PreSideNT: JohN BuSTama NT e
Secre Tary: Alex Okray
Trea Surer: WeNdy Dyk ST ra
Direc Tor S: Mike BaGiNSki, Ra Ndy FleiShauer, JohN HopfeNSperGer, JoSh KNiGhTS & J.D. Schroeder
Wisconsin Potato Industry Board:
PreSideNT: Heidi Al Sum-Ra Ndall
Vice PreSideNT: ANdy Dierck S
Secre Tary: Nicola Carey
Trea Surer: KeiT h WolT er
Direc Tor S: JohN FeNSke, Rod Gumz, Jim Okray, Eric Schroeder & Tom Wild
WPVGA Associate Division Board of Directors:
PreSideNT: MaTT SeleNSke
Vice Pre SideNT: ET ha N Ol SoN
Secre Tary: MorG a N Smolarek
Trea Surer: Paul Salm
Direc Tor S: MeliSS a HeiSe, Brady PaToka, ScoTT Scheer, Sally SupriSe & Bra NdoN Taylor
Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement
Association Board of Directors:
PreSideNT: Jeff SuchoN
Vice PreSideNT: Charlie HuSNick
Secre Tary/Trea Surer: MiTch MaTT ek
Direc Tor S: ANdy Schroeder & CloVer Spacek
Wisconsin Potato Growers
Auxiliary Board of Directors:
PreSideNT: Heidi Schleicher
Vice PreSideNT: DakoTah Smiley
Secre Tary/Trea Surer: Sama NT ha Cypher
Direc Tor S: Jody BaGiNSki, MiST i KiNNiSoN, JeNN a Kuka Nich & EriN MeiST er
Mission Statement of the WPVGA: To serve the potato and vegetable industry of Wisconsin through education, research, promotion, governmental action and sustainability leadership.
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 providing technology and information resources.
Badger Common’Tater is published monthly at 700 Fifth Avenue, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409
WPVGA Staff
Execu T iVe Direc Tor: Tama S Houliha N
Ma N aGiNG Edi Tor: Joe KerT zma N
Direc Tor of PromoTioNS & CoNSumer
EducaTioN: Da N a Rady
FiN a Ncial Officer: KareN Ra SmuSSeN
Execu T iVe A SSiSTa NT: Julie BrauN
ProGram A SSiSTa NT: Ja Ne GuilleN
Spudmobile EducaT ioN a Nd Ou T reach
AdmiNiST raTor: GeorGe Neuber
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MARK YOUR Calendar
AUGUST
1-11 2024 WISCONSIN STATE FAIR West Allis/Milwaukee, WI
Antigo City Park, 8:30 a.m. Antigo, WI 13-15 WISCONSIN FARM
Close Farms & Country/Rock Fest Grounds Cadott, WI
Planting Ideas
UW Arlington Ag Research Station, 8 a.m. Arlington, WI SEPTEMBER 10-14 POTATO BOWL USA
Grand Forks-East Grand Forks, ND & MN 27-29 HARVEST FAIR 2024
Wisconsin State Fair Grounds West Allis, WI OCTOBER
5 38TH ANNUAL SPUD BOWL
Community Stadium at Goerke Park Stevens Point, WI 17 5TH ANNUAL SPORTING CLAYS SHOOT Wausau Skeet and Trap Club Wausau/Brokaw, WI 17-19
PRODUCE & FLORAL SHOW
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA 28-29 RESEARCH MEETING
West Madison Research Station and virtual 1 p.m. on Mon., and 8 a.m. on Tues. Verona, WI
JANUARY 2025
9-10 POTATO EXPO 2025 Orlando World Center Marriott Orlando, FL
FEBRUARY
4-6 2025 GROWER ED CONFERENCE & INDUSTRY SHOW
Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center Stevens Point, WI
MAY
17-20 2025 NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOC. SHOW McCormick Place Chicago, IL
I cannot remember the last time someone said, “Come on, Joe, have some fun for once, and put this picture in the Common’Tater.” Dale Sankey of Prevail Bank is the one who took the above photo and uttered that phrase, which, honestly, I may have never heard before in my life, adding, “If you don’t put it in the magazine, Dana is going to call a special WPVGA board meeting to reevaluate you.” Dana Rady, of course, is the director of promotions and marketing for the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and the one pictured laughing hysterically as she pulls my beard in a golf cart at the Putt-Tato Open, July 10, at Lake Arrowhead Golf Course in Nekoosa. I’m certain no one has ever had to convince me to “have fun for once.”
I did have a good time, of course, hitting the links in the cart, taking pictures of golfers and attending the dinner and awards ceremony. Complete coverage of the Putt-Tato Open will be in the September issue of the Badger Common’Tater. In this issue is coverage of the 2024 Spud Seed Classic, which despite on and off rain showers on June 21, in Deerbrook, went off without a hitch. A full 40 out of 42 registered teams braved the elements and golfed 18 holes in support of the fundraiser put on by the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association. See “Seed Piece” in this issue for photos and a detailed overview of the golf tournament.
The 12th Annual World Potato Congress convened June 23-26 in Adelaide, South Australia, where 1,000 delegates representing 40 countries met to discuss big picture ideas and strategies moving forward in potato production, such as growers around the world contributing to sustainability, and fighting world hunger and against global warming. The theme of “Old World Meets New” was well conceived and stressed throughout the course of the Congress. The World Potato Congress has evolved as an international networking organization designed to disseminate and share knowledge, and the 12th rendition of the main event did not disappoint. See complete coverage of the Congress herein.
This August “Research & Sustainable Ag” issue features an interview with one of the more familiar faces within the core group of WPVGA base-funded researchers, Dr. Russell L. Groves, Professor and Department Chair in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Entomology. Enjoy the Interview with Russ who is never short on words and ideas to share.
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
N1435 Cty Rd D
Antigo, WI (715) 623-2689 farm@sbfi.biz johnt@sbfi.biz
Interview
RUSSELL L. GROVES,
Professor and Department Chair, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Department of Entomology
By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater
NAME: Russell L. Groves
POSITION: Professor and Department Chair
UNIVERSITY & DEPARTMENT: UW-Madison Department of Entomology
LOCATION: Madison, WI
HOMETOWN: Oskaloosa, IA
YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: Nineteen PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Research Entomologist in Parlier, California
SCHOOLING: Bachelor of Science in Silviculture and Forestry, Iowa State University; Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Arkansas; Ph.D. in Entomology from North Carolina State University; and Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Cornell University in the Department of Plant Pathology
ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Wisconsin
Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) base-funded researcher, chairman of the Grower Education Planning Committee, WPVGA Water Task Force, Entomological Society of America, and American Phytopathological Society
AWARDS/HONORS: Co-State Liaison, IR-4, “Pest Management Solutions for Specialty Crops and Specialty Uses,” and Research Advisory Board, Co-chair, “Citrus Research Development Foundation”
FAMILY: Wife, Dr. Carol Groves, daughter, Emily (24), and son, Nick (21)
HOBBIES: Family activities, outdoor activities/enthusiast, hunting, and fishing
8 BC�T August
When Dr. Jeffrey Wyman retired, in 2002, after many dedicated years of service in the UW-Madison Department of Entomology, Russell L. Groves filled the vacancy as an Assistant Professor and vegetable entomology Extension Specialist.
His responsibilities involved insect pest management in commercial and fresh market vegetables, including potatoes, and his prior research training focused on insects as vectors of plant diseases in fruit and nut crops.
Today, as Professor and Chairperson of the UW Department of Entomology, Dr. Groves is an invaluable WPVGA base-funded researcher and chairman of the Grower Education Planning Committee.
Respected and well-known by Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers, Groves has proven himself an invaluable and driven researcher dedicated to helping farmers control pests and diseases and reach their goals of achieving high yields and solid returns on investment.
“I’ve been a base-funded researcher since my appointment as a vegetable entomologist, now going into my 19th year [September 2006] in that position,” Groves says. “I assumed the role of statewide Extension leader for insect management in
vegetables, which transfers over nicely to my base-funded research for the WPVGA.”
How would you describe your position? I would say it’s to provide leadership and solutions to producers. As far as managing insect pests in vegetables, that is an integral part of the job.
There is no assignment in terms of conventional versus organic, so my work takes me across all scales and agricultural philosophies. I’m to be agnostic in my understanding of growers’ needs and in terms of the solutions offered.
A portion of my job is to identify
Above: Dr. Russell L. Groves, who’s shown at the 2021 Antigo Field Day, is a Professor and Chairperson of the University of Wisconsin Department of Entomology, an invaluable WPVGA base-funded researcher and chairman of the Grower Education Planning Committee.
issues limiting production and to devise experimentation that solves problems for producers and then extend these recommendations. Another way to put it is conceiving of appropriate research to solve a problem and devising longer-term as well as more ad hoc solutions.
A grower might say, “Russ, this is what I have going on right now in my field. What can I do?” In response, I ask questions to help make decisions. Some solutions are long term and research enabled, while others are focused on answering a question on that very day.
Describe your research and objectives for the $15,000 “Insect Management Systems for Potato Production” competitive grant you received from the WPVGA for 2024’25. This is an ongoing project that
we feel generates more immediate answers to pest management issues in potato and vegetable systems.
The objective is to learn the ideal, most sustainable combinations of pest control products for given agriculture systems. Dr. Scott Chapman (Ph.D. 2001) and Mr. Ben Bradford (M.S. 2016) are integral partners in evaluating the performance of these pest control products. Our competitive grant is earmarked to do such evaluations.
Like so many researchers on campus, we take WPVGA base funding and leverage it into larger research projects, such as those sponsored by the USDA or other federal sources, where we compete for grants through sponsored research proposals.
Right: Two doctors, one family—Dr. Russ Groves poses with his wife, Dr. Carol Groves, with whom he’s raised their two children, Emily (24) and Nick (21).
We feel WPVGA’s research investment is valuable in helping us generate preliminary data and begin new investigations that can be leveraged into much larger awards. Almost all the externally funded projects we have been awarded have been enabled by initial WPVGA base funding.
How does that grant differ from the WPVGA $25,000 base funding in Insect Management, and what else does the latter entail? The
Left: Dr. Russell L. Groves (third from left) is shown with his research team at the time, in 2016, during carrot harvest.
base funding might vary a little bit depending on certain projects. We have sponsored research looking at water quality to better understand the basis for groundwater contaminants, where they originate, and how we can provide solutions.
Another multi-state project recently funded by the USDA is aimed at finding alternatives to neonicotinoids and helping the industry learn how to manage pests in a world where neonics might soon be absent or reduced. The objective is to give outcomes or solutions to producers.
In this way, the funding is contextual and depends on specific projects and needs of the industry.
As an Extension specialist, how closely and how often do you work directly with growers? I value and enjoy the opportunity to work with producers. The interactions with producers, pest managers, and scouts are critical—they help me understand the outcomes of our research and how the results can be integrated or fit into the logistics of agriculture.
To have a connection with growers early on and throughout the process of devising ideas helps my team
refine those ideas to make the most appropriate interpretations that are implementable and translatable.
I’d say more than half of the research projects that have been funded within our program have some basis that has emerged from grower
ideas, no question. If there aren’t conversations with that community, you can’t gauge and understand their priorities.
When Dr. Jeffrey Wyman (shown in 2015) retired, in 2002, after many dedicated years of service in the UW-Madison Department of Entomology, Russell L. Groves filled the vacancy as an Assistant Professor and vegetable entomology Extension Specialist. Russ Groves poses with graduate students in 2024. 10 BC�T August
Above: Russ Groves (front) works on calibrating a sprayer to be used as part of his research, in 2013.
You’ve been doing it for a lot of years—you must enjoy the outreach and direct contact, don’t you? When I got into this work as a graduate student, I was interested in natural history and the complexity of biological systems. For example, part of my program is managing vectorborne diseases of plants, including bacterial and viral diseases.
The complexity of these systems has always been interesting to me, and I have appreciated being able to continue this line of investigation here at UW-Madison. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of insecttransmitted diseases of vegetables here in Wisconsin.
They’re complex systems, but I have absolutely enjoyed making that work translatable. I do think there’s value in taking what can be complex interactions and making them more transparent to a board or audience of people, to include producers.
Just like the classroom, when an audience of learners understands the overall system well, they are more inclined to be responsive to the information delivered. Conversely, if a set of customers questions the information being presented, or the reliability of the information you offer, they become hard of hearing.
You are also the Chair of the Entomology Department and a Professor. Are you teaching classes? I currently co-teach Entomology 201, our Insects and Human Culture course, with Dr. Sean Schoville, who’s a great educator and instructional partner. Sean has taught the course for over a decade, and it has been very easy to transition into this course over the past five years.
We teach a lot of non-entomology majors, or non-biologists, and it’s a fun course. Up until just recently, I was teaching our Principles of Economic Entomology, but we have a new faculty member who’s handling continued on pg. 12
“We
– Dr. Russell L. Groves
DOUBLE L 4-Row Windrower
my portion of this course at the present time, Dr. Emily Bick.
I teach every semester, spring and fall. I enjoy it, and Insects and Human Culture is a large enrollment course, usually with around 275 students a semester. If we are lucky, there are often four or five students each semester who gain a new and great appreciation for insects, and in turn,
may end up coming to CALS or even Entomology!
It’s a good way to intersect with biologically inclined students. I think it’s a heavy expectation for all new undergraduate students, or those who have just graduated high school, to know exactly what they want to study upon entering UW-Madison. Plenty of new people entering college
Above: Dr. Russ Groves is the statewide Extension leader for insect management (including, of course, Colorado potato beetle, shown) in vegetables, which transfers over nicely to his base-funded research for the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.
are experiencing many things for the first time.
What work is being conducted in the Groves Lab? Yes, 840 Russell Laboratories, the Groves Lab. Right now, there are five students in the laboratory and a new student arriving this fall. I need to again mention the two academic staff members in the laboratory to include Dr. Chapman and Mr. Bradford.
It’s really a fun group, and they are all working on a variety of different projects, including questions about environmental quality, pesticide cross-resistance, heritability of insecticide stresses, management of insect-transmitted diseases, and more sustainable solutions for insect management.
As stated previously, many questions that emerge for us come from interactions with stakeholders, producers, and other industry professionals. We learn from these
conversations, as well as through those with researchers at other universities who have similar or shared research interests.
What are your biggest challenges in entomology as it relates to commercial and fresh market vegetable production? They aren’t really challenges, but more often opportunities. Production of food will always hold a fair amount of importance in this country, and Wisconsin has a long history in food production.
So, the opportunity is to be able to provide solutions to maintain efficiencies and remain sustainable and profitable, as well as help growers relay to their customers the value of what they bring to the table. These opportunities span all segments of agriculture, including organic, direct market,
and commercial scale.
Broadly, I’d like to continue to support food production in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, an area that’s close to renewable resources. With the emergence of a changing climate, and as we look ahead 20-50 years, this part of the
country will likely continue to be a valuable contributor in terms of food production in the United States. continued on pg. 14
Above: Russ Groves (left) and Dries Amesian are shown at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station, in 2016, holding carrots affected by aster yellows, a systemic plant disease caused by phytoplasma bacteria.
An important outlook will be anticipating or thinking ahead to what the emerging challenges and issues in insect management will be and guide this industry in the right direction(s).
Talk about integrated pest management (IPM) and looking at a farm as an ecosystem to manage pests that way. Some of the data science approaches are trying to work on how to anticipate where or in what locations an insect pest might become more, or less, abundant in the future by looking at scouting data.
An important call out here includes our scouting partners in Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest who have offered and shared important scouting resources. We hope to leverage better pest predictions and where certain pests will be in greater abundance through these relationships. We think that’s certainly part of proactive IPM.
In terms of IPM, we do need to be mindful of our collective impacts as agricultural managers. We are witnessing changes or impacts
on non-target organisms in our agricultural environments.
Scientists have revealed that there are changes in overall biodiversity, insect abundance, and with one special group that needs our attention, pollinators.
Make no mistake, we very much try to work with and through the lens of our growers and what their needs are to always manage and maintain a healthy ecosystem. The Healthy Grown potatoes program is a good example of that.
Is insecticide resistance your biggest challenge today? It’s ever present and ongoing. I wouldn’t say it’s the biggest challenge, at least not in Wisconsin.
The way technology has influenced agriculture in the last 30 years has been amazing, not only regarding implements and equipment, but also in such areas as seed and genetics.
We use technology to gain agricultural efficiencies, and unfortunately, a lot of these efficiencies have come through “better living through chemistry.”
Above: University of Wisconsin-Madison student hourlies pose, in 2021, next to a presentation they gave on “The effects of tank mixing on the efficacy of insecticides in controlling Leptinotarsa decemlineata populations on the cultivated potato in Wisconsin.” The presentation was part of their Introduction to Biology 152 course in the UW-Madison Department of Entomology.
We appreciate the value these tools bring, and we should always be looking toward sustainable and regenerative solutions. Because of this, we’re always managing resistance, as well we should be.
We have these tools, but we need to always be better stewards and learn exactly when to apply the technologies, how much, and when to back away. We should also try to learn and understand the tenants of IPM, and how to implement and exploit other non-chemical approaches whenever possible.
One emerging challenge might have to do with the question of how we can move into a world or era of using new pesticide management solutions. Some of them are already in our hands, but we don’t use them in
specialty crop agriculture.
Genetically modified crops became commonplace in row crop agriculture in the mid-1990s. The public initially had questions and concerns, but those technologies have been integrated into row crop agricultural systems for nearly 30 years.
The same cannot be said for specialty crop agriculture, where new solutions are effectively avoided due to perceptions of consumer acceptance.
One of our current challenges is science literacy. Does the consuming public fully understand all the risks (and potential gains) posed by new genetic solutions? Are there still too many unknowns associated with these solutions in specialty crops?
New solutions could minimize the use of pesticides on a scale not seen, and that could be one of the biggest advances in sustainability. How do
continued on pg. 16
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we change public perception, or change science literacy, to influence consumers and retailers on these technologies and the sustainability they could achieve?
What other practices would you like to see more potato and vegetable growers adopt? I wish there were ways we could organize ourselves on larger landscape scales to coordinate the sequence of compounds we’re using and to try to mitigate resistance on broader scales.
More specifically, it would be great if we could coordinate rotations of potato crops in ways that could really affect pests like the Colorado potato beetle.
I’m referring here to more coordinated efforts, like multi-farm participation. Some collaborative arrangements are happening in other states, and a few potato companies are starting to coordinate plantings.
These are important and interesting approaches we hope to encourage into the future, for not only insects, but also diseases.
What do you wish you had more time to do in helping area potato and vegetable growers? I just want to be more present, have a receptive ear, and better understand what the emerging issues are for that group. That’s been an important element of my professional development as a scientist and educator.
You are chairman of the WPVGA Grower Ed Planning Committee. Why is that important to you? I’m the chairperson for the WPVGA and Division of Extension Grower Education Planning Committee, but I work closely with other colleagues and base-funded researchers, all of whom are important to that meeting.
I wish to specifically recognize Dr. Amanda Gevens, a partner in planning and coordination of the meeting, and organizer of our
written and online proceedings and poster sessions. I might be the current chairperson, but I’m only one member of a group that makes the meeting happen.
The Grower Education Conference is a great way and venue for us to share information annually. I commend our predecessors and organizers of the meeting well before me.
It’s one of the meetings where we focus on science and research-based information, and with that comes a degree of objectivity in terms of research outcomes.
We receive a lot of positive feedback on this meeting. We are also incredibly lucky to have an active and strong WPVGA Associate Division that supports the meeting and our Grower Education portion. We value that relationship and try to make sure there is interaction between our groups. That’s what was planned before me, and it’s still a great model. You also sit on our Water Task Force.
Why is it essential for you to also be focused on water as it relates to your other work? I’ve always appreciated that the industry is forward thinking and forward looking. I think the Water Task Force (WTF) has been around for over a decade, so I appreciate that the industry wants to be proactive. One of its goals is to be supportive of our shared resource that underlies Central Wisconsin where we all live and work.
What are your goals for the coming years as far as entomology, outreach, and field work? One of the goals for me is to maintain good relationships between the campus, CALS (College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), and the stakeholder community. The Grower Education Conference
Above: Dr. Russell L. Groves (right) is shown after a successful pheasant hunt with Dr. Tom German, in 2014. Dr. German, who passed away in August 2023, was a UW-Madison Professor and Director of the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program.
is a good example of how we accomplish this.
Research funding is one more example of those relationships, shared responsibility and investment, and the many funded activities that take place at Agricultural Research Stations are another way of encouraging and fostering those kinds of important relationships.
UW Madison generally, and CALS specifically, intends to enhance relationships with the citizenship and agricultural communities in the State of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Idea is still a strong goal and helps to guide what we want to accomplish, and
managing those relationships is key. We’ve witnessed a lot of regionalization in our agricultural systems, and I think it’s going to continue to happen. Investment by the CALS and the Division of Extension in terms of applied agricultural solutions encourages this growth.
It’s a part of the reason why food and specifically potato production continues to be so successful in the state, and I hope that isn’t viewed as an overstatement.
The investment our industry makes in its research partners and with CALS
is very valuable and one we look forward to continuing long into the future.
Is there anything I’ve missed that you’d like to add, Russ? We all very much appreciate the WPVGA and producers in the State of Wisconsin. These are and have been very successful relationships that don’t happen everywhere in the country. We hope to maintain and grow these valuable relationships that buoy our success and impact.
It’s a great place to be and work, and a good set of relationships and people with whom to work.
“Old World Meets New” at 12th World Potato Congress
Adelaide plays host and showcases the excellence of the Australian potato sector
By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater
The reason for the “Old World Meets New” theme of the 12th World Potato Congress (WPC), June 23-26, 2024, in Adelaide, South Australia, was evident from the start during a welcoming reception held at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
After opening remarks by WPC Secretary and Convenor Nigel Crump,
and Sonia Waterson, executive officer of Potatoes Australia Ltd., as well as the welcoming of delegates and thanking of sponsors, Crump introduced Australian aboriginal descendant Robert Taylor.
Taylor entertained the receptive crowd by playing one of the world’s oldest woodwind instruments,
the didgeridoo.
“We hope you feel the blessings of our ancestors while you’re here,” Taylor said in between projecting haunting sounds from the didgeridoo, which traces its roots to Australia’s Northern Territory. “With the didgeridoo, we can mimic sounds of the brush, our animals, and 250 native languages.”
Of course, “Old World Meets New” also refers to the evolution of traditional farming into today’s modern potato production. In 2022-’23, South Australian potato production included 80 farm businesses, 545,000 tonnes of potatoes, equating to an AU$245 million farmgate value, and exports of 19,500 tonnes.
Australia’s largest export markets
Above and Left: Over 1,000 delegates representing 40 countries descended on the 12th World Potato Congress (WPC), June 23-26, 2024, in Adelaide, South Australia.
are South Korea and the Philippines, and South Australia is the largest producer of fresh, washed potatoes in the country, with 80 percent of the market share.
A THOUSAND DELEGATES
While rattling off numbers, over 1,000 delegates representing 40 countries descended on the 12th World Potato Congress in South Australia, a state that Waterson says is a world leader in renewable energy, sustainability, and adaptable and resilient agriculture.
Hosted by Potatoes Australia, the Congress was held “Down Under” for the first time in its 25-year history.
A day after the welcoming reception, sponsored by the South Australian Government’s Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), Her Excellency, the Honorable Frances Adamson, governor of South Australia, officially declared the Congress open on Monday, June 24. She also gave a few words, saying, “During my career as an Australian diplomat, I’ve been involved in free and fair trade in agriculture, including potatoes, one of the world’s largest food crops.”
“The potatoes we produce can contribute to sustainability, fighting world hunger and against global
warming,” Gov. Adamson continued. “The isolation of Kangaroo Island, Australia’s largest producer of seed potatoes, makes it an ideal location for growing clean, disease-free certified seed.”
The Congress officially got underway then with an address by World Potato Congress President Dr. Peter VanderZaag. “Potato is an important bioresource of food,” he stated. “I consider the ancient world of potato, Peru, to be a place where continued on pg. 20
Left: During a welcoming reception held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, Clare Scriven, South Australia Minister of Primary Industries, Regional Development and Forestry, described South Australia as a world leader in renewable energy, and sustainable, adaptable and resilient agriculture.
Right: Australian aboriginal descendant Robert Taylor entertained those in attendance at the WPC Opening Reception by playing one of the world’s oldest woodwind instruments, the didgeridoo. “With the didgeridoo, we can mimic sounds of the brush, our animals, and 250 native languages,” Taylor said.
people are dedicated to protecting potato varieties.”
“We held the 10th World Potato Congress in Peru and saw how the ancient potato played a role not only there, but also beyond the Andes,” VanderZaag added.
FOR ALL MANKIND
“Then we moved from the ancient world to the Old World, Ireland,” he said, “and now we ask how the global north can help the global south improve production for all of mankind, in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the world over.”
“How do we help with low yields and enable countries to improve their production potential?” VanderZaag asked. “The World Potato Congress has evolved as a networking organization designed to disseminate and share knowledge.”
VanderZaag went on to explain how May 30 became National Potato Day in Peru, how the Declaration of Dublin was adopted and implemented by the WPC, and how eventually the United Nations officially proclaimed May 30 as the
International Day of Potato.
Dr. VanderZaag said a new evolution in potatoes will involve the old and new—potato breeding at the tetraploid and diploid levels, and the discovery of how diploids can be bred on a commercial scale.
All will be achieved, he added, to help the world become more food secure through the potato and such actions as conservation of potato germplasm and tapping into indigenous knowledge.
In his Plenary Session titled “Overview of World Potato Production,” Dr. Guy Hareau, principal scientist at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru, said potato crops are currently grown on approximately 20 million hectares across the globe, and 1.3 billion people consider potato a food staple.
HIGH YIELD POTENTIAL
“Potatoes have high yield potential, adaptability in different agroecological systems, a short growing cycle, and small carbon footprint,” Dr. Hareau said. “The new biofortified potatoes that CIP introduced in Peru can provide up to
Above: Her Excellency, the Honorable Frances Adamson, governor of South Australia, officially declared the Congress open on Monday, June 24. “The potatoes we produce can contribute to sustainability, fighting world hunger and against global warming,” Gov. Adamson said.
Bottom: In his address, WPC President Dr. Peter VanderZaag described potato as an important bioresource of food and asked the audience how the global north can help the global south improve production for all of mankind, in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the world over. “How do we help with low yields and enable countries to improve their production potential?” he proposed.
50 percent of the daily recommended iron intake in areas where malnutrition is prevalent.”
Other Plenary Sessions covered “Global Trade issues and Opportunities,” “Climate Change + Food Systems,” “Marketing Potatoes to the Next Generation,” “How Does the Industry Tackle the Challenges of the Future?” “Celebrating Success in Enhancing Yield and Quality,” “Food Waste” and “Utilization of Genetic Resources.”
Expert international speakers covered areas such as disease control, potato consumption, novel seed “Old
production, the consequences of the neonicotinoids ban in Europe, nitrogen efficiency, revolutionizing agriculture with artificial intelligence, global trade, soil compaction, and tillage.
Panel discussions involved the topics of regenerative agriculture, and tetraploid and diploid potatoes. The trade show portion of the WPC provided an excellent opportunity for the potato industry to network, forge new business connections, engage with a global audience, and secure contracts.
Meeting spaces were located off the exhibition hall with catering, seating, networking and business areas, all centrally located to maximize engagement with supporting partners.
Tuesday, June 25, included presentations on storage technology, soil health, biocontrol and bio-
“Potatoes have high yield potential, adaptability in different agroecological systems, a short growing cycle, and small carbon footprint.”
– Dr. Guy Hareau,
principal scientist at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru
stimulant products, international collaboration for potato research, hyperspectral imaging, and implementation of an early warning system for preventative management of potato late blight.
One informative session was titled “Private Sector Meets Indigenous Famers: Direct Benefit Sharing as a Win-Win Model to Conserve Potato
Varietal Diversity in Peru.”
CLOSING CEREMONY
Master of Ceremonies Leith Forrest, the number one rated nighttime announcer at FIVEaa radio in Adelaide, helped conduct the Closing Ceremony on Tuesday, during which Crump gave gifts to many people involved in planning, coordinating,
Contact: Jim or John
SNOWDEN • ATLANTIC • LAMOKA MANISTEE • LADY LIBERTY
MACKINAW • PETOSKEY • BLISS
and implementing the 12 World Potato Congress.
Gdansk, Poland was officially named host of the 13th World Potato Congress, to be held in 2026, during a ceremony transferring the official WPC flag from Australia to the Polish delegation.
Old World Meets New—it’s a theme
that carried through to the iconic Adelaide Oval, built in 1871 after the establishment of the South Australian Cricket Association, where the WPC Gala Dinner took place. The Oval is home to Adelaide cricket, Australian rules football, and rugby league teams.
During the gala dinner, an award
Left: Part of a rapt WPC audience were Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Executive Director Tamas Houlihan and Mark Finnessy of Okray Family Farms (second row, third and fourth from left).
Right: Falling under the category of international friendships forged, Dick Okray (right), officially retired from Okray Family Farms of Plover, Wisconsin, poses with his longtime friend, Nathan Richardson (left), a potato farmer from Tasmania, during the 12th World Potato Congress in Adelaide, Australia. Richardson grows processing potatoes for Simplot.
ceremony was held to recognize nine remarkable individuals who have devoted their lives’ work to the potato industry. VanderZaag presented the awards during the sold-out closing gala dinner in front of more than 800 attendees assembled at the Adelaide Oval.
The nine Global Industry Award winners are Nelio Campelio, Philippines; Walter Davidson, Canada; Abd-Allah Md Dhaif-Allah, Yemen; Dr. Paul Horne, Australia; Dr. Liping Jin, China; Dr. Mohinder Singh Kadia, India; Frank Mitolo, Australia; Alan Pye, Australia; and Dengshe (Don) Wang, China.
Post-Congress tours on Wednesday included those to Kangaroo Island and the Cooper Farming seed potato
operation; Mitolo Family Farms; SARDI’s Molecular Diagnostics Centre; Cleland Wildlife Park; and to Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, Hahndorf.
The Old World met new at the 12th World Potato Congress in Adelaide, Australia, where organizers and delegates took lessons from the past to ensure a healthy landscape for the potato industry now and into the future.
continued on pg. 24
Top: The 12th World Potato Congress provided an opportunity for a global potato panel discussion, which included, from left to right, Dr. Simon Heck, Brett Fifield, Blair Richardson, Dr. Hannah Brown, Sonia Waterson, Kate Trufitt, Willie Jacobs, and Dr. Peter VanderZaag.
Middle Right: Derek Roulston, director of the Africa Potato Initiative, who grew up on an Irish seed potato farm in County Donegal, explained the transformative work of Vita, a non-governmental organization revitalizing communities in Eritrea and Ethiopia, countries in the Horn of Africa, through comprehensive initiatives. Roulston’s own pivotal role in assisting farmers struggling with poor potato yields began in the Republic of Kenya, East Africa. Roulston established one of Kenya’s first certified seed potato farms, dramatically improving local yields and laying the foundation for the Africa Potato Initiative. In 1998, he and his family moved to Kenya, dedicating themselves to improving the community’s agricultural practices. “We have a responsibility to reach out to our fellow farmers, help them along the way, and uplift their lives,” he said.
From right to left, Drs. Peter VanderZaag and Nigel Crump officially transfer the World Potato Congress flag from Australia to Tomasz Bienkowski, president of the Polish Potato Federation, during the WPC Closing Ceremony. The 13th World Potato Congress is set to take place in Gdansk, Poland, on the Baltic coast, in late June 2026.
“Old World Meets New” at 12th World Potato Congress . . .
continued from pg. 23
Mark your calendar. The 13th World Potato Congress is set to take place in Gdansk, Poland, on the Baltic coast in late June 2026, a global event that will shine a spotlight on Poland’s thriving potato industry and surrounding potato-growing regions.
Right: The Wisconsin contingent enjoyed the WPC Gala Dinner at the Adelaide Oval, built in 1871 after the establishment of the South Australian Cricket Association and home to local cricket, Australian rules football, and rugby league teams. From left to right are Shannon Finnessy, Tamas and Paula Houlihan, Dick Okray, Tricia and Joe Kertzman, Carol Okray, and Mark Finnessy.
Opposite Page: A post-Congress tour on Wednesday, June 26, included a ferry ride to Kangaroo Island and the Cooper Farming seed potato operation. Peter Cooper (shown) has been growing such varieties as Canberra, Mozart, and Sifra certified seed potatoes on the isolated island for 20 years without Potato Virus Y infecting the crop.
SOLUTIONS FOR
At Compeer Financial, we’re defined by you — your hopes for the future as well as your needs today. Our Food & Agribusiness team leverages industry expertise across the entire food value chain to provide flexible and innovative solutions that support our clients’ growth. And we’re equipped with the funding capacity to position your business for success every step of the way. As agriculture continues to evolve, so will we, together.
A Standardized Approach to Sustainability
Key takeaways from the International Sustainability Summit
By Leah Lex, sustainability manager, Volm Companies
When it comes to sustainability, progress can sometimes take two steps forward, one step back. There are many reasons for this and many competing views. However, there is widespread agreement that the important work our industry is doing must not only continue, but also accelerate.
For these reasons, the International Sustainability Summit, held on April 26 in Vancouver, British Columbia, was a critically important event. There, industry leaders met to advance discussions on a standardized approach to sustainability for the global fresh produce sector.
Volm Companies had the privilege of attending this gathering, where experts from around the world discussed sustainability challenges for our industry, shared their ideas, and voiced their concerns.
Given Volm’s ongoing efforts to
prioritize sustainable options, we took a keen interest in the summit discussions. And while some of our beliefs were reinforced at these meetings, we also learned several things.
For the benefit of the industry at large, we have summarized our key takeaways:
Sustainability is good business, and good business is sustainable. Everyone who plays a role in the fresh produce industry has a responsibility to create and execute an ambitious sustainability strategy.
To be successful, approaches should include dedicated staff, as well as tangible goals that are routinely measured.
At Volm, we continue to ensure that sustainability is a part of our core business strategy. We truly believe that sustainability must be embraced by, and embedded into, all areas
of a business and not treated as a separate task.
So far, we’ve hired dedicated personnel that focus exclusively on sustainability, developed a comprehensive Supplier Code of Conduct, published our first Corporate Social Responsibility document, created a robust supplier qualification process to ensure transparency within the supply chain, and more.
Going forward, we are committed to making more progress in establishing baseline environmental social governance metrics. Doing so will help us set additional goals, evaluate our plan, and pivot where necessary. Collaboration must trump competition, no exceptions. Making progress on sustainability is not a solo mission, but a collaborative effort where everyone in the industry must work together.
Through active collaboration with suppliers, customers, retailers, and regulatory bodies, we can help one another to meet goals, create better business practices, and ensure that our packaging meets the needs of the produce industry.
At Volm, we are at the table willing to work, and we believe in being a strong partner. We are proud to have 25 industry affiliations,
Left: Volm products like the Harvest Fresh Paper Pillow are PFAS compliant so customers have confidence in knowing the company’s packaging meets all regulatory requirements.
including the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Western Growers Association, International Fresh Produce Association and Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, to name a few.
These are important industry relationships that help us stay connected, share our learnings and foster development.
Recently, Volm created a Community Involvement page to showcase how we give back to the community and to encourage our customers and suppliers to do the same.
Going forward, we look forward to growing all our relationships so that we can have an even stronger and more collaborative network in the years ahead.
Sustainability is not a sprint, but a journey. Change is never easy, but it needs to happen in a meaningful way. For that to occur, it can’t be as
quick and easy as a light switch being flicked. Instead, it needs to happen strategically, collaboratively and continuously.
Continuous is a key word because sustainability is not a goal that you reach, complete and forget about. It’s something that needs to be consistently prioritized.
Volm Companies continues to ensure that sustainability is part of its core business strategy.
At Volm, our sustainability journey has no endpoint but is a continuous evolution. We are always striving to do better, recognizing that being transparent is key and knowing when we need to pivot.
Throughout this journey, we’ve verified that Volm products are all PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) compliant so that customers can have confidence in knowing that our packaging meets all regulatory requirements.
We’ve conducted energy audits of several of our buildings. We’ve begun to track emissions in scope 1 and 2.
To ensure all new products are designed with circularity in mind, we’ve created the Volm Innovation Center to expand our sustainable product line. We’ve also implemented a Lean training program to help reduce tangible and intangible waste.
These are just a few of the efforts we’ve taken. They, and others, will not only continue, but also be built upon in the months and years ahead.
The industry deserves a set of universal standards. A complex
maze of conflicting rules and regulations will not be of service to anyone. Packaging standards need to apply to everyone, and they need to be applicable everywhere.
To avoid confusion and make progress, governments and industry must also use the same terminology. The European Union market is learning this the hard way as they deal with a complicated
Above: Ultratech mesh is FDA approved and provides sustainability by reducing the volume and cost of mesh packaging materials without sacrificing strength, stability or performance.
set of certifications that are not standardized.
In the United States, extended producer responsibility, or EPR, will be a key piece to achieving circularity within the packaging industry. EPR is a waste and pollution management concept in which a producer’s responsibility extends to the postconsumer stage of a product’s life cycle.
Overall, this policy approach encourages companies to design more sustainable and recyclable products and manufacturing processes. Currently, this approach is piecemealed together state-by-state.
Jurisdictions that have passed EPR bills are California, Oregon, Maine, and Colorado. We are keeping our finger on the pulse to ensure we can help our customers meet the EPR requirements in these areas.
In the meantime, we need to advocate for universal standards and ensure the industry is set up for success.
Innovation doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel. That’s because the industry has already learned many valuable lessons thanks, in part, to jurisdictions that have paved the way.
New Zealand, for example, has been a pioneer. The industry there has had success aligning produce supply chain practices with United Nations sustainability development goals. Of the many lessons learned, New Zealand has shown us the value in having a solid structure to guide progress.
Another reality that continues to be reinforced through learned experience is that packaging performs a critical function. As the industry continues to innovate, we need to be mindful that food waste is an ongoing concern. All decisionmakers must keep this factor in mind as we plot our path forward. All of these are helpful takeaways,
“We need to advocate for universal standards and ensure the industry is set up for success.”
but how does any of this translate into action? A summit report and Fresh Produce Sustainability Charter will be created to promote the importance of sustainability, advocate for support, accelerate the adoption of actions and achieve meaningful change.
As a result, the industry will be better positioned to move forward in a more cohesive manner.
In the meantime, critical change is continuing to happen at the individual business level. At Volm,
Next level nutrition is here.
we take tremendous pride in doing our part. In fact, we continue to accelerate progress toward our goals so that we continue to be an industry leader.
All of this is important work, but it’s also only the beginning. As we continue to make more and more progress, it’s critical that we keep our learnings in mind so that we stay on track. After all, making change is not only about working hard, but also working together.
Most nutrition programs kind of look the same—until they don’t. If you take a closer look at NutriSync products, you’ll see a proprietary nutrient transport technology like nothing else on the market. NutriSync brand micronutrients contain a naturally occurring carbohydrate that moves nutrients through the vascular tissue to the growing points where they are needed most.
Seed Piece
Spotty Rain Couldn’t Stop the Spud Seed Classic
Ag industry arrived in full force to Bass Lake Golf Course for annual fundraiser
By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater
With rain showers on and off most of the day, the 2024 Spud Seed Classic golf tournament, June 21, at Bass Lake Golf Course in Deerbrook, Wisconsin, was not unlike the growing season in Wisconsin this year. Yet, the turnout and fundraising event were equally fantastic.
A full 40 teams of four golfers each (some with three) turned out to hit the links and enjoy the gamesmanship, camaraderie, side games, drawings and delicious food and drinks.
A successful annual fundraiser put on by the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association (WSPIA), the Spud Seed Classic raises money toward research and research station needs, as well as promotion of the state’s certified seed potato program and industry.
Experiencing incredible support each year, potato and vegetable growers, associated businesses, ag industry
associations, university researchers and guests attend the annual golf tournament, dinner, and awards ceremony.
Timed after planting in most local areas is complete, the golf outing serves as a way for growers and industry professionals to unwind, relax, and have fun golfing with friends and industry peers.
The event was a resounding success, and thanks to the generosity of tournament sponsors, the 2024 Spud Seed Classic raised $25,300, equating to $1,700 more than last year.
Since 1998, the fundraiser, previously
Left: Finishing in first place at the 2024 Spud Seed Classic scramble-style golf tournament, with a score of 57, are, from left to right, Nate Riemer, Justin Riemer, Mike Quinn, and Dustin Quinn.
Right: Rain couldn’t dampen the 2024 Spud Seed Classic, with 40 teams of four players each (some teams with three) showing up to compete and have fun during the annual fundraising event.
known as the Tony Gallenberg Memorial Golf Tournament, has raised well over $190,000, with proceeds invested directly back into the industry.
2024 SPUD SEED SPONSORS
The 2024 Spud Seed Classic sponsors are Ag Logistics, Inc.; AgCountry Farm Credit Services; Big Iron Equipment, Inc.; Bushman’s Riverside Ranch; Cropping Central LLC & Pioneer Seed; Eagle River Seed Farm LLC; Hyland Lakes Spuds; Insight FS; IState Truck Centers; J.W. Mattek & Sons, Inc.; Kretz Truck Brokerage LLC; Nichino America, Inc.; Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company; Nutrien Ag Solutions-Great Lakes; Sand County Equipment; Schroeder Bros. Farms, Inc.; Sommer, Olk & Payant SC; Swiderski Equipment, Inc.; Syngenta; TriEst Ag Group; Volm Companies; and WSPIA.
Representatives from occupied hole sponsors CoVantage Credit Union,
Express Employment Professionals, Langlade Ford, M3 Insurance, Riesterer & Schnell, Inc., Roberts Irrigation, Vista Financial Strategies, and WSPIA were on hand to hand out prizes, gift packages, beverages, and swag.
More than 20 additional companies sponsored but did not occupy holes and another 15 made monetary and raffle prize donations to the event.
See the full-page Spud Seed Classic “Thank You” ad in this issue.
Pam Jansen and the staff at Bass Lake Golf Course prepared a delicious dinner buffet followed by the WSPIA Spud Seed Classic Awards Ceremony, during which top golfers and raffle prize winners were announced.
Josh Schmidt of AgCountry Farm Credit Services took home a 65-inch
Left: Landing second place in a scorecard playoff during the Spud Seed Classic scramble, with a score of 59, was the Bushmans’ Inc. team, including, from left to right, Zack Koskey, Nic Bushman, Chris Lockery, and Zach Vesters.
Right: Brook Brown of Express Employment Professionals, which occupied a hole at the 2024 Spud Seed Classic, stands by a car with full company logo emblazoned across the side.
continued on pg. 32
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LG UHD (Ultra-High Definition) TV donated by Arlen’s TV & Appliances, and Jeremy Weber won the Stihl chainsaw donated by Fuller Sales & Service.
More than 15 prizes were awarded for such feats as longest putt at a certain hole, shortest drive at another or closest to the cart path at a third. For being closest to the pin on the par-3 eighth Tony Gallenberg Hole, Blake Frederick of Mt. Morris
Mutual Insurance Company pocketed a cool $500.
Appreciation goes out to Jansen and Jim Pukall of Bass Lake Golf Course, and Karen Rasmussen and Julie Braun of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association for planning and executing an important fundraising golf outing.
With the surprising turnout and generosity of golfers and sponsors on a rainy day, the industry can
Left: With awards for 1st, 2nd, 7th, and last place, taking 7th in the Spud Seed Classic is never a bad thing, here accomplished by the Nutrien Ag Solutions team, with a score of 60 on a scorecard playoff, including, from left to right, James Reynolds, Tyler Knutson, Rene Sarasin, and Jay Sargent.
Right: Marty Wilfert hands out potato chips and chip clips at the Riesterer & Schnell occupied hole during the Spud Seed Classic.
confidently look forward to the Spud Seed Classic being back at Bass Lake Golf Course in 2025.
From left to right, Jarod Cieslewicz, Cody Bandoch, Brion Hackbarth, and Max Wagner had fun at the Spud Seed Classic.
Playing Kan Jam pickleball with golfers and handing out giveaways at the M3 Insurance occupied hole are, from left to right, Nate Pezewski, Jen Cordy, and Makenzie Loveland.
Above: Marc Stalter of Bushman & Associates won the Milwaukee M18 Compact 2-Tool Combo Kit raffle prize donated by the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association.
Above Right: Landing in last place with a score of 87 couldn’t kill the great attitudes of the Insight FS team, including, from left to right, Eugene Peters, Kyle Mork, Ethan Schreiber, and Shawn Depies.
Bottom: From left to right at the Roberts Irrigation occupied hole are Jason Hutkowski, Collin Bays, Ryan Fassbender, Jeff Fassbender, and Aaron Kakes. Collin served drinks at the Roberts Irrigation hole, in this case to Jason, Ryan, Jeff and Aaron who were golfing as a team.
continued on pg. 34
Josh Schmidt of AgCountry Farm Credit Services won the 65-inch LG UHD (UltraHigh Definition) TV donated by Arlen’s TV & Appliances.
When you need goods or services, please consider asking our Associate Division Members for quotes or explore what they have to offer. Together, we make a strong organization and appreciate how wonderful we are as a group.
Above: Lindsey Mueller and Kaitlin Schlundt of CoVantage Credit Union handed out giveaways in the clubhouse due to the rain.
Right: Jeremy Weber demonstrates how to use the Stihl chainsaw that he won as a raffle prize donated by Fuller Sales & Service.
Representing Team Volm Companies at the Spud Seed Classic are, from left to right, Andy Duff, Bob Hilger, Ben Bogaczyk, and Tammy Reepsdorf.
Badger Beat
Maximum Return to Nitrogen Approach for Potatoes
Potato growers in the Wisconsin Central Sands continue to work to improve nitrogen use efficiency
By Paul Mitchell, Yi Wang, and Matt Ruark, University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison
Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for crop production, yet agriculture around the world struggles with nitrogen pollution of surface water and groundwater. Wisconsin’s Central Sands are no exception, with groundwater nitrate concentrations in many of the region’s wells regularly exceeding federal drinking water standards.
Potato growers in the region continue to work to improve their nitrogen use efficiency, especially in recent years with record high nitrogen fertilizer prices.
Twenty years ago, extension faculty at several midwestern land grants (including the University of Wisconsin) published a unified approach for making nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for corn in their states—the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) approach (https:// www.cornnratecalc.org/).
The MRTN approach uses the price of corn and nitrogen fertilizer and a quadratic yield function to make nitrogen recommendations assuming farmers want to maximize returns to nitrogen fertilizer.
The quadratic yield function is estimated based on nitrogen yield trial data from field experiments conducted in each state, which can be updated with data for newer hybrids and production practices. Also, MRTN recommendations
respond intuitively to price changes. Recommended rates increase as the price of corn increases and as the price of fertilizer decreases.
The MRTN approach is not without its weaknesses. It uses an average yield function, not one specific to each farm or field, and it accounts for risk or yield variability in an ad hoc manner. Nevertheless, the economic foundation was a major conceptual advance over agronomic approaches that based recommendations solely on expected yields.
Table 1. Tuber size categories and marketing year average wholesale potato pricing schedules 2015 and 2019
Badger Beat . . .
continued from pg. 35
MRTN APPROACH FOR POTATOES
Building on our previous research and using seed funding provided by the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), we have been working on developing the conceptual foundations for an MRTN approach for potatoes.
Two advances were needed to adapt the MRTN approach to potato. First, potatoes are priced based on size. For example, Table 1 reports U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) average wholesale prices by size for fresh russets shipped from Central Wisconsin for the 2015 and 2019 marketing years.
Table 1 shows that the value of potatoes harvested per acre depends on the weight within and the price for each size category, not just total harvested yield.
To accurately reflect this market reality, an MRTN approach for potatoes must account for the sizebased pricing schedules used for potatoes, as well as the tuber size distribution and how the nitrogen application rate affects
this distribution.
Second, optical sorting technologies have advanced so that most potato research trials use automatic graders to measure the weight and size dimensions of each individual tuber harvested from a plot. Previously, harvested tubers from a plot were sorted (often by hand) into different size categories and the total weight for each category recorded.
To accurately reflect current practices, an MRTN approach should use the individual tuber data to estimate the size distribution, not aggregate the individual data into the total weight in different size categories, which represents a loss of information.
TUBER SIZE DISTRIBUTION
Drs. Yi Wang and Matt Ruark had data from nitrogen yield trials they conducted at UW-Madison’s Hancock Agricultural Research Station (HARS).
Dr. Wang’s trials were conducted in 2018, 2019, and 2020 for two varieties (Silverton and Lakeview Russet) with five nitrogen rates.
Dr. Ruark’s trials were conducted in 2015, 2016, and 2017 for one variety (Goldrush) with seven nitrogen rates. All trials had four replicates for each treatment. All plots included 40 lbs./acre of nitrogen as starter and applied different amounts of additional nitrogen later in the season as treatments.
The data were used to estimate the statistical distribution describing
Figure 1. Observed and estimated tuber size distribution for the 2018 Silverton data with 300 lbs./acre of nitrogen applied (red bars denote standard tuber size categories as labelled).
Table 1: Tuber size categories and marketing year average wholesale potato pricing schedules in Central Wisconsin for 2015 and 2019
Figure 1: Observed and estimated tuber size distribution for the 2018 Silverton data with 300 lbs./acre of nitrogen applied (red bars denote standard tuber size categories as labelled).
the tuber size distribution, with parameters estimated as functions of the nitrogen application rate. Several distributions were evaluated, and the best fit based on a variety of criteria was the gamma distribution.
Figure 1 shows the observed distribution of individual tuber sizes (brown bars) and the estimated gamma distribution (black line) for one trial (Silverton in 2018 with 300 lbs./acre of additional nitrogen). The horizonal axis is tuber size in grams with red bars denoting standard tuber size categories.
The distribution shows a few small tubers, many average sized tubers in the middle, and a long upper tail of a few larger tubers that slowly diminishes.
POTATO NITROGEN TRIALS
the nitrogen implies stretching the distribution to the right and spreading it out more, with the peak decreasing. As the distribution stretches and shifts with the changing nitrogen rate, the share of tubers in the different size categories changes as well.
Figure 2 uses the size distribution functions estimated for Silverton in 2020 to show how the projected share of tubers in each size category changes as the nitrogen rate goes from no added nitrogen to 500 kilograms (kg.)/hectare (almost 450 lbs./acre).
Across all nitrogen rates, the largest share of tubers is in the 1.5-to-6ounce (oz.) category, with the share of this category declining as the nitrogen rate increases.
the share of larger tubers to decline is that the share of small tubers (< 1.5 oz.) begins to increase at nitrogen rates above about 300 kg./hectare, but these tubers are generally not marketable (Table 1).
ECONOMIC MODEL
Rather than give the complicated equation, we only describe the economic model. The economic model uses the shares like those illustrated in Figure 2 and the price schedules like those in Table 1 to derive the optimal nitrogen rate.
What typically occurs in potato nitrogen trials is that at low nitrogen rates, most tubers tend to be smaller, though a few larger ones appear. As the nitrogen rate increases, the average tuber size and the range of tuber sizes increases as more and more of the tubers are larger and some very large ones grow.
As Table 1 shows, this is also the marketable size category that receives the lowest price. The next largest share is the 6-10-oz. category, which increases as the nitrogen rate increases up to rates of about 300 kg./hectare (about 270 lbs./acre).
The model balances increased returns from larger, more valuable tubers against increasing shares of unmarketable tubers that are too small (< 1.5 oz.) or too large (> 20 oz.). The model also accounts for the cost of nitrogen and uses a function for how the total harvested yield responds to applied nitrogen.
Figure 1. Observed and estimated tuber size distribution for the 2018 Silverton data with 300 lbs./acre of nitrogen applied (red bars denote standard tuber size categories as labelled).
In terms of Figure 1, increasing
The share of larger tubers (> 10 oz.) also increases in the nitrogen rate up to about this same rate. What causes
Overall, the MRTN economic model for potatoes is structurally the same as for corn. Farmer returns per acre are the potato price multiplied by yield per acre, minus the price of fertilizer, multiplied by the pounds of nitrogen applied per acre.
Figure 2: Illustration of how the nitrogen rate impacts the estimated share of tubers for each size category for the 2020 Silverton data.
Figure 2. Illustration of how the nitrogen rate impacts the estimated share of tubers for each size category for the Silverton data.
Figure 3. Illustration of projected farmer returns to additional nitrogen for the 2015 Goldrush data with the high pricing schedule and a low nitrogen price.
However, unlike corn, the potato price depends on the nitrogen rate through its effect on the tuber size distribution. The potato price is the
sum of the share of potatoes in each size category as determined in Figure 2 multiplied by the price of each size category in Table 1.
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Figure 3: Illustration of projected farmer returns to additional nitrogen for the 2015 Goldrush data with the high potato pricing schedule and a low nitrogen price.
Calculating the average price in this manner gives a size-weighted average. Prices for those categories with larger shares are more heavily weighted when calculating the average.
The yield per acre is calculated by multiplying the average tuber size from the estimated tuber size distribution (which depends on the nitrogen rate) by the number of tubers per acre (which also depends on the nitrogen rate). Thus, both price and yield, and so farmer returns, depend on the applied nitrogen rate.
for each variety and year combination for the four potato-nitrogen price scenarios.
Figure 3 illustrates what the estimated farmer returns curve looks like for one example—the Goldrush trial from 2015—with the high potato price schedule from 2019 in Table 1 and a low nitrogen price of $0.50/lb.
Farmer returns initially increase as more nitrogen is added (on top pf the 40 lbs./acre of starter). Eventually returns peak and begin to decline
because the rate of increase in total yield begins to slow, and the shares of unmarketable tubers that are too small or too large increase.
For the case illustrated in Figure 3, the recommended rate of additional nitrogen is 186 lbs./acre, for a total rate of 226 lbs./acre once the 40 lbs./ acre of starter is included.
MRTN RECOMMENDED RATES
This process was repeated using the parameters for all nine variety-year combinations. In addition, the low and high potato price schedules in Table 1 were used (denoted Lo P and Hi P), as they covered the range of marketing year average wholesale potato prices from 2015 to 2020 for Central Wisconsin.
Two nitrogen prices were used—a low nitrogen price of $0.50/lb. and a high price of $1.00/lb. to capture the recent range (denoted Lo N and Hi N). These give four price scenarios for each of the nine variety-year combinations.
Figure 4 reports the MRTN recommended rates of additional nitrogen for these 36 combinations. These do not include the 40 lbs./ acre of starter. These results show far more sensitivity to variety and year than to potato or nitrogen prices.
Also, recommended rates are generally lower for Goldrush and
show more sensitivity to year effects for both Lakeview Russet and Silverton. In addition, once the 40 lbs./acre of starter is added, recommended rates do not differ much for the current UW recommended maximum rate of 250 lbs./acre.
These results suggest an MRTN approach that accounts for effects of nitrogen on the tuber size profile may be possible for potatoes, but it should also account for the potato variety.
PROMISING RESULTS
These results seem promising, but several caveats apply. Just like the MRTN approach for corn, the approach does not account for risk. Also, it is unclear how to average across years.
The recommended rates in Figure 4 can vary substantially across years, even for the same variety. In addition, practices such as the planting density impact the tuber size distribution, and so the recommended nitrogen rate should account for the planting density.
Nevertheless, the approach seems promising. For example, the estimation process is sufficiently flexible that it can estimate the tuber size distribution as a function of both the additional nitrogen and the planting density (or other inputs and practices).
It can also estimate the distribution tuber diameters jointly with the tuber size distribution, which will be important for chipping varieties. Much research remains to be done to refine and adapt the process, but we seem to be on the verge of a new approach to potato input management that can account for not only total yield, but also tuber size and diameter.
Figure 3. Illustration of projected farmer returns to additional nitrogen for the 2015 Goldrush data with the high potato pricing schedule and a low nitrogen price.
Figure 4. MRTN recommended rates for each variety and year combination for the four potato-nitrogen price scenarios.
Figure 4: MRTN recommended rates for each variety and year combination for the four potato-nitrogen price scenarios.
WPIB Focus
Election Results are in for 2024-’25 Wisconsin
Potato Industry Board
Out-going board member John Bobek recognized for many years of dedicated service
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has certified the 2024 Wisconsin Potato Industry Board (WPIB) election results.
As of July 1, 2024, the following producers began a three-year term as elected WPIB members:
Above: The 2024-’25 Wisconsin Potato Industry Board (WPIB) members are, from left to right, Keith Wolter (treasurer), Tom Wild, Eric Schroeder, Andy Diercks (vice president), Nicola Carey (secretary), John Fenske, and Jim Okray. Inset are Heidi Alsum-Randall (president) and Rod Gumz.
Includes Marathon, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, and Waushara counties.
District 3: Roderick Gumz, Endeavor
District 3 includes Adams, Buffalo, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane,
Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago, and Wood counties.
The WPIB is composed of nine producers in three districts across the state, with one at-large member elected every third year.
Schroeder and Okray were reelected to three-year terms. Gumz was also elected to a three-year term and replaces John Bobek, who served for many years and decided it was time to step down and let someone else represent District 3.
The rest of the WPIB members are
Heidi Alsum-Randall (president); Andy Diercks (vice president); Nicola Carey (secretary); Keith Wolter (treasurer); and John Fenske and Jim Okray (directors).
The Board oversees the collection and use of approximately $2 million in assessment fees paid by Wisconsin potato growers.
This funding is used to support the potato industry through research, education, and promotion of Wisconsin-grown potatoes.
DATCP administers elections for Wisconsin commodity marketing boards. To learn more about market order boards, visit https:// datcp.wi.gov/Pages/About_Us/ MarketingBoards.aspx.
John Bobek was honored with a plaque, July 11, for many years of distinguished service on the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board. Roderick Gumz was consequently elected to the Board to represent District 3.
WPVGA Approves Potato Research Projects
Base funding and competitive grants for 2024-’25 add up to nearly $370,000
BASE FUNDING PROPOSALS: (BFP)
Project Leader
Babler, Brooke
Colquhoun, Jed
Endelman, Jeffrey
Gevens, Amanda
Groves, Russell
Ruark, Matthew
Wang, Yi
Franc, Niles
Title
BFP: Seed Certification $25,000
BFP: Weed Management
BFP: Potato Breeding
BFP: Disease Management
BFP: Insect Management
BFP: Fertility Management
BFP: Potato & Vegetable Production
$10,000
$15,000 Funded by Water Task Force
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
$25,000
BFP: Langlade County Potato Research Station Support $15,000 Total Base Funded Proposals $190,000
COMPETITIVE GRANT PROPOSALS:
Project Leader
Endelman, Jeffrey
Gevens, Amanda
Title
Genomic Prediction of Potato Common Scab $14,943
Investigating Crop Protectants & Alternative Strategies to Manage Diseases in Potatoes in Production & Storage Systems
Groves, Russell Insect Management Systems for Potato Production
Hall, Steven
Lankau, Richard
Testing a "Liquid Cover Crop" to Decrease Nitrate Leaching from Potato Fields
Investigating Best Management Practices to Enhance Native Suppressive Ability of Soil Microbiomes Against Verticillium Dahliae
$15,000
$15,000
$14,999 Funded by Water Task Force
$14,542
Popova, Inna Mustard Biopesticides - A Critical Tool for Pest Control and Soil Health $15,000
Rakotondrafara, Aurelie Biological Control of Fungal Pathogens with Hypovirulence $15,000
Schoville, Sean
Walker, Amber
Wang, Yi
Wang, Yi
Bolte, Chuck
Spatiotemporal Modeling of Insecticide Resistance in Colorado Potato Beetle $15,000
Tuber Quality & Storability Profile of Elite Potato Varieties Grown in a Low Nitrogen Environment & Processing Chip Potato Cultivars
Testing Elite Potato Varieties in a Low Nitrogen Environment
$10,700
$3,800 from Chip Cmte.
$15,000 Funded by Water Task Force
Applying Autonomous and Continuous Drone Operations to Potato and Vegetable Crops Production $15,000
Water Flow & Phosphorus Monitoring in the Antigo Flats Potato & Vegetable Production Area $15,000
Total Competitive Proposals $178,984 TOTAL RESEARCH PROJECT FUNDING $368,984
Marketplace
By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions and Consumer Education
Wisconsin Potatoes Prove Appealing at Madison Race
WPVGA Promotions Committee sponsors and attends Run Madtown Half Marathon
Madison is one of those cities that always seems to have something going on. Between being a college town, having popular lakes accessible to the public and holding regular community events, there is seldom a dull moment.
Memorial Day weekend was no exception. May 25 and 26 were the official dates of the Run Madtown Half Marathon event. More than 3,500 participants and 7,500 spectators were expected this year to join in the fun between a Twilight 5K that took place on Saturday night and the choice between a 10K or half marathon on Sunday morning.
Some athletes even went the extra mile and participated in the Saturday night race and one of the two on Sunday morning! Regardless, each race started and ended right on
the University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison campus, namely, Library Mall.
The routes of each race were breathtaking, featuring well-known attractions like Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, the Capitol Building, Camp Randall Stadium and The University of Wisconsin Arboretum. A post-race party was also offered following the events on both days where everyone could continue celebrations.
Wisconsin potatoes was a proud sponsor this year, providing banners at the finish line, emails to participants about how potatoes can fuel performance, and the ability to participate in an online “Wisconsin potato recipe contest.”
The recipe contest submissions were narrowed down to “Sloppy Joe Tater
Above: Wisconsin’s 76th Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow (right) joins WPVGA’s Spudmobile Education and Outreach Administrator George Neuber for the Run Madtown Half Marathon on Sunday, May 26.
Below: Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow speaks with a visitor to the Wisconsin Spudmobile during the Run Madtown Half Marathon event at Library Mall on the UW-Madison campus.
Tot Casserole,” “French Onion CrockPot Roast,” “Mediterranean Potato Salad,” and the simply described, “Potato Soup.” The winning recipe? Potato Soup, which was submitted by Jenn Ingersoll.
Overall, the contest was a great way to reach people while they were training and get them thinking about how a whole food and vegetable like Wisconsin potatoes can provide them with energy they need to run a race.
CALL TO ACTION
On the weekend of the race, runners were hit with the Wisconsin potatoes message once again as they saw the Spudmobile parked on Library Mall, Sunday, May 26, near the finish line and where everyone was gathering for the post-race party.
When they arrived at the Spudmobile, who did they meet, but Wisconsin’s own Alice in Dairyland?!
It was such a great way to connect with consumers in a more urban area, and especially, our state capital. It was also a great way to connect consumers to Wisconsin agriculture and the origins of their food.
Furthermore, the effort helps achieve strategies and objectives in the WPVGA Promotions Committee’s approved strategic plan.
The WPVGA Promotions Committee and Wisconsin potatoes plan on being a part of the Run Madtown Half Marathon again in 2025 and
Above Left: Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow attended the Run Madtown Half Marathon event on behalf of her partnership with Wisconsin potatoes.
Above Right: Runners prepare at the start of the Run Madtown Half Marathon on Sunday, May 26, in Madison.
will also be participating in the November 2024 Madison Marathon. The two races will replace the typical lineup of Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes events to which so many have become accustomed.
A big reason for this is to reach more
people in urban areas who tend to be further removed from agriculture.
Interested in taking part in one of the races? WPVGA will cover your registration fee to participate in these events, so keep an eye out for emails and registration deadlines.
Left: Two race participants pose with Wisconsin’s 76th Alice in Dairyland Ashley Hagenow at the Run Madtown Half Marathon event.
Right: The Spudmobile was a popular place to visit at the Run Madtown Half Marathon.
Potatoes USA News
Potatoes USA SpudLab Hosts “Tuber U”
Seven registered dieticians who are also social media influencers attended
On June 10, the Potatoes USA SpudLab hosted Tuber U for seven registered dieticians who are also social media influencers. While learning about potato nutrition and preparation techniques, they posted photos and videos from their day to their 5.4 million social media followers!
In addition, eight national restaurant brands sent their heads of culinary to the SpudLab in June for a culinary immersion session, a program aimed at expanding their potato knowledge and helping them menu more potatoes in more ways.
RIght: Chef R.J. Harvey, director of culinary for Potatoes USA, poses at left in both images, at right with seven registered dieticians who attended “Tuber U” on June 10, and in the above photo alongside heads of culinary from eight national restaurant brands who were attending a culinary immersion session at the SpudLab.
IGA Partnership Aims to Increase Potato Sales
Targeted strategies will be implemented to drive demand and elevate the category
A new partnership between Potatoes USA and the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has been finalized to help independent grocers capitalize on America’s favorite vegetable with best-in-class resources, shopper insights and potato merchandising best practices.
Why it matters: Potatoes are a key grocery basket-builder. Grocery stores bring in an average $90.50 per basket with potatoes versus $47.47 without the vegetable, according to an Information Resources Inc. (IRI) product affinity study. Potatoes also account for over 10% of all vegetable sales.
With 80% of Americans reaching for potatoes weekly at the store, grocers can grow baskets by featuring the popular produce
in their summer marketing.
IGA is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of over $43 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 6,300 stores globally, with operations in 46 U.S. states and more than 25 countries.
Through the partnership, targeted strategies will be implemented to elevate the potato category, driving demand and increasing sales in grocery outlets. At the same time, independent grocers can use key marketing resources to better meet consumer needs and preferences.
Ensure your irrigation equipment will be ready for the growing season and avoid mid-season breakdowns. Valley® Preventative Maintenance goes beyond Valley machines as we can maintain all pivot brands and provide drive train, electrical, control panel and sprinkler upgrades.
running
Eyes on Associates
By WPVGA Associate Div. President Matt Selenske, Allied Coop’s Pest Pros Division
Hello, everyone. What a year full of challenges this has been. I was visiting with one of my growers who commented that he loves raising crops, but sometimes it’s difficult to keep that passion up when he must work with fields that look less than stellar.
The constant need to do something to help the situation is made more difficult by knowing that your efforts can only take you so far.
On July 11, the Hancock Agricultural Research Station hosted its annual
Field Day. Afterwards, there was a social hour and a meal, consisting of grilled chicken, potato salad, and sweet corn (donated by our friends at Flyte Family Farms), cooked by our very own Associate Division Board member Brady Patoka, of Jay-Mar, Inc., and his crew.
I arrived after the wagon tours to research fields had wrapped up and had a chance to visit with one of the growers during the social hour. He had not attended a field day in many years, but he was impressed by the plot work that was being done.
As we were visiting, I introduced him to some of the chemical company representatives that were in attendance. At some point, the conversation turned to the crop protection products they sell, and it was good to hear the grower ask questions and use the reps as a resource.
We had dinner with a few of the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension researchers, and he was engaged in the conversations taking place that included Colorado potato beetle control, nitrogen optimization projects, and how to tell the difference between Phytophthora infestans and Phytophthora nicotianae. He was even subjected to some of Dr. Russ Groves’ bad jokes, and still stuck around.
At the end of the day, I believe the grower felt the experience was worthwhile and informative, and I am glad he took the time to attend. I think it is important for growers to know they have access to resources through the Extension researchers and chemical company reps. It was another successful field day.
Until next time.
Matt Selenske
WPVGA Associate Division President
After wagon tours to research plots during the Hancock Agricultural Research Station Field Day, July 11, Brady Patoka of Jay Mar, Inc. and his fellow members on the WPVGA Associate Division Board grilled chicken, and sweet corn, serving it with potato salad and all the fixings to attendees.
Now News
JH Biotech Celebrates Anniversary by Launching Nonprofit
International Prevention Agriculture Institute advocates for a healthier ecosystem
To mark its anniversary, JH Biotech, Inc. has announced the launch of the International Prevention Agriculture Institute (IPAI). This nonprofit organization aims to raise global awareness of land degradation, advocate for sustainable agricultural development, and ensure long-term food security by fostering a healthier ecosystem.
According to the United Nations, we lose 24 billion tons of fertile soil annually due to unsustainable agricultural practices. Through the IPAI, JH Biotech aims to educate farmers, growers, and the entire agricultural community about innovative prevention strategies and sustainable agricultural solutions.
Dr. John Hsu, president and founder of JH Biotech and the IPAI, states, “Prevention is the key to agricultural sustainability. We are committed to prevention agriculture to ensure clean and safe food without compromising the environment.”
“Prevention before correction” is the cornerstone of the IPAI philosophy. Through extensive research, field trials, and partnerships with universities and other companies, the IPAI delivers best practices, including programs for Integrated Crop Management, Integrated Pest Management, and Integrated Health Management.
The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that by 2050, food production must increase by 70% to meet the demands of a growing global population. While we need more food, it cannot come at the expense of the environment. IPAI’s initiatives are crucial to achieving this goal sustainably.
Dr. Hsu continues, “The sustainability and resilience of agriculture are paramount. We are proud to announce our new nonprofit organization dedicated to prevention agriculture. These programs play a key role in achieving sustainable agriculture, which is a critical issue. We are committed to making realworld changes.”
For more information, contact JH Biotech, Inc., 805-650-8933, info@jhbiotech.com, https:// jhbiotech.com. To learn more about the International Prevention Agriculture Institute visit https:// preventionagriculture.com.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Acquires Biocontrol Assets
New technology expected to introduce chlorin-based photosensitizer to market
Nutrien Ag Solutions announces the acquisition of Suncor Energy’s AgroScience assets, which consist of several patented and patent-pending technologies in the biocontrol arena. The acquisition is aligned with Nutrien Ag Solutions’ strategy to invest in novel, patented, and effective biocontrol technologies through its Loveland Products business.
The proprietary technology for use in the global agriculture industry aims to offer a new mode of action, plus advantages in resistance management.
Categorized as a biocontrol tool, research and field-trial data show the technology as having marketcompeting potential in delivering efficacy, stability, and economic value comparable to traditional synthetic crop protection inputs.
“We’re excited to further develop this new technology, which is expected to help accelerate Loveland Products’ efforts in delivering a broader range of solutions that aim to help maximize yields,” says Casey McDaniel, vice president of Loveland Products.
“As the biocontrol market grows, we believe farmers will increasingly demand bio-based solutions that work within existing management practices,” he explains, “to achieve bottom-line benefits in yield and efficiency and support efforts to improve sustainability.”
“We believe that biologicals are
important next-step tools for elevating the potential in every field,” McDaniel adds. “In the coming months and years, we aim to bring more of these types of offerings to market under the Loveland brand or partner brands for farmers of all scales and in all geographies.”
The new chlorin-based photosensitizer formulations are expected to launch in certain global markets by 2025. Product submissions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are anticipated by 2026. Nutrien Ag Solutions plans to market these products as part of the Loveland Products portfolio.
USDA Expands Funds for Specialty Crop Growers
Opportunities help offset on-farm food safety expenses for 2024 and 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program to now include medium-sized (less than $1 million in sales) businesses in addition to small businesses.
Eligible specialty crop growers can apply for assistance for expenses
related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification. The program has also been expanded to include assistance for 2024 and 2025 expenses.
Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2024 expenses through Jan. 31, 2025. For program year 2025, the application period
will be Jan. 1, 2025, through Jan. 31, 2026.
For more information, visit https:// www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/newsreleases/2024/usda-expands-fundingopportunities-for-specialty-cropgrowers-to-help-offset-on-farm-foodsafety-expenses-for-2024-and-2025.
John Deere Announces Nearly 600 Layoffs
Company reports more than a
Deere & Co. is laying off nearly 600 workers as the farm equipment manufacturer deals with declining demand.
Deere confirmed, July 1, that the production positions being cut are concentrated at two factories in Iowa and one at its home base in Moline, Illinois, where 280 employees will be laid off effective Aug. 30. A combined 310 workers will be let go at the Iowa locations.
In its second-quarter earnings release in May, Deere reported a more than 15% decline in revenue, the third straight quarter of year-over-year sales declines. Company executives said at the time that they expected further sales declines in the second half of the fiscal year and said it would continue to “take proactive steps to reduce production and inventory.”
Deere & Co. turned in a quarterly profit of $2.37 billion, down from $2.86 billion in the same period the previous year, and lowered its fullyear 2024 profit forecast for a second time as farmers continued to buy fewer tractors and other equipment due to declining prices for their crops.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates that 2024 net farm income, which is a broad measure of profits, will total $116.1 billion. That’s down 25.5% from a year earlier. Adjusting for inflation, net farm income is expected to be down 27.1% this year as farmers contend with lower prices for soybeans and corn.
The USDA said that lower direct government payments and increased production costs are also weighing on farmers.
The most recent layoffs amount to about 14% of the more than 4,000 production and maintenance jobs at the three facilities. Deere employs
more than 80,000 people worldwide. Deere shares are down about 7.5% since the beginning of 2024.
Early in June, Deere announced that it was moving its skid steer and track loader manufacturing from a facility in Dubuque, Iowa, to Mexico by the end of 2026. The company said that it was in the process of acquiring land in Ramos, Mexico to build a new factory.
At the same time, Deere informed some workers at its seeding and cylinder operations in Moline that over 120 production employees would be placed on indefinite layoff effective June 28.
3R-Gene Potato Proves Resistant to Late Blight
Multiple global field trials show potential to combat billion-dollar disease
By Janet Fierro and Dave Douches
The 3R-gene potato under development by the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership has shown impressive resistance to late blight during multiple field trials conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
The 3R-gene potato under development by the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership has shown impressive resistance to late blight during multiple field trials
conducted in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.
Six varieties of the late blight resistant (LBR) potato have been developed with the insertion
Above: Recent Kenya field trials demonstrated the difference between a non-transgenic line (left) alongside the 3R-gene potato (right) when facing late blight. (Photo courtesy of Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership)
of a three-gene stack of resistance genes taken from wild potato species.
“There are hundreds of resistance genes in wild potato,” explains Dave Douches, project director and head of the potato breeding and genetics program at Michigan State University (MSU). “Our project works with two different 3R-gene stacks, and we are confident both will provide durable resistance to potato’s biggest threat, late blight.”
The project, which is led by MSU, has developed the LBR potato in Diamant and Granola varieties. Simplot Plant Sciences, based in Boise, Idaho, provided the 3R-gene construct and led events at MSU for further analysis and research before they were imported into Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nigeria.
The other 3R-gene construct was
Wahida Akter (middle), Bangladesh’s secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, and project director Dave Douches (second from right) view the 3R-gene late blight resistance trial in Rangpur, Bangladesh. (Photo courtesy of Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership)
developed in Kenya by project partner the International Potato Center (CIP). Several varieties have been transformed, including Victoria/ Asante, Tigoni, Desiree, and Shangi. Field trials in both Kenya and Nigeria of these varieties are ongoing.
“In Indonesia, both the Granola and Diamant varieties have been under confined field trial for several years. Nigeria conducted its first field trial in 2022 and Bangladesh last year. Both Nigeria and Bangladesh are working with the Diamant variety, which is farmer preferred,” Douches explains.
SMALL FARM GAME-CHANGER
The LBR potato is poised to be a game-changer for smallholder farmers in developing countries.
“Our goal is to commercially release at least one variety, farmer preferred, for each country by the end of 2026,” Douches adds. “In Kenya, we have obtained all the data required to submit the regulatory dossier for the CIP developed 3R-gene late blight resistant Shangi variety.”
“We expect the other countries to conclude multi-location confined field trials in the next year and a half,” he explains. “We are hopeful that if the biotech regulatory environment remains favorable in our target countries, we will meet our goal.”
“The potato is generating a lot of excitement in these countries. The farmers are especially excited when they see the LBR potato next to the conventional variety,” Douches notes. “The 3R-gene is late blight free while the conventional plant right alongside has completely succumbed to the disease. It’s visually impactful.”
The project has indeed captured the interest of many high-profile visitors, including government dignitaries, regulatory authorities, media, key potato value chain stakeholders, and, of course, the farmers.
Douches recently traveled to Bangladesh where he accompanied Bangladesh Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture Wahida Akter on a tour
“The 3R-gene is late blight free while the conventional plant right alongside has completely succumbed to the disease. It’s visually impactful.”
– Dave Douches, project director
and
head
of the potato breeding and genetics program at Michigan State University
of the confined field trial in Rangpur.
“She is an amazing woman and was quite excited by what she witnessed. Many don’t realize how important potatoes are to Bangladesh. They rank seventh in global potato production—amazing when you consider their land mass is slightly larger than the state of Idaho,” Douches relates.
IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS
“But what’s really exciting for me is the work that’s being led by our incountry research partners,” he says. “Our objective right now is to provide support and training so that, by the end of this project, these talented researchers can continue using value chain and provide their farmers
continued on pg. 54
3R-Gene Potato Proves Resistant to Late Blight . . .
continued from pg. 53
with improved livelihoods.”
Worldwide, annual potato crop losses of 15-30% are attributed to late blight disease and result in significant global cost equaling $6.7 billion. In developing countries, including those in Southeast Asia and Africa, potato production and storage length are greatly limited by the effects of late blight disease.
An entire field can be destroyed within just a few weeks. Research indicates that the 3R-gene LBR potato will directly stabilize crop yields and cut reliance on fungicides by up to 90%, greatly reducing human and environmental health risks while providing a resilient solution to the disease.
The Global Biotech Potato Partnership is a collaboration between MSU, the International Potato Center (CIP), the University of Idaho, African Agricultural
Technology Foundation (AATF), and partner country National Agricultural Research Systems.
Such partners include the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), National Research and Innovation Agency Indonesia (BRIN), Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), and Nigeria’s National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).
The project also works with local partner country organizations such as Farming Future Bangladesh. It is supported by Feed the Future, the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative.
Janet Fierro is the communications manager for the Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership. Dave Douches has led the potato breeding and genetics project at MSU since 1988.
WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES
WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES
WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES
WISCONSIN CERTIFIED SEED POTATOES BADGER STATE
Above: Yield for the 3R-gene late blight resistant potato in Bangladesh was impressive. (Photo courtesy of Feed the Future Global Biotech Potato Partnership)
Auxiliary News
By Dakotah Smiley, Vice President, WPGA
Hello, everyone! What a year it’s been for the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary! We recently hosted our Annual Meeting, on June 13, in Antigo. It was a great event that recapped an amazing year full of educational events at schools and the Food + Farm Exploration Center, as well as baked potato sales at the Wisconsin State Fair and Harvest Fair, and so much more.
During the meeting, we also had the pleasure of welcoming two new board members along with newly elected officers to the team. A huge thank you goes out to Becky Wysocki and Datonn Ammel for their service to our board. The hard work that both exhibited over the years never went unnoticed and is so appreciated.
With that said, I am pleased to announce our new Board: Heidi Schleicher (president); myself, Dakotah Smiley (vice president); Samantha Cypher (secretary/ treasurer); Jody Baginski; Misti Kinnison; Jenna Kukanich; and Erin Meister.
Please join me in welcoming Sam and Jenna to our board! We look forward to seeing the growth for
our group over the next year.
Speaking of years, the Auxiliary will soon be celebrating its 50th anniversary, and you may want to stay tuned to see what we have in store to commemorate a half-century of beautiful years supporting the potato and vegetable industry.
Over the next couple of articles, Jenna and Samantha will share a little more about themselves, but I wanted to take a moment to re-introduce myself as you will be seeing my face more often as the newest Auxiliary News columnist.
My name is Dakotah Smiley
and I reside in Hancock with my husband and our children. I have been in recruiting/human resources within the industry for the past seven years, currently working for a company called AgHires, and am a 2014 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
I just celebrated my first year on the Auxiliary and am blessed to serve as this year’s vice president. I look forward to being able to celebrate all our successes, happenings, and the big anniversary with you all over the next year!
All for now,
Until next time,
Dakotah
Left: The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary recently hosted its Annual Meeting, on June 13, in Antigo. It was a great event that recapped an amazing year full of educational events at schools and the Food + Farm Exploration Center, as well as Wisconsin State Fair/Harvest Fair baked potato sales, and so much more.
Above: The 2024 Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board, as elected at the June 13 Annual Meeting, is, from left to right, Erin Meister; Dakotah Smiley (vice president); Misti Kinnison; Jody Baginski; Heidi Schleicher (president); Samantha Cypher (secretary/treasurer); and Jenna Kukanich.
Readers learn about research conducted on managing vector-borne tuber necrotic viruses
The Potato Virus Initiative SCRI project has developed an annual newsletter that informs readers about various research conducted to date from researchers, Extension professionals and seed certification programs from across the country in an easy-to-read format. Topics discussed include research about Potato Virus Y (PVY) and Potato Mop-Top Virus (PMTV) detection methods, new virus management
strategies, breeding development for PVY and PMTV resistance, and economic incentives to aid the industry moving forward.
Go to the Potato Virus Initiative website (https://www.uidaho. edu/cals/potato-virus-initiative/ newsletter) and flip through the newsletter to learn more about how the project is developing solutions against vector-borne tuber necrotic viruses.
Breakthrough in Soil Health and Agriculture
BeCrop Rate technology helps growers measure, verify and improve sustainability
Global AgTech leader, Biome Makers, launches BeCrop® Rate, a new metric to empower sustainable land use. BeCrop Rate utilizes the power of
BeCrop technology to measure, verify and improve sustainability and lead the way in regenerating farmland soils while gaining buyer preference and trust.
BeCrop technology employs ecological computing using artificial intelligence and the largest global taxonomic database of 10M microorganisms to decode soil microbial networks and assess human impact on soil biology.
Consumers can have a significant social, economic, and environmental impact when buying and supporting sustainably produced food.
Seventy percent of consumers indicate that they are willing to pay 5% more for products that can effectively trace a sustainable supply chain, as observed in new data collected from Johnson Controls brand Sensormatic Solutions.
After surveying 1,000 shoppers, the survey found that half of consumers believe businesses must lead the charge toward sustainability, while
90% of customers think that retailers don’t do enough to showcase their sustainability efforts.
Therefore, sustainable agriculture has a large potential to influence our collective efforts in improving consumers’ access to healthy, nutritious food while positively impacting communities around the globe.
Measuring human intervention in agriculture is the key to empowering sustainable food production. Farmers and food producers have made ambitious commitments to change the way they farm, and these efforts need to be rewarded.
RELIABLE METRIC
“A new, reliable metric that is scientifically proven to measure the impact of human intervention is quickly becoming the standard for global soil health,” states Adrian Ferrero, co-founder, and chief executive officer at Biome Makers.
The BeCrop Rate metric offers an assessment of the sustainability of farmland parcels once per year. It presents comparability across different farmlands independently of crops, farming practices, or geographic location.
The outcome is a scorecard that provides an impact assessment of human intervention on agricultural lands and best management practices.
BeCrop Rate provides significant benefits to all members of the food value chain, from farmers and suppliers to consumers. Farmers can measure and improve the adoption of sustainable practices as well as communicate their efforts to stakeholders.
Then, suppliers can track performance across the supply chain to pinpoint opportunities for
improvement. Lastly, consumers can purchase sustainably verified products and support farmers who are taking lengthy measures to regenerate farmland and improve soil health.
“If we want to see a shift in regenerative agriculture and recover soil health for future generations, it is imperative for all of us to work together. BeCrop Rate is the next frontier in improving soil health
and supporting farmers in adopting sustainable management practices,” Ferrero states.
Download the BeCrop Rate brochure by visiting https://online.fliphtml5. com/yduxb/shdx/#p=1/.
For more information, visit https:// biomemakers.com/, or contact Sarah Basiri, Biome Makers Inc., marketing@biomemakers.com, or call 917-900-7281.
People Schroeder Family Honored at Antigo Legion Baseball Game
Fans
John and Jackie Schroeder
The Antigo American Legion 19U baseball team honored Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Hall of Fame potato grower John H. Schroeder and his wife, Jackie, at a game on June 18, 2024.
The Antigo Typhoon American Legion Post #3 hosted D.C. Everest at Kretz Park in a game billed as “John and Jackie Schroeder Night.” A member of the Schroeder family threw out the ceremonial first pitch in their honor.
The Typhoon is proud to honor the Schroeders, who were baseball fans
were strong supporters of local teams and leagues
and strong supporters of local teams and leagues. Antigo defeated D.C. Everest by a score of 8-5.
John H. Schroeder was raised on a dairy farm homesteaded by his grandfather in 1879. The original farm was 80 acres, including 20 acres of potatoes. After graduating from high school in 1953, John enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Alaska for three years.
After the service, John married his wife, Jaclyn, and attended the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison, graduating with a degree in Agricultural Economics in 1960. He returned to farming with his father, Henry, in 1970 and the farm grew steadily over the years. Today the farm has over 7,000 total acres, including 2,500 acres of potatoes.
Jaclyn was a graduate of the Antigo High School class of 1955. She attended nursing school in Madison. John and Jackie were married in 1957, and the couple resided in Madison for a few short years.
They returned to Antigo where they owned and operated a farmer’s market and the Blackjack Steakhouse, a supper club that was a gathering place for over 50 years.
Jackie later opened Schroeder’s Gifts, a boutique and gift store that is owned and managed by second and third generations of the Schroeder family today. Seeing a vision for the home she grew up in, and along with her love of
Above: The Schroeder family was in full attandance at the Antigo American Legion Post #3 baseball game to accept honors for the late John and Jackie Schroeder. From left to right are Hannah, J.D., Suzie, Luke, Andy, Ellie (J.D. & Hannah), Lexie (Rob & Suzie), Pete & Gina in the back, and in front of them, Parker (Eric & Theresa) and Winston (J.D. & Hannah), and then Rob, Eric and Theresa.
art, Jackie opened the Jaclyn M Gallery. THREE SONS IN FARMING John and Jackie were fortunate to have three sons interested in farming. After graduating from college, John T. (UWMadison), Pete (UW-Stout) and Rob (UW-Madison) all joined the farm and have contributed greatly to its success.
Pete’s wife, Gina, also works as the farm’s office manager and John T.’s wife, Judy, manages the retail store. More recently, grandsons Eric, Andy, J.D. and Luke have also joined the farm. Schroeder Brothers Farm is one of the largest Frito-Lay seed producers in the United States and has won multiple awards as Frito-Lay’s Seed Grower of the Year.
John H. Schroeder served two terms on the WPVGA Board of Directors. He also served on the Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association Board and was a Wisconsin delegate on the National Potato Council.
He was inducted into the WPVGA Hall of Fame in 2011. Jackie was a long-time
Parker and Winston Schroeder hold up baseballs and mug for the camera at the Antigo American Legion Post #3 baseball game where their great-grandparents, John and Jackie Schroeder, were honored.
supporter of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary.
The Schroeders were dedicated sports fans, keeping up on the Badgers, Brewers, Bucks, and Packers, as well as all the sports their children and
grandchildren participated in over the years.
Sadly, John passed away in January 2017 and Jackie passed away in August 2023.
The WPVGA is a proud sponsor of the Antigo Legion baseball game on June 18. We’d like to thank Dean Noskowiak and the Antigo Dugout Club for honoring John and Jackie Schroeder.
Ben Huber Named 2024 Outstanding Communicator
Cooperative leader has had an impact on agricultural communications in his career
Insight FS is proud to share that Ben Huber, Insight FS retail division manager, is the recipient of the 2024 CCA CEO Outstanding Communicator Award.
This award is presented annually by the Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) in recognition of a cooperative leader’s commitment to open communications as an integral part of an effective management style.
During the recent CCA Institute in Des Moines, Iowa, Huber was acknowledged as the 28th recipient of this award. During the ceremony, Huber was recognized for his commitment to fostering effective communication strategies within Insight FS, not just from the top down, but also amongst the entire team.
Andrea Brossard, Insight FS Board vice president, emphasized Huber’s professionalism and dedication to excellence.
“Ben’s strategic vision and attention to detail have significantly contributed to the organization’s growth and success,” Brossard said. “His genuine concern for both board members and staff underscores his exceptional leadership qualities.”
COLLECTIVE EFFORTS
In his acceptance speech, Huber expressed gratitude for the recognition, attributing the achievement to the collective efforts of the Insight FS team.
“Communication is a team sport,” Huber remarked. “This award is a testament to the dedication and talent of our entire team. Together, we are driving meaningful change and innovation across the organization.”
In addition, Insight FS’s communications team, Angie Greving and Katie Oehm, received first place in the annual CCA Communications Contest’s Miscellaneous Promotional category for their innovative Hat Forge tradeshow booth at the 2023 Wisconsin Farm Tech Show.
The booth’s unique “hat making” experience captured the attention of attendees, vendors, and the contest judges. One judge said, “Everyone is looking for the ‘it’ item at tradeshows and I have to imagine that this was a huge hit.”
Looking ahead, Insight FS remains committed to communication, collaboration, and celebrating team achievements through initiatives such as the Insights on our Business podcast and the FS Way steering committee.
Outstanding Communicator Award.
Insight FS extends its heartfelt congratulations to Ben Huber, Angie Greving, and Katie Oehm on these well-deserved recognitions.
Ben Huber, Insight FS retail division manager, received the 2024 Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA)
NPC News
NPC President Mattive Hosts 2024 Summer Meeting
Event includes committee and board meetings and new advocacy efforts
In the last week of June 2024, National Potato Council (NPC) President and Colorado potato grower Bob Mattive brought the industry together for NPC’s Summer Meeting, hosted this year in Fort Collins, Colorado. The event included committee and board meetings and updates on the council’s advocacy efforts.
Attendees attended Wednesday morning’s general session at Colorado State University’s (CSU) College of Agricultural Sciences, lunch at CSU’s Canvas Stadium, a bus tour of CSU’s Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center (ARDEC), and a tour of the Morning Fresh Dairy Farm, a fifth-generation family dairy and supplier for Noosa yogurt.
“It was a privilege and an honor to welcome the industry to Fort Collins and tour my alma mater,” says Mattive, “and we appreciate Dr. Amy Charkowski, CSU’s research associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, for bringing together such an impressive group of researchers
Above: A meeting of the NPC Board of Directors includes, from left to right, Bob Mattive (president); Ted Tschirky (vice president); Dean Gibson; Ben Sklarczyk; Chris Olsen; T.J. Hall; and R.J. Andrus (immediate past president).
and staff to speak to our group.”
“Thanks to all the sponsors from across the country,” Mattive adds, “and local to Colorado for their support of this important meeting for our industry.”
Throughout the week, the group got a taste of Fort Collins, featuring meals, entertainment, and activities throughout the city.
Thanks to all those who joined us, and we’re looking forward to hosting the industry again, January 9-10, at Potato Expo 2025 in Orlando, Florida!
Top of Page: NPC Summer Meeting attendees enjoyed lunch at Colorado State University’s Canvas Stadium. Image courtesy of Dave Alexander, Potato Country magazine
Above: Summer Meeting attendees enjoyed researcher presentations in the Bernard Rollin Knowledge Well within the Nutrien Agricultural Sciences Building at Colorado State University. Image courtesy of Dave Alexander, Potato Country magazine
DISHING IT UP WITH DANA
Patriotic Picnic Cake & Potato Gratin Are Perfect Match
The beauty of comfort food and holiday flair are combined to palatable perfection in recipe duo
Column and photos by Dana Rady, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association
I love to cook, bake, and simply be in the kitchen. Honestly, I would rather clean up the kitchen than fold the laundry. The tradition of cooking and my love of being in that space in my house go back a few generations.
Hello! My name is Dana Rady. You may know me as the promotions director of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA). I also serve as the director of the United Potato Growers Cooperative of Wisconsin.
What you might not know, however, is that I grew up in Tomah and was a most pleasant surprise for my parents, back in 1982, when they learned they were expecting a fourth child behind three older daughters, aged 11, 12 and 13. Consequently, I earned the nickname “caboose” from my grandfather.
A very German lineage from both my parents’ families, I follow a long line of strong personalities—men who lead and stand firm and women who are just as stubborn and determined to persevere.
Although a bit opposite in character and personality, I was blessed to know my two amazing grandmothers who were each phenomenal in the kitchen.
My feisty paternal grandmother had
a heart of gold, but you wouldn’t want to cross her. She also made one of the most amazing coleslaws ever! Like any truly good dish, it was only a “recipe” in her head that she made with love, and it never tasted right when we tried to make it ourselves.
My mom’s mother was very quiet, always positive and incredible at sewing and anything that involved cooking or baking. I particularly cherish memories of her casseroles, breads, cookies and desserts.
DECORATING COOKIES
Growing up, she would let me help decorate her homemade Christmas cutout cookies. She would frost, I would make them look gaudy with too much sugar, and we would deliver them to residents at the local nursing home, where her mother (my great grandmother) also resided.
Ever since these cherished childhood memories, I have often found myself experimenting in the kitchen. I’d either modify existing recipes or get inspired in the aisles of a grocery store, buying ingredients I thought would go good together and taking them home to get cooking or baking.
While my creations certainly wouldn’t take first place in a contest, cooking and baking have always been therapeutic and relaxing.
I was blessed and humbled to have been asked to succeed Ali Carter with this column, and I tip my hat to her. For years, she welcomed you into her home and shared experiences along with her favorite potato dishes. She has left some big shoes to fill, and I can only hope that you come to enjoy the recipes I share as much as you did hers.
Having not grown up in agriculture, I have certainly learned a ton about the potato and vegetable industry in my almost 13 years of employment. However, even prior to coming to WPVGA, my family and I loved potatoes. I will say, though, that working at the association has opened my eyes to additional creative ways in which they can be used.
This brings me to two recipes I decided to try this year for the 4th of July holiday—Red, White and Blue Potato Gratin, and Patriotic Picnic Cake.
Together, these dishes are a delectable combination of comfort food at its finest, with the iconic flair of Independence Day. I challenge you to only take one bite of each. My in-home taste testers couldn’t!
INGREDIENTS: Red, White and Blue Potato Gratin
• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts (14.1 ounces, 2 crusts)
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups shredded gouda cheese
• 1 lb. blue potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. white potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 lb. red potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsps. garlic salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs
• 3 large fresh basil leaves sliced in thin strips
• 12 ounces sour cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Using a 9-inch springform pan, unroll pie crusts onto a floured surface and roll each out to a 14-inch circle. Sprinkle one crust with chopped basil, ground pepper and some cheese. Cover it with the other crust and press into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Fold under edges of crust to make even with rim of the pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Next, evenly layer blue potatoes in bottom of chilled crust and top with cheese. Then layer white potatoes and top with cheese. Top with a layer of red potatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat until the layers of potatoes reach the top of the springform pan.
In a small bowl, microwave garlic salt and cream on high for 50 seconds and pour over potatoes in pan. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees. Uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and topping is browned.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and basil strips.
For good measure, here is the recipe and ingredients for Patriotic Picnic Cake. It was so fun to use mashed
potatoes in this dish and see how full and fluffy they made the cake batter. It was even more fun tasting it! And spoiler alert—this dessert is light and versatile enough to feature anytime, even if it’s not on a specific holiday.
INGREDIENTS: Patriotic Picnic Cake
• 3/4 cup mashed Wisconsin white or white-fleshed red potatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 16 ounces one-step Angel Food White Cake Mix
• 1/2 cup Wisconsin blue mashed potatoes
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the 3/4 cup mashed potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Gradually beat 1/4 cup of the water into the potatoes, beating until smooth. Add remaining water, 1 teaspoon vanilla and cake mix. Mix just until blended.
Pour mixture into an ungreased 9x13x2-inch cake pan. Bake until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
To prepare topping, combine blue mashed potatoes and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and butter. Beat until well blended. Stir in remaining vanilla and fold in whipped cream.
Spread mixture over cooled cake. Chill several hours or overnight.
D I N N E R S P O N S O R S
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