1807_Badger Common'Tater

$18/year | $1.50/copy | Volume 70 No. 7 | JULY 2018

THE VOICE OF WISCONSIN'S POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

CROP PROTECTION ISSUE LITTLE PLOVER RIVER Watershed Enhancement Begins!

COUNTRIES & CULTURES UNITE For 10th World Potato Congress MAPPING CROPLAND: Unknown Acres Found RECOGNIZE & MANAGE Powdery Scab of Potato

INTERVIEW:

Jim Hoffa, Location Manager Crop Production Services

Potato varieties are displayed at the Andenes Experimental Station, Cusco, Peru, for a World Potato Congress Field Day.

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On the Cover: Peru, birthplace of the potato, played host to the 10th World Potato Congress, including a Field Day trip to the Andenes Experimental Station high in the Andes Mountains outside of Cusco, where many of the country’s 4,000 varieties were on display.

8 BADGER COMMON’TATER INTERVIEW: Jim Hoffa, location manager for Crop Production Services in Plainfield, Wisconsin, probably isn’t telling many people in the agriculture industry anything they don’t know when he says there are a lot of “long days, early mornings, late nights and weekends required.” But he says his wife, Jacki, has always been very understanding and supportive of what he does. And so are his kids!

DEPARTMENTS: ALI’S KITCHEN................... 65 BADGER BEAT................... 37 EYES ON ASSOCIATES........ 55

16 PERU HOSTS WORLD POTATO CONGRESS Nowhere is the culture of potato more celebrated

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48

MARK YOUR CALENDAR..... 6

MARKETPLACE

AUXILIARY NEWS

NEW PRODUCTS............... 56

Okray Family Farms conducts a prescribed burn as part of Healthy Grown

Koenig Elementary School participates in a Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes program

NOW NEWS...................... 42 NPC NEWS........................ 63 PEOPLE............................. 52

FEATURE ARTICLES: 26 WPVGA FULLY SUPPORTS Little Plover River Watershed Enhancement Project 50 POWDERY SCAB: Management of the disease begins at time of planting 60 GLOBAL COLLABORATION releases a satellite-based map of world croplands 4

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PLANTING IDEAS................. 6 POTATOES USA NEWS....... 59 WPIB FOCUS..................... 58

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

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

Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors: President: Kathy Bartsch Vice President: Devin Zarda Secretary/Treasurer: Datonn Hanke Directors: Jody Baginski, Brittany Bula, Deniell Bula & Marie Reid

WPVGA Office (715) 623-7683 • FAX: (715) 623-3176 E-mail: wpvga@wisconsinpotatoes.com Website: www.wisconsinpotatoes.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/WPVGA

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

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

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

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

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Telephone: (715) 623-7683 Mailing address: P.O. Box 327, Antigo, Wisconsin 54409 Or, subscribe free online: http://wisconsinpotatoes.com/blog-news/subscribe/ ADVERTISING: To advertise your service or product in this magazine, call (715) 630-6213, or email: Joe Kertzman: jkertzman@wisconsinpotatoes.com.

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

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POTATO ASSOC. OF AMERICA ANNUAL MEETING Boise Centre Boise, ID

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POTATO VIRUS DETECTION WORKSHOP PRIOR TO ANTIGO FIELD DAY Langlade County Airport and Research Station Antigo, WI

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ANTIGO FIELD DAY Langlade County Airport and Research Station Antigo, WI

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WPVGA CHEF COMPETITION During “Celebrate Plover,” Lake Pacawa Park Plover, WI

AUGUST 2 RHINELANDER AG RESEARCH STATION FIELD DAY

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WISCONSIN STATE FAIR Wisconsin State Fair Park West Allis, WI

Planting Ideas Ah, fair time. It’s just around the corner.

County Fairs used to hold different meaning to me and represent things other than what they do now. Sure, I still love the corndogs and slushies of my youth, and I’m a sucker for an elephant ear, cheese curds, French fries, and just about anything dipped in chocolate or deep fried.

There’s nothing like eating an ice cream cone while walking through the midway listening to the barkers calling out to fairgoers and trying to get them to spend their hard-earned cash on chances to win plastic toys, stuffed animals, yo-yos, cap guns, posters, stickers and mirrors.

But many years ago (23 this coming September), I married a horse lover, and she passed the gene onto my 15-year-old daughter, Cora, who now shows not only equines, but also sheep, alpacas and our dog, Carlo, depending on the year, at the Portage County Fair in Rosholt, Wisconsin.

Not raised in the agriculture industry, and with no experience whatsoever showing animals, my only experience in or near the show ring had been limited to the occasional horse show my wife would drag me to when we were dating. She eventually decided her sister, girlfriends, our daughter and really any acquaintances and distant relatives were more fun than I was at horse shows, and she stopped asking me.

Now, however, I visit the animal barns and show arenas at the county fair with enthusiasm and gusto, or at least with a hotdog and beer or soda pop, and I cheer wildly (just ask my daughter who’d also prefer I not come) when Cora and whatever animal she’s showing enter the ring.

Which brings me to my interview with Jim Hoffa, location manager for Crop Production Services (CPS) in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and the above photo of his daughters, Nadia and Sidney, who are holding the bidder sign at one of the county fair livestock auctions that Jim and CPS attend.

Jim says they bid on and buy any number of animals to support kids in 4-H and FFA in his area, and his daughters like to raise the sign and help him be the highest bidder. Is that cool, or what?

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

Joe Kertzman Managing Editor jkertzman@wisconsinpotatoes.com

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Interview

JIM HOFFA, location manager, Crop Production Services

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

NAME: Jim Hoffa TITLE: Location manager COMPANY: Crop Production Services LOCATION: Plainfield, WI HOMETOWN: Coloma, WI YEARS IN PRESENT POSITION: 9 (19 years total with the company) PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT: Family farm SCHOOLING: Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, Wisconsin Agri-Business Association, Certified Crop Advisor FAMILY: Wife, Jacki, and children, Weston, 15, Nadia, 13, Sidney, 13, and a baby boy expected in August 2018 HOBBIES: Hunting, ice fishing, camping, coaching and watching his kids’ sporting events

“My family is and always has been very important in helping me be successful,” says Jim Hoffa, location manager for Crop Production Services (CPS) in Plainfield, Wisconsin.

“There are a lot of long days, early mornings, late nights and weekends required in this industry, and I’m fortunate to have the flexibility I do in my position,” he adds. “But inevitably family time is sacrificed or sporting events missed. It is the nature of the business.”

“My wife, Jacki, has always been very understanding and supportive of what I do, and my kids often ask to join me on some of those Sunday calls or late evening runs to keep a planter or sprayer moving in the field,” Hoffa relates. “It’s pretty amazing to have that kind of support and interest from them.”

Crop Production Services was established in 1983, but predecessor companies include Western Farm Service, Royster Clark and United Agri Products (UAP).

Hoffa came from the United Agri Products side of the business before the company was purchased by Agrium and later became known as Crop Production Services.

“Before the company became UAP, I began my career working for Cole

8

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Grower Service in the same office that we currently operate out of in Plainfield,” Hoffa says.

EXPANDING BUSINESS “When I first started, we dealt with mainly chemistry, custom spraying, some seed and a little fertilizer,” he adds.

UAP purchased Central Sands Sales fertilizer around year 2000, increasing the company’s fertilizer sales opportunity and expanding the business footprint.

Above: Jim Hoffa, location manager for Crop Production Services, says there is no one way to describe a typical workday. Depending on the season, he may be in the Plainfield office, out making sales calls, driving a tender truck, running fumigation equipment, scouting fields or visiting with growers.

“It made sense to then develop our seed business to further service all three segments of our growers’ businesses,” Hoffa says.

The crop protection and seed divisions are part of the Plainfield office, and the fertilizer and Vapam fumigant products, as well as custom application, are handled through the Central Sands fertilizer plant north of Plainfield next to the Wysocki Frontier packing shed.

As of July 1, 2018, Nutrien Ag Solutions will be the new name for the previously branded Crop Production Services retail business, and it will be used at all offices and facilities18-06 in North BadgerAmerica.

Common'Tater 1-3page AD

After the completion of a merger that formed Nutrien in early 2018, the company’s goal is to create a consistent global agriculture brand that represents value and productivity for customers.

Were you always a fertilizer, seed and crop protection company? As a company, yes. We eventually got to that point locally. Crop protection was our primary focus up front, and it expanded from there.

With so much Wisconsin, Midwest, U.S. and global competition, what sets Crop Production Services apart from all others? I think the biggest aspects that set us apart are our people and service.

There are (7x3).v1.outlines.pdf 1 2018-06-07 9:35 AM

certainly a lot of great people in our industry, but I believe we have some of the best from the ground up.

With great people comes a lot of knowledge and experience that we can use to best help our growers be successful.

Customer service is foremost in our industry, whether it is on-time delivery, offering extended business hours or being able to spend time working with a grower on a crop plan.

Likewise, our many product offerings, proprietary products and technological options work to set us apart from the rest. continued on pg. 10

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 9

I understand you’re now owned by Nutrien Ltd. How does that change or enhance your overall business?

From a day-to-day operational perspective, locally, nothing will change—business as usual. That said, the overall synergy this creates will tremendously enhance our business.

Nutrien Executive Vice President and Vice President of Retail, Mike Frank, said it best when addressing the merger between Agrium and Potash Corp. to form Nutrien.

Frank explained, “This change will better position us as the ag retailer of the future, creating an unmatched retail organization in scale, global reach and ability to address the challenges that face our grower customers. And it will be done not just from the services we offer, but ultimately through the solutions we provide.”

10 BC�T July

Are your main products fertilizer, nitrogen, phosphorus and potash, or what exactly? And what brands do you offer? We specialize in all three major components of the industry—fertilizer, and seed and crop protection.

Our fertility products include liquid and dry, macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potash/potassium), micronutrients and many proprietary specialty foliar fertilizer and fertility enhancement products.

Additionally, we carry multiple brands of corn and soybean seed, along with alfalfa, wheat and other specialty crops and cover crops.

Overall, we handle the major brands of crop protection, as well as our own proprietary Loveland Products (LPI) brand.

Other brands include Dyna-Gro, DEKALB/Asgrow, Syngenta, Mycogen,

W-L Alfalfas and more.

What does your own day-to-day workday involve, Jim? There is no one way to describe a typical workday. Depending on the season, I may be in the office, out making sales calls, driving a tender truck, running fumigation equipment, scouting fields or visiting with growers.

For me, the fact that each day is different is one of the real benefits of my job.

Do you work directly with growers or retailers? Most of my work is Above: Installed new in the spring of 2017, the Doyle dry fertilizer conveyor system at Crop Production Services efficiently unloads product into a storage building.

Below: A Wysocki Produce Farms truck is shown on the scale being loaded with fertilizer, and then fully loaded and ready to go the field for application.

done directly with the growers.

To name a few specific duties, I am involved in sales, distributing agronomic information, collecting/ providing product information and recommendations, crop planning, scouting and application.

We do work with some retailers, providing them with products they

may need for their businesses.

Are Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers an important part of your business, and if so, why? Absolutely, Wisconsin potato and vegetable growers are an extremely important part of our business for many reasons. They are a core part of our business simply because of our

ple Drive Drive Iaple 54467

Above: Jim Hoffa’s son, Weston, poses with dry application equipment at Crop Production Services. “My kids have always been interested in the equipment I operate and like to take a look at whatever is around when they come to work with me,” Hoffa relates.

location. We have tens of thousands of potato and vegetable acres right in our backyard. What better business continued on pg. 12

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 11

to have than growers who are local and just down the street?

The diversity of these growers is equally important, as the season never really ends for inputs like it does in the corn and soybean crops.

Therefore, we are busy the entire growing season, ground thaw to ground freeze! Without a doubt, we work with an exceptional group of people.

How have the number of inputs in a typical potato and/or vegetable field changed over the years, and for the better or worse? You could probably ask that question and never get the same answer twice. I don’t know if there is a correct answer. However, I believe a person could argue both sides.

I would say the overall quantity of product has gone up mainly due to the increase in yield. The amount of product per harvestable unit (hundredweight [cwt.], ton, etc.) may actually be less in some cases due to intense management and “enhancement” products, such as our LPI Titan, Accomplish and Radiate.

These products help the plant utilize inputs more efficiently and effectively in different ways while potentially allowing producers to use the same (or even less) product per acre to achieve similar or higher yields.

12 BC�T July

Above: A loader adds dry fertilizer to a Ranco blender bin before being loaded onto a truck for delivery.

The Ranco system blends multiple products as needed to create a finished fertilizer analysis that fits the grower’s needs.

This leads me to believe that the number of different types of products has increased over the years. In my opinion, this change is for the better.

Growers are producing higheryielding, higher-quality crops on fewer acres and doing it very successfully. Whatever the “right” answer is, I think our growers have it figured out and will continue to do it even better year after year.

Do you try to stay ahead of regulations, and if so, can that be a challenge? Yes, it is very important that we stay ahead of changing regulations and remain in compliance with local, state and federal agencies.

It can be challenging because of the multifaceted nature of our business. At the same time, we are fortunate to have a company that stays on top of such changes, as well as knowledgeable and helpful DATCP (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) agents who are willing to assist in meeting regulations.

David Hyer has been my primary resource for as long as I have been in this role and has always supported us in ensuring compliance.

Below: A Crop Production Services John Deere 4045 dry spreader applies product to a Patrykus Farms field. Duane Dampier and Wally Ciura operate the machines throughout the season.

Is Crop Production Services/Nutrien Ltd. environmentally conscious, and in what ways? Has that consciousness developed and grown over the years? Explain. Yes, very much so. Nutrien’s environmental impact statement includes the following: “From our products and services to how we advise our customers, we hold ourselves to high environmental standards across our operations.”

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It continues, “In the industry and around the world, we are recognized as innovative leaders promoting and advancing sustainable farming practices, including the application of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship System and in leveraging the Echelon precision agriculture tool, which helps optimize the use of crop inputs and thereby reduce losses to the environment.”

Above: Various products are stored at the Crop Production Services warehouse in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Included are the company’s LPI proprietary products (Sniper, LI 700 and Compadre), and a fresh pallet of Titan that is impregnated on dry fertilizer at planting to help expedite nutrient availability, enhance nutrient use efficiency and optimize yield potential for growers.

part to help ensure the health and vitality of the soil, water and air of America, for generations to come.”

And it concludes, “We are doing our

continued on pg. 14

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Interview. . . continued from pg. 13

Our proprietary products company, LPI, is always looking for ways to help make our crop protection products better so growers can use less with the same results.

FEWER APPLICATIONS One such development is our Helios technology. Helios is a unique synthetic pyrethroid (cyfluthrin insecticide and miticide) that protects the active ingredients of the insecticide from UV (ultraviolet) exposure, extending performance in the field and allowing for fewer applications.

Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN) is another great example of how our company strives to be environmentally conscious.

ESN is a polymer-coated urea that is time-delay released based on temperature and moisture, allowing the nitrogen to be utilized by the crop and protected from extreme weather events and leaching.

We also do many things at the location level to be environmentally friendly. As a company, we are extremely proud to be a recipient of the State National Environmental

Respect Award, recognizing our total program for safeguarding the environment at various locations across the country.

continually working to develop new technologies to help make our growers more efficient, economically friendly and profitable.

Does Crop Production Services/ Nutrien have a research and development arm, and how large is it? Our company has an extensive research and development department within our various business units.

LPI works on developing new products within our proprietary line of crop protection, nutritionals and surfactants to accomplish those same goals.

Nutrien, as the parent company, is

Are you a national or international company, and how many retailers do you serve? We are an international company with locations in the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. To date, we have over 1,500 retail locations.

How do you keep it local and serve your customers with such a large umbrella? Our focus is strictly on our local customers. Working under such a large umbrella gives us the ability Above: Jim Hoffa proudly displays the framed project his daughter, Nadia, did in grade school a few years ago. Students were to come up with an advertisement for a local business that would be published in the newspaper.

Below: Makaze is an LPI proprietary 4-pound glyphosate that contains Leci-Tech Technology to get it to, on and in the plant, providing superior penetration into the leaf surface and enabling greater uptake, translocation and rain-fastness for a complete kill. Levitate is an LPI starter fertilizer formulated with a blend of proven biocatalyst, fulvic acids and chelated zinc.

14 BC�T July

to find products and services that are perfect for our growers and the diverse number of crops they grow.

If CPS did not have such a vast scope of business, we would most likely be limited in the products and service we could offer to our growers.

What are you most proud of, and how have you and your job evolved?

I started out as a seasonal employee who worked mainly summers and some weekends during college.

I grew up on a potato and vegetable farm, so I had some knowledge of the industry and what to expect while working here.

In retrospect, I never thought this summer job would turn into a career and certainly never expected to be in the position I am today.

I was initially employed as a warehouse worker and spray tender truck driver. Because I had some equipment operation experience, I soon found myself running a sprayer as needed.

The spring following my college graduation, I was offered a full-time position as a sprayer operator and continued to move up from there.

I was the warehouse manager for a few years and then went on to sales.

After a few years as a salesman, I then humbly accepted my current position of location manager with the new company (CPS).

I would have to say I am most proud of the path I took to get to my current position. It is my hope that employees have more respect for me because of this path. I have done just about every job that exists within our location.

Therefore, I have an immeasurable amount of appreciation for what each and every person does to make our company successful.

What do you see for not only your future, but also that of Crop Production Services and Nutrien?

The biggest goal for me would be to continue to improve the business

and make it even better than it was when I stepped into my current role.

I want to leave my mark on this business while I am here! I am sorry to see the CPS name go away, but, at the same time, I am just as excited to see the Nutrien name become the leader in the industry.

Anything I’ve missed or that you want to add, Jim? Safety is a very important part of our business.

Nutrien and CPS have an extensive safety program to ensure that we do everything possible to keep our employees and those around us working safely.

Our division office staff (located in Janesville) is always willing to help when needed. My boss, Scott Pate, gives us the tools we need to run the business without trying to micromanage what we do, and that says a lot!

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Regional Manager, Bob Brown, has been very supportive of what we have done and continue to do when it comes to upgrading equipment and facilities to better serve our growers. Todd Schill shares duties with me, serving as co-manager, and is primarily in charge of seed and chemistry.

Additionally, our locations could not operate without the commitment of our employees, and we also have a number of drivers and operational employees who keep us running on a daily basis and are especially important considering how difficult it has been to find help.

There are a lot of working parts to our business, and it takes a lot of good people to make it all go. I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to everyone that makes what we do at Crop Production Services PlainfieldCentral Sands possible.

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Finally, thank you to all of our loyal customers who continue to support us. Without them, we would not exist!

BC�T July 15

Countries & Cultures Came Together for the World Potato Congress Peru lived up to its reputation as having the world’s greatest potato biodiversity

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater

With the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu as a backdrop (and the promise of a visit for delegates who wished to pay for a discounted tour), the 10th World Potato Congress kicked off on May 27, 2018, in Cusco, Peru. Honored guests, speakers and presenters were, from left to right, Head of the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation Miguel Barandiaran; President of the Latin American Potato Association Elisa Salas Murrugarra; Regional Governor of Cusco Edwin Licona; Vice President of Peru Mercedes Araoz; 67th President of Peru Martin Alberto Vizcarra; Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru Gustavo Eduardo Mostajo Ocola; Mayor of the City of Cusco Carlos Moscoso; and World Potato Congress President Romain Cools.

16 BC�T July

Nowhere is the culture of the potato more celebrated and alive than in the birthplace of its domestication, Peru. From restaurants to terraced mountainside fields, homes, stores and outdoor markets, Peruvians offer, share and celebrate the potato.

Held for the first time in Latin America, May 27-31, in Cusco, Peru, the 10th World Potato Congress (WPC) was presented in conjunction with the XXVIII Congress of the Latin American Potato Association (ALAP).

Locals set up booths to show the diverse array of the country’s 4,000 varieties of potatoes. They dressed in traditional clothing, sang, danced, entertained and celebrated their culture, putting themselves and their products on display for the world to see. And what a show the Peruvians put on!

The scientific programs offered, as well as the commercial exhibits, field day and even social events, stuck remarkably close to the WPC theme: “A Look to the Future of the Potato: Biodiversity, Food Security and Business.”

Nearly 700 WPC participants from 50 countries attended plenary sessions with themes that included The Potato Global Approach; Climate Change/Varietal Development & Biotechnology; Peru and its Biodiversity; and Summary and Strategies for Moving the Potato Forward.

Above: Roughly 140 native Peruvian potato varieties were on display at the Andenes Experimental Station-National Institute of Agricultural Innovation, May 31, during a Field Day for World Potato Congress delegates. The Andenes Experimental Station is located high in the Andes in the Anta Province of Cusco, Peru.

The abbreviation “RNPNP” spelled out in potato slices in the center of the ring stands for Registro Nacional de la Papa Nativa del Peru (National Register of the Native Potato of Peru).

Technical sessions hit on climate change and agri-food systems; trends in potato consumption and markets; potato variety development and continued on pg. 18

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World Potato Congress. . . continued from pg. 17

biotechnology; potato pests and diseases; crop management; harvest and processing technology; and breeding, nutrition and health.

Workshops were titled, “Late Blight Global Challenge;” “In-situ Conservation Challenges;” and “Value Chain for Small Farmers and Culinary Innovations.”

BIRTHPLACE OF THE “PAPA” The information was solid and the venues otherworldly. Peru, the birthplace of the “papa,” or potato, and Cusco, the capital of the Incan Empire, offered delegates a rich cultural experience.

The Congress itself was held in the Convention Center near the Plaza de Armas in downtown Cusco, while a

18 BC�T July

welcome cocktail, May 27, took place at the Qoricancha Palace Temple and Santo Domingo Convent, part of a semicircle of structures in the Temple of the Sun. Finally, a closing cocktail was located at the San Francisco Convent.

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is proud to be a sustaining platinum partner of the WPC, supporting the development and promotion of potatoes both locally and globally.

WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan served as WPC Award Committee Member Chairman and presented Industry Awards during a ceremony at the closing cocktail reception in the San Francisco Convent, Tuesday evening, May 29.

Current Page: At front and center during the 10th World Potato Congress, held in the Convention Center near the Plaza de Armas in downtown Cusco, were the diverse array of Peruvian potatoes, particularly in a variety display housed upstairs from the main conference rooms.

The Awards recognized individuals who have devoted their life’s work to the potato industry. Recipients were Dr. Gary Secor, professor of plant pathology at North Dakota State University; Dr. Anton Haverkort, an emeritus professor of Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands and current visiting professor at the University of Nigde in Turkey; and Alberto Salas of the International Potato Center (CIP).

Dr. Haverkort’s work has always been aimed at bringing science to the potato industry, and many

of his research papers concern problem solving in developing and developed countries.

Salas has dedicated his life to finding, researching, preserving and conserving wild potato relatives. In 1976, he began working for CIP, and his numerous collection trips for wild and cultivated potato helped build the current repository of the CIP gene bank. He has helped discover between 20-30 new potato species and native varieties.

DISEASE RESEARCH Secor’s professional career has been devoted to research and education for and with the potato industry.

He is recognized nationally and internationally for his research on diseases of potato, and has discovered several new diseases, including zebra chip.

National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Peru’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, and Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.

Honored guests included the 67th President of Peru, Martin Alberto

Vizcarra; Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, Gustavo Eduardo Mostajo Ocola; Regional Governor of Cusco, Edwin Licona; and Mayor of the City of Cusco, Carlos Moscoso.

WPC Field Day options on Thursday, May 31, included a trip to the continued on pg. 20

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Cohosting the World Potato Congress were representatives from CIP, the Above: A welcome cocktail for World Potato Congress delegates, May 27, took place at the Qoricancha Palace Temple and Santo Domingo Convent, part of a semicircle of structures in the Temple of the Sun. Greeted by locals in native costume, guests included, from left to right, Vice President of the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board Dick Okray of Okray Family Farms; General Manager of the World Potato Congress Brian Douglas; Potato World Editor in Chief Jaap Delleman; and Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Executive Director Tamas Houlihan.

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World Potato Congress. . . continued from pg. 19

Andenes Experimental StationNational Institute of Agricultural Innovation, or a journey an hour and a half away from Cusco to the Potato Park in Pisaq.

One of 14 INIA experimental stations, the 124-acre Andenes Experimental Station is located high in the Andes in the Anta Province of Cusco and has 33 terraces, allowing research

in several crops such as potatoes, quinoa, corn, kiwicha, barley, grasses, forages, and other Andean root and tuber crops.

Above: Visitors to the Andenes Experimental Station-National Institute of Agricultural Innovation, located high in the Andes in the Anta Province of Cusco, Peru, learned about new potato varieties with resistance and/or tolerance to biotic and abiotic factors.

Research lines at the scenic Andenes Experimental Station include genetic breeding, seed production, genetic resources conservation and others.

Resulting from research conducted in Andenes, several new potato

Bottom Left: International Potato Center (CIP) Director General Barbara Wells discussed “The Role of Potato in Feeding the Future” during the 10th World Potato Congress in Cusco, Peru.

varieties have been found, such as Chaska, Valicha, Kori-INIA, Pallay Poncho, Puca Lliclla and Antenita.

Above: Perhaps nothing spoke louder about the importance of playing host to the 10th World Potato Congress than Peru President Martin Alberto Vizcarra attending the opening ceremony and addressing attendees.

20 BC�T July

The Potato Park is a community initiative of potato conservation and sustainable usage that brings together six Quechua communities in Pisaq, all of whom celebrate the diversity of the Andean potato in its center of domestication.

ONE AREA, 1,400 VARIETIES Quechua farmers in the nearby communities cultivate around 1,400 varieties of native potato in an area that covers 22,250 acres.

chain in emerging economies.

WPC President and Chief Executive Officer Romain Cools said the technical sessions were meant to inspire and help growers become agricultural entrepreneurs. And, indeed, the first speaker, David

Nowell, an agriculture officer for the FAO’s regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean, said FAO provides a global view of agriculture.

Nowell explained that FAO is looking at sustainable production for family continued on pg. 22

Attendees to the Potato Park Field Day were afforded the opportunity to share the communities’ experiences and knowledge of in-situ conservation and the development of the native Andean potato.

The WPC has expanded its international mandate with emphasis on promotion of the potato value Above: WPVGA Executive Director Tamas Houlihan served as WPC Award Committee Member Chairman and presented Industry Awards during a ceremony at the closing cocktail reception in the San Francisco Convent. The Awards recognized individuals who have devoted their life’s work to the potato industry. Flanked by Houlihan (far left in awards photo) and World Potato Congress President Romain Cools (far right), recipients were, from left to right, Dr. Anton Haverkort, an emeritus professor of Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands and current visiting professor at the University of Nigde in Turkey; Alberto Salas Lopez of the International Potato Center (CIP); and Dr. Gary Secor, professor of plant pathology at North Dakota State University.

Afterward, the Peruvians, true to form, danced, paraded, played instruments and generally put on a show in full regalia.

BC�T July 21

World Potato Congress. . . continued from pg. 21

farms and working toward a world without hunger. The challenges, he noted, are an ever-increasing population, climate change and sustainability, including natural resources and some large farms that are currently not sustainable.

Huub Schepers, a plant pathologist at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, explained that potato growers are often forced to select varieties that the market demands, and not necessarily those varieties bred for resistance to diseases such as late blight.

So, using best practices, what can growers do to select for late-blight and other disease resistance? Wild potato species might be one answer, said Dr. Ximena Cadima Fuentes, a researcher with the Foundacion PROINPA in Bolivia.

RAPID RESISTANCE Cadima Fuentes said conservation of wild potato species in natural habitats is important for continued evolution. Wild potatoes collected decades ago are useful to face the

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Both Nowell and CIP Director General Barbara Wells talked about the potato being the world’s third most important crop, if for no other reason than sheer tonnage—376 million metric tons produced annually—after wheat and rice.

So many themes and topics were covered, including the use of potato varieties to resist pests and diseases, and those resilient to climate affects and changes, improving nutrition and harnessing and supporting biodiversity.

In looking at Latin America, specifically, Cools said some of the production systems are thousands of years old and he challenged attendees to question how they could be improved.

He brought up food security, the Above: Peruvians dressed in traditional clothing demonstrated how potatoes are dug by hand during a Field Day at the Andenes Experimental Station-National Institute of Agricultural Innovation.

utilization of potatoes, productivity, nutrition and market access.

Wells said, by 2050, the world population will be 9.7 billion people and food production will need to increase 60 percent to meet demand.

A quarter of the current population is undernourished, and in Asia, one of out six people don’t get enough to eat.

There are hidden hungers, she added, including micro-nutrient deficiencies in Vitamin A and zinc. Potatoes, she explained, can be bio-fortified to provide those nutrients, and CIP has undertaken a biofortification program to deal with the issue.

POTATO BIOFORTIFICATION Elisa Salas Murrugarra of CIP agrees, and explained the potato biofortification program and how iron and zinc deficiencies in food cause anemia in people and children.

The biofortification program, she

said, has been able to develop a new base population of diploid potato varieties that achieve 27 percent genetic gain in iron and a 25 percent genetic gain for zinc. They took advantage, in part, she noted, of the agri-ecological diversity of potato in Peru.

Above: During the closing ceremony of the World Potato Congress, Vice Minister of Agrarian Policies, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, Juan Jose Risi Carbone (holding flag at right) congratulates Liam Glennon (left), president of the Irish Potato Federation, on Dublin, Ireland being chosen to host the 11th World Potato Congress, May 24-27, 2021.

continued on pg. 24

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World Potato Congress. . . continued from pg. 23

The potato, after all, is a basic food with high nutritional quality, said Darwin Moreno Echeverry from Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Columbia National University). And though drought is a major threat, he added, varieties resistant to biotic stress have the best yield.

Seemingly on cue, the National Potato Day Special Program, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Peru, took place in the Plaza Cusipata outside of the Cusco Convention Center where the WPC was held.

Peruvians celebrated the “Dia

24 BC�T July

Nacional de la Papa” (National Day of the Potato) on May 30, 2018, which proved a fitting and perfect way to closed out the 10th World Potato Congress.

Local growers, many dressed in traditional clothing, set up booths in the square to display the incredibly diverse varieties of potatoes grown in the area. Most varieties were meticulously labeled, and the pride of the potato growers showed through in their expressions and demeanors.

Perhaps that was the biggest takeaway from the World Potato

Current Page: The 10th World Potato Congress ended with a National Potato Day Special Program organized by the Ministry of Agricultural and Irrigation of Peru. The people of Peru took full advantage of the opportunity, dressing in traditional garb and showing off many of the 4,000 potato varieties grown in the country, all part of the National Day of the Potato (Dia Nacional de la Papa), May 30, 2018.

Congress, and an optimistic way to conclude the WPC, knowing that roughly 4,000 varieties of potatoes are being grown, preserved and cared for by Peruvians who take tremendous pride in their history and culture.

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Little Plover River Watershed Enhancement Begins WPVGA works with government and environmental groups to enhance the Little Plover River watershed

By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater The Little Plover River Watershed Enhancement Project (LPRWEP) is a multi-party collaboration convened by the Village of Plover and the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) to improve the health of the Little Plover River and the quality of life of the surrounding community.

The LPRWEP aims to use best available data and voluntary

conservation actions to achieve the following goals: • Increase the flow and improve the aquatic health of the Little Plover River • Improve surface and groundwater connections and water retention across the Little Plover River watershed • Alleviate storm-water-driven flooding

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• Improve and expand fish and wildlife habitat and public recreation opportunities and access “The WPVGA fully supports the Little Plover River Watershed Enhancement Project because it is the right thing to do,” states Tamas Houlihan, executive director of the WPVGA. “The project is important because the Little Plover River is an outstanding water resource located within the heart of a major potato and vegetable production area,” he adds, “and the WPVGA is happy to collaborate with all stakeholders to maintain and improve this watershed.”

“We have been working on issues related to the Little Plover River for many years,” Houlihan stresses, “and in April of 2017, the Water Task Above: One main goal of the Little Plover River Watershed Enhancement Project is to improve the flow of the Little Plover River. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Wetlands Association

cooperative efforts would be necessary to manage the use of groundwater to ensure sustainability for the environment, for farming interests and to meet the needs of our communities,” Mahoney explains.

The Village of Plover applied for several grants, including a $1.4 million Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust Grant and a $229,000 Wisconsin Habitat Partnership Fund Grant.

Through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) Partnership Program, the village was awarded $295,000, and a Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program agreement netted $14,500.

The village also received grant money from the DNR and the Portage County Land Preservation Fund to acquire 120 acres of land adjacent to the continued on pg. 28

Force [developed by the WPVGA to support the sustainable use of water resources] approved a funding request from the Village of Plover for approximately $64,000.”

The money helped launch the project and is being used to collaborate with the following partners: Village of Plover; the Wisconsin Wetlands Association; Montgomery & Associates; DeWitt, Ross & Stevens; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR); the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; Wisconsin Wildlife Federation; and others.

The LPRWEP is organized around these three principles:

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1. Restoring the health of the river requires an array of on-the-ground practices and voluntary landowner participation.

2. A balanced approach will maintain opportunities for urban development and meet the needs of municipal, agricultural, industrial and private water users.

3. Monitoring is essential to improve our understanding of local hydrology and the effectiveness of installed practices.

Village of Plover Administrator Dan Mahoney explains that, as a user of groundwater, the village recognized that its municipal wells affect the Little Plover River and watershed.

“The village also recognized that BC�T July 27

Little Plover River Watershed. . . continued from pg. 27

Village of Plover, an area now known as the Little Plover River Conservancy Area.

The Village of Plover has altered the pumping regimen of village wells to minimize impacts to the Little Plover River. “In the past,” Mahoney notes, “70 percent of the water pumped by the village wells was pumped from the two wells located within a quarter-mile of the Little Plover River.”

“The pumping regimen was changed several years ago so that now 70 percent of the village’s water is pumped from Well #3, which is located two miles away from the Little Plover River,” he adds.

28 BC�T July

WETLANDS & UPLAND PRAIRIE Potato and vegetable grower Myron Soik & Sons has agreed to sell approximately 70 acres of land to the Village of Plover. “This land will be converted from irrigated agriculture to wetlands and upland prairie,” Mahoney says.

“The village has been working with Bruce, Curt and Mark Soik, and the acquisition will result in the elimination of one high-capacity well in the headwaters of the Little Plover River,” he relates.

The anticipated sale/acquisition closing date between the village and Myron Soik & Sons is November 2018, and restoration efforts will begin late in 2018 and should be

completed by 2020.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Village of Plover have signed an agreement whereby USFWS will create wetland on a portion of the Little Plover River Conservancy Area in 2018 and will provide upland prairie planting seed for the Conservancy Area and the Soik property.

The Portage County Land Conservation Department will assist in this project, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must review and approve the restoration plan.

Above: No-till farming can increase water infiltration and improve soil health. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Conservation Service

In addition, the DNR and U.S. Army Corps must approve the proposed restoration plan for the Wisconsin Wetland Conservation Trust project on the Soik property.

“The primary goal is to protect the Little Plover River watershed and its associated streams, lakes and wetlands,” Houlihan remarks, “while promoting a sustainable agricultural industry.”

INCREASE FLOW “We plan to increase the flow of the river through wetland restoration, water conservation measures and floodwater/floodplain function improvement,” he adds.

resource issues in the Central Sands area, and the LPRWEP is leading the way in that effort.

SCIENTIFIC DATA “What is important in achieving the restoration objectives is the utilization of the strong scientific data that is being offered by the project’s engineer, by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, and the ground and surface water information from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural

History Survey,” Meyer says.

The Wisconsin Wetlands Association is a non-partisan, science-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the protection, restoration and enjoyment of Wisconsin’s wetlands.

“We need the right amount and right kinds of wetlands in the right locations in the Little Plover River watershed,” states Tracy Hames, continued on pg. 30

“We also plan to improve and expand wildlife habitat in the watershed for ecological benefits and increased public opportunity for outdoor recreation,” Houlihan says.

Other LPRWEP initiatives include the repair of leaky infrastructure, improved infiltration and previously mentioned activities to reduce water usage.

On-farm conservation practices such as cover crops, buffers and precision nutrient application help to retain soil, reduce runoff, increase infiltration and improve water quality. Implementation of on-farm conservation practices is underway now.

“I have been with the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation for 15 years as executive director,” says George Meyer. “The federation is an LPRWEP partner to improve the resource value of the Little Plover River, including its fish and wildlife habitat.”

“We support the project as a way for local stakeholders to address the broader surface and groundwater issues in the Central Sands,” he explains. “Our role is to serve on the steering committee and to assist in outreach efforts regarding project benefits and opportunities for public involvement.”

There is great need to solve water BC�T July 29

Little Plover River Watershed. . . continued from pg. 29

executive director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.

Hames says wetlands can be solutions to habitat, water quality, flooding and other issues communities face.

“Currently, we are looking at wetland restoration in three locations, all near the headwaters of the Little Plover River, east and west of Kennedy Avenue,” he notes. “We are looking at areas where wetland restoration will be most effective in helping manage water flow and provide fish and wildlife habitat.”

“We are available to help landowners who wish to voluntarily protect or restore wetlands on their properties,” Hames adds, “and we are emphasizing targeted outreach to landowners in specific areas to promote voluntary projects.”

In addition to the Myron Soik &

30 BC�T July

Sons wetland restoration and village conservancy projects, Hames said the partnership is working on a timber stand improvement project, a Barrens Habitat Restoration, on river channel and floodplain restoration and voluntary water, soil and habitation

Above: Restoration of wetlands helps improve the health and quality of the Little Plover River. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association

restoration projects on agricultural lands within the Little Plover River watershed.

NEIGHBORS WORKING TOGETHER “Watershed and landscape-scale restoration and care can only be achieved when neighbors work with neighbors,” he stresses.

Montgomery Associates has contracted with the Village of Plover to be the technical lead for the project and is collaborating with other project team members to plan strategies for Little Plover River flow restoration and habitat enhancement.

“We are also assisting with groundwater and surface water analyses, design, permitting and construction of specific projects identified by this strategy,” says Steve Gaffield, senior hydrologist at Montgomery Associates.

“We make a living helping people solve water resource problems, and we’re excited to work with a diverse group of partners motivated to solve a challenging and important issue,” he says.

With the ultimate goal being to balance public water supply with farming economy and tradition, and healthy natural resources, it is also an important example of how government, industry and nonprofits can work together to manage watersheds in a working landscape.

“I’m aware of a few other collaborations between these types of partners, but they’re not common enough,” Gaffield remarks.

“It can be challenging to collaborate with partners who have different perspectives and priorities. My hat’s off to the folks involved in the LPRWEP.” Houlihan says it’s not unusual for the WPVGA to work with conservation groups.

HISTORY OF COLLABORATION “We have a long history of seeking out and working collaboratively with a number of conservation

groups such as the World Wildlife Federation, the International Crane Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife and others,” he notes.

“Many WPVGA members are active environmentalists who truly love and appreciate the land and water upon which they work,” Houlihan says.

“We do believe this project can serve as a model and lead to other collaborative efforts in other areas of the state. It’s an extremely exciting project and I’m proud the WPVGA is a partner in it,” he states.

The project team will rely on a combination of modeling, site visits and best professional judgment to identify and prioritize the best opportunities to meet project goals.

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Landowner interest and the availability of cost share and technical support will also influence the types and locations of projects implemented.

Community and stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of this project. Members of the LPRWEP team are meeting with community leaders, landowners, technical experts and other stakeholders this summer and fall to talk about project goals, answer questions and discuss opportunities.

“This effort will never truly be finished,” Gaffield surmises.

“Maintaining a healthy watershed will take an ongoing commitment by the local community to manage the watershed, learn from successes and mistakes, and adapt.”

Your participation is welcome! Please direct inquiries, ideas and requests for meetings about the LPRWEP to Village of Plover Administrator Dan Mahoney at: dmahoney@ploverwi. gov, 715-345-5250.

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Marketplace

By Dana Rady, WPVGA Director of Promotions & Consumer Education

“Power Your Performance” is Becoming a Lifestyle For a little over a year, the focused message of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) has been to “Power Your Performance with Wisconsin Potatoes.” Even prior to that, the WPVGA has been supporting this cause through the “Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes” events that

take place each summer.

But what exactly does it mean to “power your performance with Wisconsin potatoes?”

For starters, it means to fuel your body with foods (like Wisconsin potatoes, among other healthy choices) that will give you the energy you need to power through

a physical activity. And that physical activity could be anything from running a marathon to going for a walk or spending time fishing on a Saturday afternoon.

“Powering your performance,” though, goes well beyond one event or one hour of physical activity.

FUELING THE BOD It really is all-encompassing to include giving your body the fuel it needs to power through every day, function at its peak performance both physically and mentally, to do what it was meant to do, which is to live and be present in life 100 percent of the time without getting worn down.

Above & Bottom Left: From left to right, Jessica Reblin, Julie Lampert, Elizabeth Gessert and Charlene Zagrzebski sport their “Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes” T-shirts at Walk Wisconsin on Saturday, June 2, in Stevens Point. There’s nothing better than seeing the finish line and getting a medal after a long walk/run. Photos courtesy of Julie Lampert

32 BC�T July

Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes Events Crazylegs Classic – April (past, but there’s always next year!)

Walk Wisconsin – June (see images from this year’s event) Pardeeville Triathlon – July 7 Point Duathlon – July 14 Antigo Tater Trot – Aug. 11 Waupaca Area Triathlon – Aug. 18 Silver Lake Triathlon – Aug. 25 This means that “powering your performance” is a lifestyle that requires consistency to be maintained.

to the fullest.

So, whether you are an elite athlete or simply trying to participate in a physical activity every day, work Wisconsin potatoes into your everyday meal plan both on a preand post-activity basis. And focus on “powering your performance” with the foods your body needs to live life

If you have a competitive spirit and haven’t participated in one of our Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes events, you should! Check out our event lineup and find one that fits your schedule.

If you’re interested in any of the upcoming Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes events, be sure to contact the WPVGA office at 715-623-7683,

Above: Carole Gagas of Gagas Farms, Stevens Point, simply said, “I finished!” after crossing the appropriately named finish line during the Walk Wisconsin event on June 2.

wpvga@wisconsinpotatoes.com.

If you’re a previous participant, watch for reminder emails about registrations and deadlines. It’s a great way to stay healthy and promote a fantastic vegetable! continued on pg. 34

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Marketplace. . . continued from pg. 33

Healthy Grown Spotlight:

Okray Family Farms Rarely, if ever, is there truly a dull moment in the world of farming.

From figuring out what Mother Nature has in store every year to marketing and keeping an eye on storage sheds throughout the shipping season, farmers have their

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It’s work that is visible to everyone around. Like Jim Okray of Okray Family Farms in Plover says, “Ag is unique in that what we do is seen by the public every day. There is no hiding.”

It was this reason and others that lead Okray Family Farms to join WPVGA’s Healthy Grown program in the mid-1990’s.

At the time, Okray says the farm was also looking for a way to “increase prices and returns with a brand

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Above & Below: Okray Family Farms conducted a prescribed burn on May 18, 2018, as part of the Healthy Grown program and restoring natural habitats on their land.

unique to the potato industry,” a brand that offered an alternative to organics.

Furthermore, the program had partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to showcase “green” concepts and attract customers with that mindset. In fact, it is the ecofriendly aspect of the program Okray says has been highly beneficial.

“For me, participating in the ecoenvironmental part of the program has been great. I think it gives farmers a chance to see beyond the fields and crops, and look at what else is on our farms,” Okray notes.

WHAT LIES BEYOND “I’d bet that a lot of farmers don’t realize what lies beyond the rows, so to speak,” he continues. “I think it deepens our connection to the environment around us.”

It’s a connection to the environment that is worth the time spent, which Okray says isn’t as much as one might think.

“Record keeping is required for other food safety audits, so we already do this. I guess the extra time is mostly spent attending Healthy Grown meetings a few times each year,” he explains.

This said, the program isn’t without its challenges. While Okray says it

hasn’t been difficult being a Healthy Grown grower, he admits the biggest challenge is promoting the program itself.

“Getting Healthy Grown out into the marketplace more is the challenge,” Okray states. “It takes a lot of money to build a brand, and we don’t have that.”

Above: This group worked on the prescribed burn at Okray Family Farms on May 18, 2018, promoting and restoring native plants and animal habitats to the land as part of the Healthy Grown program.

Pictured from left to right are: Rob Nurre, landscape specialist and volunteer; Calla and Ella Norris, sisters and students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Jim Shurts.

program to other vegetables and fruit would help with promotions, but that it would also be difficult to show

This said, he believes expanding the

continued on pg. 36

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value to those outside of the program.

CUSTOMER DRIVEN “Most changes I have seen are customer/consumer driven,” he says.

“If they start asking for us to grow food more sustainably, we can say we already are with Healthy Grown. That may boost participation/acceptance of Healthy Grown, which will survive as long as there is funding for it.”

And given the sometimes-hostile environment today’s farmers encounter with members of the public, Okray says strength in numbers, more participation in the Healthy Grown program and additions to the program’s requirement may not be bad things.

“Too many people think negatively of farmers and how we grow their food. This isn’t going away. Perhaps the addition of water management in the program will shed some light on how farmers manage this resource,” he proposes. “Water is becoming a lightning rod, and maybe Healthy Grown can be used to help our image as good stewards of the land.”

Finally, if you’re on the fence about whether to join the program, Okray says to give it a try.

Above: Landscape specialist and volunteer Rob Nurre lights underbrush to kill invasive plants at Okray Family Farms on May 18, 2018.

“Don’t be afraid of any extra work, or an inability to grow potatoes mostly how you do already. I spoke with a chemical dealer who still thought Healthy Grown was done the old way with toxicity unit reduction and bans on numerous products,” he relates. “I explained how [the program] is done now, and he was

surprised how it had changed.”

“He works with growers and needs to share this with them,” Okray concludes. “I think there are a lot of farmers who don’t understand how Healthy Grown is run today, and how much easier it is to be a Healthy Grown grower.”

Tom, Congratulations on your retirement.

Thank you for 30 years of loyal employment and friendship.

Your service to Jay-Mar and to Wisconsin’s potato and vegetable industry is an inspiring example to all of us. We’ll miss you, but we’re also very happy that you’ll have time to enjoy with Sue, Steve and Ella.

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36 BC�T July

Badger Beat Irrigation Wells Tested for Neonicotinoids Study looks at pesticide detections in Wisconsin and the Midwest

By Russell L. Groves and Benjamin Z. Bradford, University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology

Neonicotinoids are a popular and widely-used class of insecticides

whose water-soluble nature and 20-year usage history has led to questions about their potential to accumulate in the environment and harm local ecosystems.

Above: During the 2017 Antigo Field Day at the Langlade County Airport and Research Station, Antigo, Wisconsin, Dr. Russell L. Groves discusses insects that affect potato and vegetable crops.

When first registered in the United States, in 1995, these compounds promised increased efficacy, long-lasting systemic activity, lower application rates, low vertebrate toxicity and reduced environmental persistence.

imidacloprid (IMD), clothianidin (CLO) and thiamethoxam (TMX), making up over 90 percent of agricultural usage nationally.

All these attributes contributed to the rapid adoption and widespread use of this class of insecticides, which now account for over 25 percent of the entire global pesticide market.

Most neonicotinoids are registered for application as seed treatments, foliar sprays and in-furrow soil

Over 6.7 million pounds of neonicotinoid insecticides are now applied annually on 140 different crops in the United States, with the three most popular compounds,

continued on pg. 38

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drenches, with seed treatments and soil applications constituting 60 percent of agricultural usage.

Seed and soil application methods are an environmental concern because uptake rates of applied active ingredients have been reported as 2-5 percent in cotton, eggplant, potato and rice, and up to 20 percent in maize.

That means 80 percent or more of applied active ingredients remain in field soils, potentially resulting in offsite movement and environmental contamination.

Neonicotinoid compounds have reported soil half-lives measured in months to years depending on conditions such as temperature, depth and microbial activity (IMD: 100-1,230 days; CLO: 148-7,000 days; and TMX: 3.4-1,000 days).

The risk that these long field persistence times will translate into off-site movement of neonicotinoid compounds is further increased by the relatively high water-solubility rate of neonicotinoid compounds.

LEACHING RISK Indeed, laboratory and field studies have demonstrated a significant risk of leaching associated with soil and seed applications of neonicotinoid insecticides.

Emerging concern about neonicotinoid contamination has motivated the development of ecosystem- and regional-scale water quality surveys. Conservation groups have also raised calls for neonicotinoids to be banned or phased out due to the substantial ecological risks their continued use may pose.

Neonicotinoid residues have now

been documented in a variety of locations in and around agricultural fields, including in dusts exhausted during drilling of treated seed; pollen and nectar of treated plants; plant guttation fluid; soil; puddles; and surface water systems.

Recent reports of neonicotinoid detections in surface waters across the United States have revealed maximum imidacloprid detections as 3.29 µg/L (micrograms/ liter) in California, 6.90 µg/L in Massachusetts, 9.00 µg/L in South Carolina and 25 µg/L in Maryland.

One recent study reported clothianidin detections up to .257 µg/L in Iowa surface river systems.

Detections of thiamethoxam have been reported in South Dakota, Wisconsin and playa wetlands of the Southern High Plains of the United States.

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Neonicotinoid detections in surface water systems at these concentrations are concerning as aquatic invertebrates are key members of many freshwater ecosystems.

Some species are extremely sensitive to neonicotinoid insecticides, with acute toxicity endpoints reported down to 1 µg/L and chronic toxicity endpoints reported down to .1 µg/L. Similar aquatic invertebrate benchmarks for chronic exposure have been established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of their recent registration review of imidacloprid (EPA, 2016).

OTHER NEONICOTINOIDS EPA benchmarks also exist for the other commonly used neonicotinoids, including clothianidin (11 µg/L acute, 1.1 µg/L chronic), thiamethoxam (17.5 µg/L acute, no chronic benchmark listed), acetamiprid (10.5 µg/L acute, 2.1 µg/L chronic) and thiacloprid (18.9 µg/L acute, .97 µg/L chronic) (https://www. epa.gov/pesticide-science-andassessing-pesticide-risks/aquatic-lifebenchmarks-and-ecological-risk).

Currently these benchmarks are only advisory, and detections exceeding them will not result in any regulatory action. Yet, the benchmarks are helpful in evaluating potential ecological effects of environmental neonicotinoid detections in surface and groundwater.

In Wisconsin, groundwater monitoring efforts have been conducted by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Environmental Quality Section.

DATCP has regularly tested for select contaminants in private potable wells

and groundwater monitoring wells as part of its mission of monitoring and protecting water quality in the state.

monitor shallow groundwater for agricultural contaminants in locations deemed at elevated risk.

These samples encompass several ongoing survey efforts. Such include new private potable wells pending certification; private potable wells flagged for resampling due to past detections of chemicals exceeding enforcement standards (such as nitrates and the herbicide atrazine); and from static wells established to

In 2008, DATCP added tests for select neonicotinoids as a part of this groundwater monitoring effort in response to significant public concern among rural communities about the rapidly expanding use of this new class of insecticides and their potential for accumulation in continued on pg. 40

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Recent surveys in the Midwest have also indicated that neonicotinoid contaminants can be found yearround in 10 different tributaries of the Great Lakes spanning six states.

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groundwater resources (DATCP 2011, 2014).

These surveys revealed concentrations of one or more neonicotinoid compounds in dozens of test wells, with most detections occurring in the Central Sands and Lower Wisconsin River Valley (LWRV) agroecosystems.

In addition, similar concentrations of neonicotinoid active ingredients were also detected in water drawn from a small number of high-capacity overhead center-pivot irrigation systems used to water potatoes and processing vegetables.

The frequency of neonicotinoid detections specifically in the Central

Sands and LWRV agroecosystems suggested that further study of this area was warranted.

CROP PROTECTANTS A significant percentage of irrigated potato and processing vegetable production in Wisconsin occurs in the Central Sands and LWRV, and neonicotinoid insecticides are frequently employed as crop protectants by local growers.

In addition, the hydrology of these regions is characterized by sandy, fast-draining soils and shallow, unconfined aquifers that have been identified as being at an elevated risk of contamination, according to the Wisconsin Groundwater

Contamination Model (Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin - Map S16, WDNR, http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ landscapes/).

Our recent study was initiated to assess the magnitude, spatial extent and temporal dynamics of neonicotinoid contamination in groundwater in these regions at a higher spatial and temporal resolution than existed within the monitoring data available from state agencies.

To assess the extent of contamination, we performed a structured, multi-year study of neonicotinoid contamination in highcapacity irrigation wells distributed throughout the Central Sands and LWRV agroecosystems in Wisconsin.

Irrigation wells provide both a broad spatial sampling scale, can be sampled repeatedly during growing seasons and draw groundwater from deeper than the static test wells sampled by DATCP, potentially revealing the extent to which contaminants have permeated the underlying aquifers.

From 2013-2015, a total of 323 samples were collected from 91 unique high-capacity irrigation wells and tested for the presence of thiamethoxam using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (Fig. 1).

An estimated 67 percent of all samples were positive for thiamethoxam at a concentration above the analytical limit of quantification (.05 µg/L) and 78 percent of all wells tested positive at least once.

Mean detection was .28 µg/L, with a maximum detection of 1.67 µg/L. Five wells had at least one detection exceeding 1 µg/L. Figure 1: Illustrated are the estimated thiamethoxam concentrations detected among locations over the 2013-2015 sampling period in central and southern Wisconsin.

40 BC�T July

WELL DETECTS Furthermore, an analysis of the spatial structure of these “well detects” suggests that contamination profiles vary, with differences in mean detection levels observed in scales ranging from landscape (25 km [kilometer]) to farm (5 km) and individual well (500 meter).

The frequency of thiamethoxam detections in both shallow and deep wells throughout the study region underscores the need for growers to be judicious in the use of these chemicals when operating in areas at elevated risk of groundwater contamination.

In combination, frequent neonicotinoid detections in shallow field-edge monitoring wells, deeper high-capacity irrigation wells and private potable wells highlight the potential risk of agricultural

contaminants to appear throughout an entire aquifer underlying an intensive agroecosystem.

Neonicotinoids are popular and effective insecticides whose usage will likely continue to expand, absent regulatory action or the commercialization of next-generation insecticides.

Their usage is not currently considered a human health hazard, but it is becoming increasingly clear that neonicotinoids are easily mobilized into the environment after field applications.

Clearly, alternative cultural or chemical pest control strategies must be implemented to reduce neonicotinoid-related environmental impacts.

We hope that additional studies on groundwater contamination are

pursued in other at-risk areas to expand our understanding of water quality issues related to intensive agriculture.

References Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. (2014). 2014 Bureau of Agrichemical Management Annual Report.

Retrieved February 4, 2016, from: http://datcp. wi.gov/Environment/Water_Quality/ACM_Annual_ Report/2014_Annual_Report/Water_Quality/index. aspx.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2016).

Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides. Retrieved April 6, 2016, from: https://iaspub.epa.gov/apex/ pesticides/f?p=HHBP:home.

Huseth, A. S., & Groves, R. L. (2014). Environmental fate of soil applied neonicotinoid insecticides in an irrigated potato agroecosystem. PloS One, 9(5), e97081. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0097081 Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. (2011). 2011 Bureau of Agrichemical Management Annual Report.

Madison, WI. Retrieved from http://datcp.wi.gov/ Environment/Water_Quality/ACM_Annual_Report/ Water_Quality.

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Now News Tasteful Selections Continues Yearlong Fresh Campaign Bite-sized potatoes deliver great flavor and help customers keep menus fresh Tasteful Selections™, a specialty potato brand from RPE Inc., launched the third quarter of its yearlong Fresh campaign, beginning July 1.

The campaign provides insights and inspiration revolving around healthy, nutritious recipes and kitchen tips for more confident meal preparation.

“Bite-size potatoes are a family favorite, transforming everyday meals and delivering great flavor in a small bite,” says Tim Huffcutt, marketing director for RPE, exclusive marketer of Tasteful Selections.

“We are partnering with distinguished culinary experts to create versatile, inspirational dishes that satisfy a busy head-ofhousehold’s preference for simpler, convenient meals,” Huffcutt adds.

Tasteful Selections will continue its partnership with Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian Cynthia Sass, providing four videos with useful tips to keep your menu fresh.

CONTEMPORARY RECIPES Twelve new recipes will also be available from recipe developer

Annie Wang of Frites and Fries. These delicious and contemporary recipes will be available in a downloadable, sharable e-cookbook at http://www. tastefulselections.com/.

Over the course of the yearlong campaign, more than 50 recipes, videos and blogs will be introduced to help experienced and novice healthy food enthusiasts keep their menus fresh.

A value-added marketing plan is in place for all customers, including custom-created pre-filled shippers, social media graphics and content, recipe cards, blog posts from Cynthia Sass, informative infographics and videos, and much more!

Buyers, merchandisers and produce managers can receive more information by contacting an RPE sales representative for details.

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

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

Above: Annie Wang of Frites and Fries developed this recipe for a warm farro salad using spinach and Honey Gold Potatoes from Tasteful Selections.

42 BC�T July

Volm Acquires Atech Distribution Facility Colorado company has been selling and servicing Volmpack line of equipment fresh potato growing region in the United States. We believe that this higher “touch” frequency with our customers will help us better understand the needs and, ultimately, be able to offer a Volm total solution service to this very important area,” says Volm President & CEO Daniel Mueller.

Volm Companies, Inc., an industry leader in providing the highest-quality packaging and equipment solutions to the fresh produce industry, has announced that it has acquired the business of Atech, Incorporated in Monte Vista, Colorado.

Atech has been a longtime and valuable partner for Volm, representing the Volmpack line of equipment with a local sales and service model. Over the past few years, Atech had also been partnering with Volm in the distribution of packaging in the area.

With the acquisition, Volm will occupy the current Atech facility, a 7,200-square-foot warehouse set on approximately nine acres.

Through the acquisition, Volm plans to invest in resources and improvements at the location to offer a higher level of direct service for its customers in the San Luis Valley area, as well as provide for a regional Colorado hub to service those in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

“This purchase allows us to increase our presence in one of the largest

COLORADO PRESENCE “Having a physical presence makes sense for Volm because it makes sense for our customers,” Mueller adds. “We are very excited about this decision and certainly wish to thank Atech for their many years of representing Volm in this area.”

“In the last year, we’ve built a new state-of-the-art facility in Pasco, Washington, and opened the doors of Volm Canada in Ancaster, Ontario and Volm Mexico, in Mexicali, Mexico,” Volm Vice President of Sales & Marketing Matt Alexander notes.

“We feel it’s important that our customers across North America know our level of commitment to providing them with the level of service they deserve,” he says. “The added presence will now allow us to make this possible in this region.”

The Colorado facility is located at 1100 S. County Rd. 3 E, Monte Vista, Colorado.

For more on Volm Companies and company news, visit http://volmcompanies.com/category/news/ or follow them on LinkedIn and Facebook. continued on pg. 44

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Bailey Adams

Marcus Schroepfer

Dawson Knutson

Students Reap Rewards of Hard Work Scholarships go to top students whose immediate families are WPVGA members As part of their mission to promote the Wisconsin potato and vegetable growing industry through education, the WPVGA Associate Division and Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary raise funds through golf outings, membership dues, cookbook sales, potato booths and more to be able to present high-caliber students with scholarships.

The largest of the awards—the Avis M. Wysocki Memorial Scholarship— goes to the top candidate. It is funded not only through a silent auction the Associate Division holds during the Grower Education Conference & Industry Show, but also from a special contribution made by the Auxiliary.

Established in 2016, the Avis M. Wysocki Memorial Scholarship honors its namesake, who was a founding member of the Auxiliary and an integral part of the Wisconsin potato industry.

To remain objective, the names of the students are taken off their applications when the board members review and evaluate them, thus the awarding is done completely on the merits of the applicants themselves and the information they provided.

44 BC�T July

In all, the Auxiliary and Associate Division teamed to award seven deserving students whose families are members of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) with $8,555 in scholarships.

BAILEY ADAMS, winner of the Avis M. Wysocki Memorial Scholarship, is the daughter of Larry and Lisa Adams of Adams Farms in Stevens Point.

Enrolled as an agri-business and science technology major at Fox Valley Technical College for the fall 2018 semester, Adams carried a 3.468 cumulative grade point average in high school where she was active in 4-H and FFA. She hopes to learn skills in animal science and nutrition, integrated pest management, soil science, crop production, precision agriculture, and management and business planning.

MARCUS SCHROEPFER is employed

by Schroeder Bros. Farms in Antigo and is the son of David and Jolynne Schroepfer, and cousin of area potato growers Dan Wild, and Keith and Mike Wolter. Schroepfer is enrolled at the University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison as a dairy science major for the fall 2018 semester.

Schroepfer, who was also involved in FFA and 4-H, spent many years working on his family’s dairy farm and helping his mother with daily chores such as feeding calves. Last year, he took a job and worked at a 70-cow dairy farm, which he says was largely manual labor.

DAWSON KNUTSON is the son of Jerry Knutson, Oasis Irrigation and K&K Farms, and Kathy Jo Knutson.

An incoming freshman at UW-River Falls, Dawson is enrolled as an agribusiness major.

A member of the National Honors Society for three years, Knutson has been active in FFA since seventh grade and was treasurer during his senior year of high school.

He hopes to return home after college graduation to work as the third generation and future co-owner, with his brothers, of his family farm, growing it in acreage and employees.

MARIA FILTZ LEWANDOWSKI, daughter of Doris Filtz Lewandowski of Liberty Packing and Norman Lewandowski, is a soil and land management major at UW-Stevens Point with 51 earned college credits.

Lewandowski is a current dairy

Maria Filtz Lewandowski

Lucas Schroeder

farmer and member of the Rosholt FFA alumni, and is a longtime engaged member of the local agriculture community, whether it be with neighboring dairy farmers or potato and vegetable growers.

LUCAS SCHROEDER, son of Robbie and Susan Schroeder of Schroeder Brothers Farms Inc. in Antigo, is enrolled at UW-La Crosse as an agronomy major for the fall 2018 semester.

Achieving a 3.732 cumulative grade point average in high school, Schroeder job shadows Rick Parilek and has run irrigation for Tim Grall on Schroeder Brothers Farms. He hopes to someday return home and assist in managing and running the family potato farm.

TATUM HOULIHAN, daughter of WPVGA Executive Director Tamas

Tatum Houlihan

Houlihan and Paula Houlihan, member of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary, attends UWOshkosh as a graphic design major, where she carries a 3.4 cumulative grade point average and works at the financial aid office.

A gifted photographer and graphic designer, one of Houlihan’s “Oshkosh Scholar” book cover designs received an honorable mention in a contest, and she is currently designing an info graphic to be handed out for financial aid information, as well as a small postcard for fall application information.

Houlihan is designing an “Art History Minor” poster that has a chance to be exhibited to promote the new Art History Minor requirements at the college.

RILEY WORZALLA is the daughter

Riley Worzalla

of Angela Worzalla, Bushman Trucking, and Kevin Worzalla, and granddaughter of Ernie Bushman. An incoming freshman at Saint Norbert College in De Pere, Worzalla was heavily involved in FFA in high school where she held offices as president, vice president and vice president of public relations.

Worzalla’s family has been in the potato business for four generations, and she not only hopes to come back to her community as a dentist, but also to start her own hobby farm with goats and chickens.

Congratulations to all the scholarship winners whose worthy achievements and future goals have put them on the path to success and bode well for the future of Wisconsin’s ag industry. continued on pg. 46

BC�T July 45

Now News. . . continued from pg. 45

Join in on the 38th Annual Antigo Tater Trot 10k and 4-mile participants receive a five-pound bag of potatoes and T-shirt Area runners are gearing up for the 38th annual 10-kilometer (k) Tater Trot, which will take place Saturday, August 11, 2018 at City Park in Antigo, Wisconsin.

In addition to the 10k run, individuals of all ages may also participate in the 1-mile fun run or the 4-mile walk/run.

The 1-mile fun run starts at 8:30 a.m., followed by the 10k run at 9 a.m., and 4-mile walk/run at 9:05 a.m.

All events will be electronically timed.

Those interested in participating in any of the Tater Trot events can register online or print a mail-in registration form at www. antigotatertrot.com. Registration costs cover a five-pound bag of

potatoes and a T-shirt for the 10k and 4-mile participants.

Above: The 2017 Antigo Tater Trot 1-mile race begins.

Participants and supporters are invited to gather after the races to celebrate. An awards ceremony with door prize drawings for all

participants will follow in the park.

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All proceeds from the race will benefit the Antigo High School cross country/track teams and other community organizations. Since 1980, the Tater Trot has donated nearly $70,000 to area organizations involved in track and field events within the community.

Additional past recipients include the Antigo Park, Recreation & Cemetery Department; All Saints Catholic School; Peace Lutheran School; and the Unified School District of Antigo.

The 38th Annual Tater Trot is presented by Antigo Optimist Club, CoVantage Credit Union, and Volm Companies with help from the following Yukon gold and silver sponsors: Aspirus Langlade Hospital, The Shopper, Draeger Chiropractic & Laser Center, PrintWear, Hyland Lakes, Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, Insight FS, Subway, Community Health Foundation, Schroeder’s Gifts, Brickner’s of Antigo, JW Mattek & Sons, Waukesha Bearings and Dewans.

Wisconsin DATCP Announces 71st Alice in Dairyland Kaitlyn Riley will educate public about the importance of ag in Wisconsin Kaitlyn Riley has been chosen to serve as Wisconsin’s 71st Alice in Dairyland. As Wisconsin’s agriculture ambassador, Riley will work as a communications professional for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Her job will be to educate the public about the importance of agriculture in the state.

Riley, from Gays Mills, learned firsthand the passion and work ethic of Wisconsin farmers growing up on her family’s registered Jersey dairy farm.

Wanting to share agriculture’s story, she studied strategic communications and broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In college, she held officer positions with the Association of Women in Agriculture and Badger Dairy Club.

She also founded the university’s first agricultural radio talk show, “AgChat.”

After graduating with honors in May 2014, Riley served as the 48th Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs.

Professionally, she worked as the farm news director at WPRE-WQPC Radio in Prairie du Chien and as a multimedia journalist with WQOW News 18 in Eau Claire.

In May 2017, she returned to the family farm where she manages calf and heifer care. She continues sharing the stories of agriculture by freelance writing for Hoard’s Dairyman, and she volunteers with agricultural organizations such as the Crawford County Dairy Promoters, Crawford County Livestock Camp Committee and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation.

POSITIVE VOICE FOR AG “As Alice in Dairyland, I will give a positive voice to Wisconsin’s diverse

agriculture industry,” says Riley.

“Through my travels, I will learn from the many faces of agriculture to better educate urban and rural audiences about the importance of Wisconsin food, fuel and fiber production in our daily lives.”

Riley was selected at the culmination of three days of final interview events in Adams County. The events included agribusiness tours, speeches, a public question-and-answer session and media interviews.

The other candidates were: Kristen Broege, Janesville; Sydney Endres, Lodi; Alexus Grossbier, Elk Mound; Jacqueline Hilliard, Wisconsin Dells; and Megan Schulte, Hammond.

Riley started working as Alice on June 4. She succeeds 70th Alice in Dairyland Crystal Siemers-Peterman of Cleveland. As Alice, Riley will travel about 40,000 miles speaking at events and giving media interviews.

She will present lessons in more than 100 Wisconsin classrooms in partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.

A number of other Wisconsin organizations contribute to make Alice in Dairyland visible and recognizable to the public.

For example, Riley will wear a custom mink garment to promote Wisconsin’s fur industry, and she’ll drive an E-85 flex-fuel Ford Explorer to promote the state’s ethanol industry.

While working, Riley will wear a 14-carat gold and platinum brooch or tiara, both of which feature amethysts and citrines, which are gems indigenous to Wisconsin.

To schedule the 71st Alice in

Above: Kaitlyn Riley starts work as a communications professional for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture

Dairyland for an event or classroom visit, contact Program Manager Ti Gauger at 608-224-5115 or Ti.Gauger@wisconsin.gov. Follow Alice online at facebook.com/ DATCPAliceInDairyland or twitter. com/Alice_Dairyland.

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Auxiliary News

By Devin Zarda, vice president, WPGA

Summer is here and in full swing. The kids are out

of school, the crops are planted, and we’re hoping to get enough rain, but not too much. That’s not a tall order, right?

Well, we can hope and wish. But we need to rewind just a bit. Let’s go back to spring and the school year.

Why? We need to talk about the Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes program and our harvest parties!

Every spring for the last few years, the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary has facilitated 4th-grade classes in learning about Wisconsin potatoes. This year, we had over Above: Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary President Kathy Bartsch, front and center with back turned, addresses a 4th-grade class gathered in the Spudmobile during a Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes event.

Below: The May 23 Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes event included games, such as hot potato, potato on a spoon and potato sack races (shown). After this, the kids participated in trivia focusing on facts about Wisconsin potatoes.

48 BC�T July

80 classrooms and thousands of students participate in the Kids Dig Wisconsin Potatoes program.

Of these classrooms, a few were selected for harvest parties and Spudmobile visits.

On May 23, we visited Koenig Elementary School located in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The 4th graders who participated in the program were invited to visit the Spudmobile to start off their party.

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Auxiliary members treated the students to snacks and cookies featuring potatoes. Did you know that you can make cookies using potatoes? How cool is that?!

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BC�T July 49

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Recognize and Manage Powdery Scab

Management of the disease and exclusion of inoculum starts at planting

By Amanda J. Gevens, associate professor of plant pathology and UW-Madison Extension specialist, with contributions from Professor Emeritus Walt Stevenson

While powdery scab doesn’t develop in a potato crop until tuberization, management of the disease and exclusion of inoculum starts at time of planting.

The table on page 51 summarizes differences between common scab and powdery scab and was included in a 2009 fact sheet

by Walt Stevenson.

Powdery scab shares part of its name and some similarity in symptomology with common scab, but the two diseases are unique in nature and management. Both diseases can significantly reduce tuber appearance and quality.

CONTROL To prevent both common and powdery scab, practice rotation with non-susceptible crops. A three-tofour-year rotation is usually sufficient for common scab, but a rotation of at least six years is advised for management of powdery scab under Wisconsin conditions.

While the powdery scab pathogen can also vector Potato Mop Top Virus, we have not yet detected the virus in powdery scab-infected tubers from a Wisconsin field.

It’s important to avoid rotating with other root crops for control of common scab and to avoid using tomato in rotation with

potato to control powdery scab.

Control of weeds in the nightshade family is important for control of powdery scab.

Grow scab-resistant varieties. Potato varieties vary in their reaction to these two pathogens. None are immune.

Avoid planting potato seed pieces with symptoms of either common or powdery scab.

Carefully inspect seed potatoes for symptoms of powdery scab—we can help you diagnose this disease in the University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison Vegetable Pathology Lab or in the UW Extension Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic.

The best way to manage powdery scab is to keep inoculum out of your fields.

Above: Symptoms of potato powdery scab, shown here on red cultivars, include raised and corky lesions.

Far Left: Superficial lesions of common scab are evident on the exterior of a potato.

Left: Note the slightly raised circular powdery scab lesions and papery margins of lesions on the red-skinned potato tuber.

50 BC�T July

Causal organism(s)

Common scab

Powdery scab

Three species of bacteria cause common scab.

Various common names—russet scab, pitted scab, and acid scab—describe the symptoms or conditions of infection.

Protozoan pathogen Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea

Streptomyces acidiscabies S. scabies S. turgidiscabies

Alternate hosts for powdery scab include other members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) such as pepper, tomato, jimsonweed, and black nightshade.

Because of their threadlike habit, these bacteria resemble fungi more than they do other bacteria.

Yield loss

Manage soil moisture through irrigation. Make sure the crop receives sufficient moisture during tuber initiation to prevent common scab, but also be sure not to overirrigate if powdery scab has been a problem in the past.

To reduce the incidence of common scab, do not raise the pH level above 5.5 when liming the soil.

When common scab produces deep-pitted lesions, the marketability for both fresh markets and processing (chips and fries) is greatly reduced because of increased peeling requirements and quality losses.

Symptoms and infection timing

Bottom: Galls caused by the powdery scab pathogen are formed on a potato root.

Symptoms of common scab appear only on the tubers. Tubers are susceptible as soon as they begin to form. The severity of symptoms depends on a combination of the potato variety, the environment, and the aggressiveness of the infecting pathogen strain.

The pathogen produces a phytotoxin that induces symptoms including cell swelling and cell death. Initially, symptoms appear as a browning and swelling of affected cells.

Corky lesions typically have raised margins and slightly sunken centers. Individual lesions may spread to cover large portions of affected tubers.

Russet scab—At harvest, tubers may be covered with superficial tan to brown corky lesions.

Cull infected potatoes at harvest and do not put culled potato debris back on land where potatoes will be planted in subsequent years.

Top: Corky lesions are seen in a close-up view of common scab on a potato tuber.

Powdery scab lesions on tubers may serve as entry points for secondary tuber-rotting organisms. The powdery scab pathogen serves as a vector of the potato mop-top virus.

The scab pathogen can also infect table beet, carrot, parsnip, radish, turnip, and rutabaga crops, but it rarely has a significant economic impact on any of these crops.

If powdery scab-infected tubers are fed to livestock, do not use the resulting manure in potato fields because resting spores are not destroyed by their passage through the digestive tract.

Further information on cultivar resistance to powdery scab and to Potato Mop Top Virus, as well as performance of chloropicrin for powdery scab can be found by visiting: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/ publications/crops/potato-tuber-viruses-mop-topmanagement.

Infection may reduce yield and infected tubers will continue to lose moisture in storage.

Common scab does not normally lead to secondary rots while tubers are in storage.

Do not plant potatoes within two years of a manure application.

Fluazinam (Omega 500F) can help suppress powdery scab when applied in-furrow at time of planting.

Wisconsin has a special registration (24c) for this in-furrow application (expires 2020).

Common scab does not normally affect total yield but often significantly affects tuber appearance, reducing marketable yield.

Powdery scab affects potato tubers as well as roots, stolons, and young shoots before they break through the soil surface.

Infection of tuber lenticels and eyes first appears as purplish-brown slightly sunken lesions. Tuber lesions begin to swell and, at maturity, the tuber periderm ruptures, releasing masses of powdery spore balls.

Infection of roots leads to the development of milky white to tan galls up to 1 cm in diameter that eventually turn brown and release masses of powdery spore balls into the soil.

Root galls may be confused with the symptoms caused by the root-knot nematode.

Pitted scab—Tubers may have numerous depressions of varying diameter and depth beneath the surface.

Acid scab—Symptoms are similar to russet scab but occur at soil pH levels below 5.0.

Ideal conditions for infection

Longevity in soil

Disease spread

Young, rapidly growing potato tubers are most susceptible to infection. The primary route of infection is through young lenticels.

The pathogen enters the epidermal cells of roots, root hairs, stolons, young shoots, and tubers, where further development occurs.

Warm, dry soil conditions with soil temperatures above 72°F during tuber set and during rapid tuber development favor the disease.

Cool, moist conditions (52–65°F) and poorly drained soils favor infection.

The pathogen can survive indefinitely in soil and can be an important production problem at soil pH 5.5 and above, although acid scab can cause symptoms in soils with pH levels below 5.0.

Powdery scab can survive as resting spores in the soil for up to 6 years.

The common scab pathogen is both soil-borne and tuber-borne. It can be transported over long distances and introduced into new sites on infected seed pieces, equipment, and through human activity.

The pathogen is spread on seed tubers, and resting spores are moved to new sites in infested soil by equipment and human activity.

The resting spores can also survive passage through animal digestive tracts.

Under ideal conditions, multiple generations of infection and zoospore release can occur during a single growing season.

BC�T July 51

People Blazek Named Director of Farm and Industry Short Course Sixteen-week program prepares students for careers in agriculture & related fields The University of Wisconsin (UW)Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) has named Jennifer Blazek as the new director of the college’s Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC), a 16-week educational program that prepares students for careers in agriculture and related fields.

Blazek comes to CALS from the UW Cooperative Extension, where she has worked as an agricultural educator since 2011, first in Polk County and then in Dane County. In her educator role, she provided expertise and support to dairy and livestock farmers on a vast number of production and farm business management topics.

She also established educational programming for farm owners, managers and supervisors. This past year, she taught in the FISC program. Through this work, she has developed hands-on knowledge of the challenges Wisconsin’s agriculture industry faces, as well as the opportunities for future generations of farmers.

Spanish and English from UW–La Crosse. She also holds two master’s degrees from UW–Madison, one in Latin American Studies and the other in Agroecology, which involved working with Michel Wattiaux in the Department of Dairy Science.

“I am very excited to continue supporting Wisconsin agriculture through the Farm and Industry Short Course program,” says Blazek.

“I feel strongly about expanding FISC programming to meet the needs of both current and future farmers.”

ENGAGING FARMERS “I am looking forward to continuing the success of the program by building partnerships within the industry and working to engage farmers from all over the state,” she adds.

FISC offers over 30 courses in subjects including crops, dairy, meat animals, soils, agricultural engineering, farm business management, human relations and communications.

For the past 20 years, Blazek has also been involved in the management of her family’s farming operations, including serving as farm manager of a small dairy herd and co-manager of a small grass-fed beef herd.

Last year, approximately 100 students were enrolled in the program. The FISC director is responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the program, ranging from marketing, recruitment and admissions to academic policies, budgeting and strategic planning.

She earned bachelor’s degrees in

In recent years, the FISC curriculum

52 BC�T July

was updated and new certificates were introduced. A recruitment committee was also established to help grow student numbers from among rural and urban populations.

“We are excited to have Jennifer at the helm,” says Richard Straub, CALS senior associate dean.

“Her agricultural background and experience in educational programming put her in a great position to help the college evolve and develop the FISC program to stay current with the changing needs of our industry partners.”

Blazek’s FISC position started on June 11, 2018. She takes over for Cindy Fendrick, who has been serving as interim director of FISC since December 2017, when Jessie Potterton resigned from the director position.

FISC was established in 1885. It is the oldest program of its kind in the nation.

Wassarman Appointed CALS Associate Dean The college offers over 70 academic programs to 4,500 students Karen Wassarman has been appointed associate dean for academic affairs in the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).

In this role, Wassarman will be charged with guiding and overseeing the college’s student services and academic programs, including undergraduate majors, Farm and Industry Short Course, continuing education and international student activities.

Wassarman, a UW-Madison bacteriology professor, has been a faculty member in the Department of Bacteriology for over 16 years.

During that time, she has maintained a highly successful research program, embraced undergraduate classroom teaching, mentored research and engaged in service to the department, college, university and beyond.

“Karen brings valuable experiences in the classroom and the laboratory to this leadership position at a time when how we educate students continues to change swiftly. Her experience will be valuable as the college considers how to best meet the needs of our students into the future,” says CALS Dean Kate VandenBosch.

Wassarman earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Williams College, and her Ph.D. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University.

She held postdoctoral positions at the University of California at San Francisco and at the National Institutes of Health.

In the lab, Wassarman’s research program utilizes molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches to study bacterial small RNAs and how they function. In the classroom, she is responsible for teaching Microbiology 470: Microbial Genetics and Molecular Machines.

Over the years, Wassarman has also gained academic administrative experience. She is co-chair of the university’s biology major, one of campus’ largest majors, and director of the bacteriology department’s master’s degree program.

She has also served on the CALS Academic Planning Council for more than six years. Through these service activities and her own teaching, she has gained experience and been inspired by dealing with curricular challenges that require creative solutions.

RICH ACADEMIC EXPERIENCES “At this point in my career, my

passion centers on the academic mission of our institution and the desire to engage faculty, staff, administrators and students to ensure that we provide rich and fulfilling academic experiences to all of our students,” says Wassarman, “providing opportunities and support for them to launch or continue successful careers.”

The associate dean of academic affairs provides leadership for the CALS Office of Academic Affairs, which oversees academic program development and assessment, student advising and student recruitment with approximately 25 staff. continued on pg. 54

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

BC�T July 53

People. . . continued from pg. 53

The college currently offers over 70 academic programs, with an enrollment of approximately 3,500 undergraduate students, 850 graduate students, and 100 Farm and Industry Short Course students.

The overall CALS instructional budget is $18.8 million.

With the college in the process of an Organizational Redesign project and an effort to position CALS for future success, Wassarman sees an opportunity to assess CALS

academic programs and help them evolve to better reflect current and future needs, as driven by scientific advancement and career options.

She’d like to see undergraduate majors become more interdisciplinary and collaborative, she says, including redefining and invigorating CALS capstone experiences.

“I will strive to stimulate and foster an atmosphere that promotes constructive, ongoing discussions about how to best meet the academic

needs of all of our students, our communities and our stakeholders,” she says. “I look forward to helping the college implement these changes, while balancing costs in the context of a challenging fiscal environment.”

Wassarman assumed the role of associate dean of academic affairs on June 1. The position was previously held by Sarah Pfatteicher, who left UW-Madison for a job at Five Colleges consortium earlier this spring.

Industry Veteran to Help Boost Idaho Potato Sales Article reprinted from, and with permission of, The Produce News The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is preparing for an expanded sales push both in the United States and abroad with the addition of Ross Johnson as the new IPC international marketing director.

potato marketing efforts. “Ross is fully up to speed on both the Asian and Latin American potato markets, where we continue to see strong growth potential in both our existing and emerging markets,” says Pemsler.

“We know international opportunities to drive higher Idaho potato sales are exponential,” says Johnson, whose experience includes leading domestic and international marketing programs at Potatoes USA, along with management positions at Kraft and ConAgra.

RESEARCH-BASED STRATEGIES “He’s also going to bring truly innovative ideas to our programs for U.S. retailers—research-based strategies for driving even higher sales for these premium-brand potatoes that American consumers love,” Pemsler says.

“There is a lot of opportunity for international growth and for educating retailers on the importance of the Idaho potato in their produce departments,” he adds.

“Ross has the perfect background for the international marketing director position—potato industry experience, exceptional work ethic and the knowledge and skills to build awareness of the Idaho potato brand around the world,” remarks Frank Muir, president and chief executive officer of IPC. “We look forward to having him be a part of the team.”

Johnson will also lend his consumer research expertise to U.S. retail programs, focusing on data and category management. “My hope is to bring more action-oriented ideas to domestic retailers to grow their departments, using fact-based data,” he says.

Seth Pemsler, IPC vice president of retail and international, sees Johnson as a tremendous asset for both domestic and international Idaho 54 BC�T July

Based in the Eagle office, Johnson will work with IPC’s international offices for Latin America, Southeast Asia and Greater China, which help facilitate connections among Idaho potato shippers and foreign trading partners, along with creating and executing

marketing promotion programs and offering ongoing marketing support, such as chef training and in-store sampling.

Idaho’s top fresh potato export markets for 2017 were Canada, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guatemala and Panama.

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Florida Southern College and is an avid baseball fan in his spare time. His favorite way to chow down on Idaho spuds? Baked, of course, and topped with plenty of Hormel bacon, cheese and butter.

EYES ON ASSOCIATES

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

How about those

Milwaukee Brewers? In the summertime, some of my personal hobbies include fishing, coaching my kids and following the Brew Crew.

When any team you really care for starts to “turn things around,” it can be exciting, and this year is exciting!

This past Christmas, my wife and I bought our kids a Brewers package that includes six home game tickets, “Brewers on Deck” tickets (to meet the players), and a whole bunch of other Brewers-related items.

Pretty cool, right? So, we have been on board with the Crew this year following their every move. Could this be their year?

By the time this article gets out for everyone to read, I will have been to Canada on our annual fishing trip.

Every time we go up there and I get back, fishing on the Wisconsin river doesn’t seem that great anymore.

This year, we are going back to Lake

of the Woods near the northwest angle of Minnesota. As I mentioned before, I like being outdoors, so camping on an island for a week is my own way to decompress for a while before returning to the real world.

NICE TO BE HOME After spending my time in Canada eating walleye morning, noon and night, I admit, I will be looking forward to getting home and throwing a big steak on the grill.

Like my grandma always said, “It’s great to leave, but it’s always nice to get home.”

Lastly, this will be the second year in a row that I’ll be missing the Spud Seed Classic! I’ll be the first one to tell you that I’m not too happy about that. Hopefully my team of Ron Krueger, Dale Bowe and Tamas Houlihan can make do without my wicked slice.

After golfing with Krueger for the past five years, he has been more than

adamant about explaining to me that I don’t have to swing as hard as I can … every single time.

Thanks for those lessons, Ron, but for some reason, after a few beers, I can’t seem to get that through my head. I’m pretty sure one time I swung so hard that my shoe fell off.

You mean Tiger Woods doesn’t do that?

Just a reminder to all readers, whether growers, university researchers or ag industry professionals, please remember to support WPVGA Associate Division members whenever doing business or bidding out jobs. By supporting each other, we make the potato and vegetable growing industry stronger.

Thank you.

Cheers,

Casey Kedrowski

WPVGA Associate Division President

WPVGA Associate Division President Casey Kedrowski says he’s not too happy about having missed the 2018 Spud Seed Classic golf outing, June 22. His only consolation, he adds, was knowing his team of Ron Krueger (blue shorts and shirt), Dale Bowe (white shorts and yellow shirt), each driving a ball at the 2017 Spud Seed Classic, and Tamas Houlihan could make do without his wicked slice.

BC�T July 55

New Products Tong Mobile Grader Sorts Dirty Crop The Caretaker optical sorter replaces manual removal of stones and clod from potatoes Since Tong Engineering launched the option of integrated optical sorting with its market-leading grading machine, the Caretaker, back in 2016, the inclusion of advanced optical sorting on dirty grading systems has been a welcome addition.

Introduced to offer potato and vegetable growers and processors automated optical sorting of dirty crop, Tong has been giving the option within its Caretaker mobile grader and static grading lines as an alternative to traditional manual inspection facilities.

The optical sorter for dirty crop can be set up as a stand-alone unit or within a complete intake grading line to replace manual removal of stones and clod from crop.

And now, after almost two years in daily action sorting up to 40 tons of potatoes per hour, the optical sorter has proven itself to be invaluable.

“One of our most recent Caretaker installations that features the optical sorting system is for a large potato grower and processor in France, where the integrated optical sorter is working very well on dirty crop,” explains Charlie Rich, export sales manager at Tong Engineering.

“The addition of the optical sorter, which is built on the Caretaker’s heavy-duty chassis, has meant that they are now achieving very consistent and reliable removal of debris from crop without any manual inspection, and at high capacities,” Rich says.

WORKS ON UNWASHED CROP When specified as an option on the 56 BC�T July

Tong Caretaker grader, the optical sorting unit is fitted in place of a standard inspection table, working accurately on unwashed crop, separating foreign material from crop.

sorting of washed crop with the increasingly popular Visar optical sorter, the removal of stones and clod from dirty crop still remains a somewhat manual process for most,” he says.

Using the latest camera technology, the optical sorter scans all items while in-flight to identify and separate crop from clod, stones and foreign objects like wood, plastic, glass, bone, rubber, metal and more. The machine offers effective separation for a wide range of potato varieties, including main, seed and processing crop.

“This new optical sorting option now offers growers and fresh-pack companies a fully automated system for consistent removal of stones and clod from unprocessed crop,” Rich adds, “which essentially removes the need for inspection staff at this stage in the process.”

“Growers and packers are continuously looking to increase the efficiency and productivity of their handling systems, with a definite focus across the industry on labor and its associated costs,” Rich says.

“While we are offering carrot and potato processors advanced optical

“The new optical system, coupled with our latest Pro-Series Auto-Touch HMI control system, is bringing next generation automation to the intake crop handling process for increased productivity and consistency while significantly reducing labor requirements,” he concludes.

For more information contact Carole Metcalfe at Tong Engineering, phone: 01790 752771, or email carole.metcalfe@tongengineering.com.

Gow Group Offers Aluminum Trailer Inserts Easy to load and unload, inserts are available for 48- and 53-foot trailers GOW Group Inc. is pleased to introduce its aluminum trailer inserts available for 48- and 53-foot trailers.

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Contact Gow Group Inc., attention Marco Gagnon, 506-473-3133, marco@gow.ca.

THE #1 WRITER OF FARMS IN WISCONSIN IS REWARDING POLICYHOLDERS Introducing the Rural Mutual Farm Dividend Program

To g.

Kee p Wisconsin Stron

For more information about the farm dividend program and how you may qualify, call 877-219-9550 or contact your local Rural Mutual agent.

Rural Mutual Insurance Company

www.ruralins.com/farm-dividend BC�T July 57

WPIB Focus

Wisconsin Potato Industry Board Members Reelected Three WPIB Board of Directors members up for re-election retain their positions

Wisconsin potato growers re-elected three directors whose terms were up for review to the state’s Potato Industry Board (WPIB).

Re-elected in District 1 is John T. Schroeder, Antigo; District 2, Dick Okray, Plover; and District 3, John Bobek, Markesan. The directors will serve three-year terms that started July 1, 2018.

Okray retains his position as vice president of the WPIB, while Bobek and Schroeder stay on as directors.

The three districts involved in the election represent the following counties: District 1 – Ashland; Barron; Bayfield; Brown; Burnett; Chippewa; Clark; Door; Douglas; Dunn; Eau Claire; Florence; Forest; Iron; Kewaunee; Langlade; Lincoln; Marinette; Menominee; Oconto; Oneida; Pepin; Pierce; Polk; Price; Rusk; Sawyer; St. Croix; Taylor; Vilas and Washburn District 2 – Marathon; Outagamie; Portage; Shawano; Waupaca and Waushara District 3 – 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 The nine-member Wisconsin Potato Industry Board is responsible for overseeing the collection and use of about $1.8 million in assessment fees paid by Wisconsin potato growers.

The money is used to support the industry through research, market development and consumer education.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer

Above: Your 2018 Wisconsin Potato Industry Board (WPIB) is, back row, left to right: Andy Diercks, Cliff Gagas, John Bobek, Tom Wild and John T. Schroeder; and front row, left to right: Treasurer Keith Wolter, President Heidi-AlsumRandall, Vice President Dick Okray and Secretary Bill Wysocki. The three members whose terms were up for review and who were re-elected to the Board are Okray, Bobek and Schroeder.

Protection (DATCP) administers elections for the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board and other commodity marketing boards in the state.

To learn more about the market order boards, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/About_Us/ MarketingBoards.aspx.

Wisconsin Potato Assessment Collections: Two-Year Comparison Month

Jul-16

Aug-16

Sep-16

Oct-16

Nov-16

Dec-16

Jan-17

Feb-17

Mar-17

Apr-17

May-17

Jun-17

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,596,377.06

706,549.4

1,283,527.92

2,874,985.48

3,531,201.37

1,995,664.44

3,035,619.25

2,285,371.71

2,515,966.21

2,349,690.78

2,289,738.80

24,464,692.42

Assessment

$96,214.65

$46,392.12

$87,862.17

$200,067.53

$246,554.05

$139,662.51

$212,457.84

$160,044.60

$175,977.76

$164,565.93

$160,266.08

$1,690,065.24

Jul-17

Aug-17

Sep-17

Oct-17

Nov-17

Dec-17

Jan-18

Feb-18

Mar-18

Apr-18

May-18

Month

Jun-18

Year-to-Date

CWT

1,396,699.63

728,925.87

1,091,193.52

2,115,859.48

3,758,248.10

1,577,177.03

2,869,518.15

1,938,094.28

1,676,991.72

2,661,244.48

1,700,576.23

21,514,528.49

Assessment

$97,708.18

$51,117.39

$76,383.31

$148,116.2

$263,042.39

$110,407.00

$200,922.03

$135,724.59

$117,359.95

$186,163.34

$119,135.25

$1,506,079.63

Potatoes USA News

Potatoes are Perfect Meal Kit Ingredients According to Nielsen Company, nine percent of Americans say they’ve purchased a meal kit in the last six months—that’s 10.5 million households. And 25 percent of consumers say they would consider trying a meal kit in the next six months, or more than 30 million households!

What better potato ingredients to utilize in meal kits than dehydrated formats?

Because of their popularity, versatility and cost-efficiency, potatoes are the perfect meal kit ingredient. To get the word out to this growing market, Potatoes USA recently mailed meal kit-inspired materials to 25 leading meal kit companies.

The potato-filled package includes a welcome letter, dehydrated potato product information, meal kit-friendly recipes (each utilizing a different form of dehydrated potatoes) and samples of the ingredients themselves.

A potato-friendly spatula with the

Potatoes USA logo and a USB flash drive containing videos of chefs preparing delicious dishes using dehydrated potatoes rounded out the box.

The meal kit mailer is intended to introduce potatoes as an ideal ingredient to culinary professionals

and inspire them to work one-on-one with Potatoes USA to create unique dishes that will keep their meal kit customers happy.

Potatoes USA will follow up directly with recipients of the kits and continue to track the growth of this segment.

U.S. and Indonesia Sign Market Access Agreement On June 5, 2018, the United States and Indonesia reached a market access agreement that will allow U.S. fresh potatoes to be exported to Indonesia under a defined set of phytosanitary requirements.

growing from certified seed potatoes, taking actions to address any potential pests of concern and sprout inhibiting the potatoes prior to export.

formal market access. U.S. exports of potatoes and products to Indonesia were valued at $27 million in 2017.

The agreement comes after four years of discussions and will include both U.S. chipping potatoes for further processing and table-stock potatoes for direct consumption.

Potatoes produced in all U.S. states are included in the agreement.

Importers in Indonesia will be required to obtain an import permit prior to export. The agreement also identifies which ports of entry will be equipped to receive US potatoes.

Full details on the protocol will be circulated to fresh growers and shippers.

The U.S. potato industry thanks the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture’s Agency of Quarantine for their dedicated efforts to reach this agreement.

U.S. potato growers and exporters will need to follow the requirements in the protocol to ensure Indonesia’s quarantine security. This includes

Indonesia is a market of 261 million people and is the largest market in Southeast Asia to which U.S. fresh potatoes had not previously secured

The U.S. potato industry looks forward to providing Indonesia consumers high-quality U.S. fresh potatoes.

BC�T July 59

Mapping Cropland UW-Madison plays critical role in worldwide agricultural map

By David Tenenbaum, University of Wisconsin-Madison University Communications A global collaboration has released a satellite-based map of world croplands that “found” 625 to 875 million acres that were not known to national agricultural authorities.

Farmland, the project found, covers 4.67 billion acres, about 1.9 times the total area of the United States.

The computer-generated map grew from four years of work by the NASAfunded Global Food Security-Support Analysis Data @ 30-m (GFSAD30) project.

60 BC�T July

Mutlu Ozdogan, an associate professor of environmental studies and wildlife ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was a co-principal investigator with GFSAD30, says the goal was to use NASA data to make and distribute products with societal purposes.

“We are creating a detailed database of landscape information on plots that are just 30 meters [about 100 feet] square,” Ozdogan says. “Now we can say, for example, ‘This plot grows crops, and it’s always irrigated.’”

“So, we can calculate how much food can be produced on any given tract, region or nation, and how much irrigation water will be needed,” he continues. “And we can estimate how climate change and other environmental variables will affect that output.”

NASA’s interest is global food security, Top: The broad swaths of agricultural activity shown in green reflect weather, climate, geography, soil type and other natural elements and phenomena, and are best seen from a polarorbiting satellite like Landsat. Photo courtesy of the GFSAD30 project

Ozdogan says. “This product can be used by agencies concerned with food supply as the population grows from 7.6 billion people today to a projected 10 billion by year 2050.

The existing global data has been unreliable or outdated,” he notes.

MORE CROPLAND Overall, the study found that cropland is 15 to 20 percent larger than previous estimates, which is based on national statistics gathered with varying techniques and accuracy.

GFSAD30 relied on Landsat 7 and 8 satellite imagery that studied pixels 30 meters on a side, which is by far the highest resolution of any global agricultural dataset.

With a few clicks, a user can drill down from a continent-sized map to a particular village, valley or farm field.

“The map clearly shows individual farm fields, big or small, at any location in the world,” says Prasad Thenkabail, a research geographer at the U.S. Geological Survey and principal investigator for the project.

“Given the high resolution of 30 meters and .09 hectares [.23 acres] per pixel, a big advantage is the ability to see croplands in any country and sub-national regions, including states, provinces, districts, counties and villages,” Thenkabail details.

on the project.

The satellites detected several wavelengths of light in each pixel.

“Say we are looking at a field,” Ozdogan proposes, “how does the intensity and nature of the infrared light change at different times of the year?”

ATTUNED ALGORITHM “A crop changes very quickly from planting through growing and harvesting, while a forest changes very slowly,” he says. “We use an algorithm that is tuned to these characteristics, using observations continued on pg. 62

Specialty Crop Yield Documentation Do you monitor and document your yield on your potatoes and other specialty crops?

The new map identified cropland growing feed, food, fiber, permanent orchards like fruit or olives, but not grassland, says Ozdogan, who worked with graduate student Aparna Phalke Above: Green shows irrigated cotton farms around the Aral Sea in Central Asia. These farms are irrigated by rivers that fed the sea, which is running dry and heavily polluted with agricultural chemicals. “This detailed map illustrates the utility of satellite mapping for assessing current and future needs for irrigation water,” says Mutlu Ozdogan, a co-principal investigator on the GFSAD30 project. This area, once part of the Soviet Union, is on the KazakhstanUzbekistan border.

Call your R&S Representative to find out how!

Precision Farming

OLUTIONS

BC�T July 61

Mapping Cropland. . . continued from pg. 61

from the satellites.”

to recognize farmland,” he says.

The dataset is enormous, and calculations are performed on Google’s “Earth Engine,” Ozdogan explains.

Accuracy is key, he adds, explaining, “The total project performed about 18,000 ‘ground-truthing’ efforts, where in many cases experts visited particular pixels to check the categorization.”

“Google has invested in satellite processing; they downloaded all Landsat data to their servers and hold it on spinning disks, and their engineers have built tools to analyze these massive datasets using parallel processing,” he says.

Ozdogan’s programming uses machine learning to fine-tune that processing.

“We have trained the software to look for agriculture, using principles of neural networks and decision trees

70 No. opy | Volume $18/year | $1.50/c

THE VOICE OF

O WISCONSIN'S POTAT

6 | JUNE 2018

TRY & VEGETABLE INDUS

LTY HARVEST & SPECIARS ISSUE VEHICLES/TRACTO

Later analyses of the Landsat data will concern: • How many times a field is cultivated per growing season; • The identity of eight major crops, including corn, soybeans, rice and wheat; and • Whether the plot is irrigated One-fifth of world cropland is irrigated, which boosts yield and may

Badger Common’Tater

THE VOICE OF THE WISCONSIN POTATO & VEGETABLE INDUSTRY

INTERVIEW:

Paul Cieslewicz y Owner, Sand Count

Equipment, LLC

Prairie, MN, Boys, LLC in Parkers Equipment. harvested at Farm Burbanks are from Sand County d 674 harvester using a Lockwoo

62 BC�T July

ADO SEQUE NCED: COLORe Potato Beetle Genom O INDUS TRY WISCO NSIN POTAT ment Assess Board Increases PASSE S GOV. WALK ER ds Law Wisconsin Wetlan SOFTWARE UNIVERSITY-BUILT en Runoff Helps Prevent Nitrog LAND ALICE IN DAIRY Ag Optimistic About

even make farming possible, but also raises several environmental and infrastructure issues.

“India is the number one irrigator in the world, but it doesn’t know exactly how much area is irrigated; a lot is informal and not reported in countylevel statistics,” Ozdogan says.

Most agricultural policies, such as the deployment of extension workers, “result from decisions that are based on samples, not the whole picture of farmland,” he stresses.

“This new wall-to-wall map can help governments apportion resources,” Ozdogan concludes. “It also lends itself to additional ways of analyzing data, including some that have yet to be discovered.”

Subscribe Today!

Whether you are a grower, industry partner or simply enjoy rural life, sign up to receive this prestigious publication in print version, delivered direct to your mailbox for $18/year (12 issues). wisconsinpotatoes.com/blog-news/subscribe

NPC News NPC Applauds Introduction of Product Labeling Bills

Above: A couple uses a cell phone to scan and read a smart label on canned goods in a grocery store. Image courtesy of the Coalition for Accurate Product Labels, www.accuratelabels.com

Accurate Label Act ensures science-based criteria in product labeling The National Potato Council (NPC) joined more than 60 organizations representing farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and retailers in supporting the Accurate Labels Act, introduced June 7, 2018, by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Kurt Schrader (D-OR).

“The potato industry strongly supports this common-sense legislation. Consumers should be provided with information they can trust about the products they purchase,” says NPC Executive Vice President and CEO John Keeling.

“Verifiable science-based information should be the foundation of these disclosures,” Keeling adds.

The legislation will amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act to: • Ensure consumers have access to clear, accurate and meaningful

product labels; • Establish science-based criteria for all state and local labeling requirements that exceed current federal standards; • Allow state-mandated product information to be provided through smart phone-enabled “smart labels” and on websites; • Ensure that covered product information is risk-based; and • Maintain current federal laws related to allergens, nutrition facts and medicines The National Potato Council is a member of the Coalition for Accurate Product Labels (www.accuratelabels.com), which advocates for meaningful, sciencebased information about the products consumers buy and use. continued on pg. 64 BC�T July 63

NPC News. . . continued from pg. 63

DOT Agrees with Industry on Hours-ofService/Electronic Logging Device Changes On May 31, major new guidance was announced on the ELD (Electronic Logging Device) mandate and Hoursof-Service issue that should lessen some of the burden on agricultural operations.

In the release, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) agreed with NPC’s position that packinghouses, cold storage facilities and other loading areas should be considered the “source” of an agricultural commodity.

“This clarification is extremely important, as the 150 air-mile exemption can only begin at such a source. If they had determined that

only individual farms would qualify, it would have diminished the value of this very important exemption for our industry,” says John Keeling, NPC CEO. With the May 31 ruling, it makes clear that trucks are exempt from the Hours-of-Service regulations for the first 150 air-miles after picking up an agricultural commodity at its source.

Additionally, FMCSA stated that unloaded trucks traveling inbound are also exempt when they reach 150 miles from the point of pick-up.

This means such trucks can travel a combined total of 300 air-miles (150 miles inbound and 150 miles outbound) under exempt status.

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Ali's Kitchen

Patatas Bravas “Sono un Favorito” Among Tapas Jalapeno cilantro sauce and smoky garlic aioli are “condimenti molto deliziosi” Column and photos by Ali Carter, Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Lunch at our house occasionally becomes a hodge-podge of tapas spread across our countertop. We all gather around the bowls and plates, pick and choose what we want from the selection before us, and chat about the afternoon ahead.

I love these mealtimes!

With their versatility, potatoes are almost always in the mix on days such as this, and Patatas Bravas are a favorite. With a change in seasonings, or by topping the roasted potatoes with different sauces, we have endless possibilities. continued on pg. 66

Patatas Bravas 3 pounds little red potatoes (washed and cut into quarters) ¼ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin Salt and pepper to taste C hopped cilantro (for garnish, optional)

Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce 5 jalapeno peppers (seeded and roughly chopped) 2 cups fresh cilantro ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 1/8 teaspoon salt ¼ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar Juice of one lime BC�T July 65

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Ali's Kitchen. . . continued from pg. 65

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DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water to about 1 inch above the spuds. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.

Boil for 5 minutes and then drain the water from the pot.

Nelson’s Vegetable Storage Systems Inc.................... 22

With the potatoes remaining in the pot once drained, add the olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir well to coat the potatoes with the seasonings and oil.

Noffsinger Mfg. ............................ 21

Carefully lay the hot potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the spuds are golden and crispy.

Riesterer & Schnell....................... 61

For the Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce Combine all ingredients into a food processor and puree. Scoop the sauce into a serving dish and set aside.

For the Smokey Garlic Aioli Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Smokey Garlic Aioli ½ cup mayonnaise 1 garlic clove (grated) 1 teaspoon lime juice 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

To Serve Pile the roasted potatoes into a serving bowl and drizzle them with both the Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce and the Smokey Garlic Aioli. Sprinkle the top with fresh chopped cilantro leaves for garnish. Place the bowls of extra sauce on the side for dipping.

Enjoy!

66 BC�T July

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© 2017 Lindsay. All rights reserved. Zimmatic and FieldNET are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Lindsay Corporation and its subsidiaries.

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