INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Jerry Wright, UPGA President/CEO

Cost of Goods: Using the right tools to maximize profit

After decades of lending to agricultural enterprises of all sizes and types, a principle agricultural loan officer with Wells Fargo Bank recently said that it had become clear to him that those who succeed best happen to be those with the most sophisticat
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Dr. Phillip Nolte

Farewell but Not Goodbye...: A glance back and a long look forward

To all of my dear friends in the Idaho potato industry, The time has come for me to close the book on my career here at the University of Idaho.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Frank Muir, IPC President and CEO

Recipe for Success: The delicious diversity of Idaho potatoes

We know that the No. 1 reason folks visit the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) website is for the recipes.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue

Refining the Target Customer: Just who is it, and what do they want for dinner?

One of the core responsibilities of the United States Potato Board (USPB) is to help the industry understand and properly target consumers with products and promotions.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Steve Holton, Director of Corporate and Public Relations

Worth the Trip: Growers stand up for potatoes on Capitol Hill

On Feb. 23-26, NPC hosted the 2015 Potato D.C. Fly-In, where more than 150 U.S. potato growers and industry partners from across the country came to Washington, D.C., to advocate for the industry’s most pressing federal policy priorities.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Andrew Kniss, University of Wyoming

A Mutating Problem: Handling the loaded term "superweed"

“Superweeds” have been in been in the news a lot over the last year or so.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Lila Westreich

A Teacher Remembered: Dr. Christian Thill's legacy in the potato industry

During the summer of 2014, I interned in a potato breeding program with the late Dr. Christian Thill of the University of Minnesota. Dr. Thill supplied me my own germplasm to study through planting, observation and the harvesting of leaf samples for virus
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Fertilizer
Dr. Samuel Essah, assistant professor, Colorado St

Added Benefits: Protassium+ increases tuber yield and quality

Choosing the right source of potassium is critically important for producing optimum yields and crop quality.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Dennis O'Brien, ARS Information Staff

Cattle and Cover: Study: No harm to soils when cattle graze cover crops

For years, many growers in the Southeast—and across the country—have used cover crops to reduce soil erosion, boost organic matter and keep more moisture in soil.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Herbicide

Herbicide Buyer's Guide

BioSafe Systems’ AXXE herbicide is a broad-spectrum, non-selective weed control for grasses and broadleaf weeds affecting potatoes.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

It Just Comes Naturally: The work of the Biopesticide Industry Alliance

Among folks deeply entrenched in the agriculture industry, terms such as “all-natural” and “organic” have long been scoffed at and met with skepticism, if not outright rejection.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
New Products

New Products: Latest and Greatest

Mitas introduces three new sizes of its Very High Flexion (VF) tires, the VF 600/70R30 HC 2000, the VF 710/70R42 HC 2000, and the VF 380/105R54 HC 2000.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

Smart Storage: Amvac's SmartBlock storage treatment

Often, even the best-laid plans don’t work out.
— Read More
April 30, 2015| Published in the April 2015 issue
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

Tutored by the Masters: Appreciating life's lessons and teachers

When I started working on this issue of Potato Grower, I received an email from one Lila Westreich, a student in the University of Minnesota’s plant breeding and genetics program.
— Read More
April 30, 2015
Cynthia David

Conventional Growers Make Organic Switch

Offering organic potatoes has become a winning move for some conventional grower-shippers.
— Read More
April 29, 2015
Potato Storage

North Dakota Potato Stocks Up

Potato stocks in North Dakota are up 14 percent from a year ago.
— Read More
April 28, 2015
Potato Harvesting
Doug Ohlemeier

Potandon Set to Start Arizona Harvest

Favorable growing conditions should help Potandon Produce LLC begin harvesting Arizona red potatoes earlier than usual this year.
— Read More
April 27, 2015
Chris Bennett

Time for Growers to Break Silence on GMOs

Coupled with a conventional agriculture industry that was initially either too complacent or tone-deaf to counter the barrage of trumped-up assertions, the anti-biotech crowd took command of digital space and bulldogged social media platforms.
— Read More
April 24, 2015
Andy Nelson

Allied Rebrands Foodservice Line

Allied Potato Inc. will introduce a new brand and packaging for its foodservice potatoes destined for fries at restaurants.
— Read More
April 24, 2015

Regional Farm Mom Winners Announced: Voting for national winner runs through May 5

When Monsanto opened its search for the 2015 America’s Farmers Mom of the Year, the company knew it would get a lot of fantastic nominations. This year, though, the judging was particularly difficult.
— Read More
April 23, 2015
Irrigation, New Products

ETwater Introduces Solution to Excess Water Use

ETwater, one of the most powerful, intelligent and extendable irrigation services, is now available directly to the public for a low monthly subscription fee. You can sign up at etwater.com.
— Read More
April 23, 2015
Irrigation

Propane Irrigation Engines Reduce Costs

Growers who irrigated with emissions-compliant, propane-powered irrigation engines reduced fuel costs by more than 40 percent in 2014.
— Read More
April 22, 2015

Scholarships for Relatives of NPPGA Members

Each year the Northern Plains Potato Growers Research & Education Foundation offers scholarships to the sons, daughters or grandchildren of the Potato Associates and NPPGA members.
— Read More
April 21, 2015
Jennifer Mitchell

Caribou Russet Debuts

The Caribou Russet is the latest variety to emerge from the University of Maine experimental potato lab.
— Read More
April 17, 2015
Fungicide, Potato Harvesting

Preparing for Late Blight

The presence of late blight in eastern Idaho in 2014 highlights the importance of managing for the disease in 2015.
— Read More
April 16, 2015
Carl Collen

Bayer in Sustainable Potato Venture: Bayer CropScience, Farm Frites implement sustainable practices in European potato cultivation

Bayer CropScience and Dutch potato specialist Farm Frites have announced the beginning of a food chain partnership initiative designed to implement sustainable agricultural practices in potato cultivation in the Netherlands and Belgium.
— Read More
April 15, 2015
Scott Mitchell Johnson, Presque Isle Star-Herald

Expansion Nearly Done for Maine Processor

A $7.5 million expansion project at Pineland Farms Naturally Potatoes in Mars Hill, Maine, is nearing completion.
— Read More
April 15, 2015
Jon Bowman

Drones are Newest Tools on the Farm

Agribotix is a company that uses drones to help farmers get a view of their land and crops from above.
— Read More
April 14, 2015

Idaho Truck Kicks off 2015 Tour : New mission to serve “Big Helping” to local charities

The Big Idaho Potato Truck is about to embark on its fourth cross-country journey, and its mission this year is bigger and more meaningful to local communities than ever before.
— Read More
April 13, 2015

USPB Japan Celebrates Global Cuisine : Potato Airlines GO! GO! GO! campaign an online success

The USPB representative office just completed a month-long celebration of global potato cuisine featuring U.S. potatoes.
— Read More
April 12, 2015
Event Calendar, Irrigation

Boombacks to Host Dry Wheel Tracking Webinar

— Read More
April 11, 2015

IPC Holds Potato Palooza in California

The Idaho Potato Commission held its second annual “Potato Palooza” last month for southern California food bloggers.
— Read More
April 09, 2015

Pollinator Policy May Threaten Bee Health: “Beepocalypse Not” paper separates fact from fiction

As the president’s Pollinator Health Task Force is poised to release its National Pollinator Health Strategy this spring, Angela Logomasini cuts through the alarmism and misinformation that is driving the debate about honeybee hive health.
— Read More
April 08, 2015

Minnesota Potato Referendum Passes: Increases checkoff fees in Area I

Minnesota’s Area I potato growers voted to pass a referendum increasing its checkoff fee.
— Read More
April 08, 2015

Washington Potato Season Under Way : Chick-fil-A buys 438 million pounds

Potato growers in Grant County, Wash., have begun the 2015 planting season.
— Read More
April 08, 2015
Potato Harvesting
Doug Ohlemeier

Florida Harvest Looks Strong

Florida potato growers are packing their heaviest volume of the season.
— Read More
April 08, 2015
Potato Storage
Julia Ferrini

Kids Learn There’s More to Agriculture

For passersby, a farmer tilling his field may entrap one to feelings of a simpler, more nostalgic time period. However, as 13 kids from Wyoming County 4-H in upstate New York recently learned, farming is nothing like a Norman Rockwell painting.
— Read More
April 07, 2015

Northwest Companies Deal with Port Losses

A backlog of apples, potatoes and other goods is clearing out of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
— Read More
April 06, 2015

Endowment to Continue Pathology Research: Honors NDSU's Gudmestad

The growers and companies Neil Gudmestad has worked with raised funds to ensure Gudmestad’s position and research program is funded permanently through an endowment.
— Read More
April 04, 2015
Sheldon Townsend

Lathim Works to Find Balance

“There has to be a balance,” Dale Lathim, executive director of the Potato Growers of Washington, says.
— Read More
April 02, 2015

USPB Studies Price Sensitivities

New research from the U.S. Potato Board reveals the complexity and range of price sensitivities within the potato category.
— Read More
April 02, 2015
Seed Potatoes

Wild Gene Could Stop Blight

Years of searching have unearthed a gene that may prevent potato plants from succumbing to late blight.
— Read More
April 01, 2015
Insecticide

Meetings on Insect-Vectored Pathogens : Scheduled for mid-May

May 14 through 20, leading international scientists, extension specialists, and agricultural industry professionals will convene to discuss the latest findings in thrips and tospovirus biology, ecology and management.
— Read More
April 01, 2015
Deb Cleworth

Sommers Honored for Accomplishments

Jeff Sommers, co-owner of Wysocki Family of Cos. and general manager of Wysocki Produce Farm, was recognized as a 2015 Master Agriculturist.
— Read More