Northland Potato Growers Association has announced the two recipients of its 2025 Meritorious Service Awards (MSA) to be presented to the association's chairman's and awards banquet today (Feb. 18) at the Alerus Center.
Loren Estad from Crystal, ND, will receive the Grower's MSA and NDSU Research Specialist Dean Peterson will receive the Industry MSA.
Loren Estad
Estad is a fourth generation family farm operator from Crystal, ND. The family farm began around 1907 with Estad's great grandfather Lars, followed by grandfather Thomas and father Gene.
Today the Estads raise chip and process potatoes, wheat, soybeans and edible beans. In addition, they operate a separate seed potato company. Estad is also co-owner of Dakota Blueberry Farms in South Haven, MI, with his daughter Courtney. Son Luke started farming with Loren in 2020. His daughter Brittany and her husband Zac joined the farm in 2021.
For the past 37 years Estad has also been operating Estad Estates Trucking Company.
Estad has been married to his wife Marge for 30 years. Marge has been a nurse at a local clinic for the past 24 years and also volunteers for the local Quick Response team. She is also the proprietor of a local greenhouse and helps on the farm when she is able.
The Estads have four children, Brittany, married to Zac Cyrus of Crystal ND; Courtney, Kristy married to Tanner Hopfauf of Dickinson, ND and Luke of Crystal ND. They also have four grandchildren.
Dean Peterson
Peterson is a potato pathology research specialist for North Dakota State University in Fargo. He began his career at NDSU in 1989 under Dr. Bob Johansen. Since then he has worked with Dr. Neil Gudmestad, Dr. Gary Secor and Dr. Julie Pasche.
Peterson has been responsible for managing all field operations and trials, typically 40-50 separate trails per year at 6-8 locations in eastern ND and western MN. These trials concentrate on disease control in irrigated process potatoes and dryland fresh and seed potatoes. He works closely with industry reps to test their products and also works with other researchers, grower cooperators, post docs, research specialists and graduate students from the other potato research teams in Team Potato. In addition, Peterson is responsible for multiple greenhouse trials and operations.
During the late blight outbreak in the mid 90s, Peterson was heavily involved in testing fungicides to control late blight. He ran many successful field trials that helped to get new chemistries labeled and available to help control late blight. Many of these chemistries are still in use. Peterson continues to work with early blight and blackdot chemistries to track resistance and get new products labeled.
Peterson has conducted many successful large trials over multiple years and locations to determine the best temperature and depth of application of Metam Sodium for verticillium control. These results greatly enhanced verticillium control and led to recommendations that are used by the industry today.
Peterson has been married to his wife Karen for 31 years. Karen is the State Fleet Motor Pool Coordinator at NDSU. They have one son, Clayton, who is a cybersecurity analyst for Target in Minneapolis.