HANCOCK, Wis.-The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association ceremoniously "handed over the keys" of the Potato and Vegetable Storage Research Facility (SRF) to the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) on Monday.
The ceremony gives the WPVGA a chance to recognize and thank everyone that was instrumental in making the vision of the Storage Research Facility into a reality. The Storage Research Facility is a great example of how Wisconsin growers continue to work with industry partners to invest in the future of agriculture.
The Storage Research Facility was conceived, designed and built by Wisconsin potato growers to provide growers and UW researchers with a state-of-the-art facility in which to study the relationship between field management and storage practices of fresh produce.
"Our growers work with UW researchers throughout the year-from seeding to harvesting-to produce high-quality produce with minimal effect on the environment," notes Duane Maatz, Executive Director of the WPVGA. "This facility allows them not only to improve storage methods, but to see how their growing practices affect sugar content, storage and handling issues after harvesting. It allows them to connect all the dots between seeding, growing, storing and delivering potatoes," Maatz adds.
Initiated in May 2006, funding for the multi-million dollar facility was secured by the WPVGA with the assistance of five Wisconsin potato growers, including Greg Wysocki of Wysocki Produce Farms; Dennis Zeloski, of Muck Farms, Inc.; T.J. Kennedy, of Heartland Farms, Inc.; Steve Diercks, of Coloma Farms, Inc.; and Tom Wild, of Wild Seed Farms, Inc. The facility is located at the Hancock Agriculture Research Station.