INDUSTRY DIRECTORY
May 31, 2014
Rob Hotakainen

Congress Spars over Spuds

Chris Voigt, who once ate 20 potatoes a day for 60 days in a row, says poor kids should have the right to eat more white spuds.
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May 30, 2014
Insecticide

Colorado Potato Beetle Emerging in Southwestern Idaho

Overwintering Colorado potato beetle adults are beginning to emerge in southwestern Idaho.
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May 29, 2014
John O'Connell, Capital Press

Idaho Drone Project Studies Potato Stress

A research project led by Idaho State University will study how different potato crop stresses appear under multi-spectral imaging, facilitated by unmanned aerial vehicles.
— Read More
May 28, 2014

USPB Announces Winner of Recipe Contest: Hungry Girl names “Nacho Usual Breakfast” grand prize winner

“Nacho Usual Breakfast” is the creative and catchy title of the grand prize-winning recipe in the United States Potato Board’s Guilt-Free Potato Goodness recipe contest. The winning recipe was selected by Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien, who loved winner Linda H
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May 27, 2014
Fertilizer

Growers Face Risks in Using too Little, too Much Nitrogen

Much has been said about farmers applying too much fertilizer and its impact on the Hypoxia Zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. But there’s also an economic risk when growers don’t apply enough, Cliff Snyder, nitrogen program director, International Plan
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May 27, 2014
Joan Murphy

School Nutrition, Potato Amendments Get Senate Committee Green Lights

A Senate committee voted May 22 on a compromise amendment that would help schools adjust to new nutrition standards without allowing schools to opt out of the new standards that require more fruits and vegetables in school meals.
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May 26, 2014
Rand Green

U.S. Potato Groups see Opening of Mexico as Great Opportunity

The U.S. Potato Board and the National Potato Council announced jointly that effective May 19, "the Mexican government has implemented its final rule to allow U.S. fresh potatoes to enter all of Mexico. This action is part of a bilateral agreement that fa
— Read More
May 24, 2014

Bangladesh Exports over 100 Tons of Diseased Potatoes to Russia

About 104 tons of ware potatoes that arrived in the seaport of Vladivostok from the People's Republic of Bangladesh in May appeared to be infected with a dangerous quarantine disease--potato brown rot.
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May 22, 2014
John O'Connell, Capital Press

Bill Backs Fresh Spuds in WIC

Lawmakers supportive of the potato industry are going forward with a new plan to force the inclusion of fresh, white potatoes in the federal Women, Infants and Children nutrition program.
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May 21, 2014

P.E.I. Potato Board Promotes Optimism in Farming

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has joined a campaign to improve perceptions of agriculture, with the hope of attracting more people into the industry.
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May 20, 2014

Aceto Names Oberg Director of Business Development

Aceto Agricultural Chemical Corporation announces that Nathan Oberg has been hired as its director of business development.
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May 20, 2014
John O'Connell, Capital Press

Field Day to Emphasize Precision Ag: Set for June 5 at UI's Parker Farm

A new field day seeks to promote precision agriculture in the Pacific Northwest.
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May 19, 2014

Mexico Now Officially Open for U.S. Fresh Potatoes

The NPC and United States Potato Board announce that effective today, May 19, 2014, the Mexican government has implemented its final rule to allow U.S. fresh potatoes to enter all of Mexico.
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May 19, 2014

Idaho: Good Demand Moves Shorter Crop

Strong demand has made for quick movement of supplies from last fall's potato crop in Idaho. This success comes despite a 2013 crop that was smaller than the previous year's crop.
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May 19, 2014
Craig Idlebrook

Southern Comfort for Maine Growers: Potato trade agreement may stabilize Maine spud prices

Often, the best way to judge the future health of Maine's potato industry is to look at what's happening outside the state. That's why the state's potato farmers are following with interest a possible potato trade deal between Mexico and the United States
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May 18, 2014
Sean Ellis, Capital Press

Farmers Seek Protection from Activists

Supporters of Idaho's Ag Security Act say it's necessary to stop people from interfering with agricultural operations and to protect farmers and ranchers from being unjustly convicted in the court of public opinion. Opponents say it's an attempt to cover
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May 18, 2014
Brian Murphy

2014 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl set for Dec. 20

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, in its eighteenth season, will kick off at 3:45 p.m. Mountain time at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho, on Dec. 20. ESPN will televise the game. It will once again be on the first day of bowl season.
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May 17, 2014

Klamath Basin Potato Endowed Faculty Scholar Receives $250,000 in Pledges

Over the last two years the Oregon Potato Commission (OPC), with the urging of potato growers from around the state, have established two different potato position endowments to provide financial assistance to potato research in perpetuity through the Ore
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May 16, 2014
Irrigation
John O'Connell, Capital Press

Idaho Irrigators Expect Prolonged Natural Flows

Cold and damp spring weather appears to be leading toward an ideal snowmelt situation in Idaho.
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May 15, 2014

McCain Foods Process Growers Reach New Contract: Potato deal results in overall drop in price of about 4 percent for McCain growers

Process potato growers for McCain Foods in Prince Edward Island have reached a contract deal.
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May 14, 2014

Call to Action: Congress to Vote on Expanding WIC to Include Potatoes

Next week, both the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees may consider legislation to lift the current ban on fresh potatoes in USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)—a federal program that supplies nutrition
— Read More
May 14, 2014
Fungicide
Harriet Jarlett

Breakthrough in Understanding Swarming Potato Blight Spores

Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding how microbial spores, which caused the infamous Irish potato famine are so successful at infecting plants.
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May 14, 2014
AP

W.Va. Testing Potato Production at State Sites

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is conducting tests to determine which potato varieties will grow best in the state.
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May 13, 2014
Herbicide
Weed Science Society of America

Spread of Resistant Weeds Shows Need for Zero-Tolerance Control

The impact of a single herbicide-resistant weed can be far-reaching. In test fields, the seeds of one mature glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth plant were released. The study shows the need for a zero tolerance threshold in the management of glyphosate-
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May 12, 2014
Grower of the Month
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

Hitting the Big Time: Moss Farms of Rupert, Idaho

Moss Farms of Rupert, Idaho
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May 12, 2014
Insecticide

APHIS Reclassifies Idaho Acres for Potato Cyst Nematode: 92 regulated Bingham County acres reclassified as infested

Effective May 9, 2014, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is reclassifying 92 regulated acres as infested for Globodera pallida (pale cyst nematode or PCN) in Bingham County, Idaho. APHIS is taking this action in response to the recent
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May 12, 2014
Herbicide
Michigan State University Extension

Potential Survival of Potato Volunteers in Michigan in 2014: The Late Blight Risk Forecasting website now available

The Late Blight Risk Forecasting website, used for estimating potential survival of potato volunteers in Michigan, is now available for 2014 risk estimation.
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May 11, 2014
Fungicide

Syngenta, Universities Partner to Bring Blight Hotlines to Growers : Top university researchers offer tips about current potato disease pressures

Potato growers across the U.S. will continue to have access to expert disease updates in 2014, as Syngenta announced it will continue to offer toll-free potato blight hotlines in partnership with five universities.
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May 10, 2014
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association

Wisconsin Growers: Innovators in Sustainability

Central Wisconsin is the prime growing region for Wisconsin potatoes and vegetables; it has it all—pristine landscapes, great outdoor activities and valuable farmland. Thankfully, due to the innovative work of the industry, these lands are striving to be
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May 09, 2014
Robbie Feinberg

With WIC Legislation Pending, Potato Lobby Wants Back on the Menu

For a fairly pedestrian vegetable, the potato has serious political sway in Washington.
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May 08, 2014
C. Colt Crane

Potato Growers Concerned about McCain Foods Delay

BURLEY, Idaho — A delay in a $100 million expansion project for McCain Foods USA in Burley, Idaho, has area potato growers worried about the status of their contracts to sell produce to the company.
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May 08, 2014

USDA Trade Mission to Open New Doors for U.S. Ag in Northeast China

The USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service today announced that Michael T. Scuse, undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, is leading a mission to promote U.S. agricultural exports in northeast China May 5-13.
— Read More
May 07, 2014

IPC Shows 25 Varieties, Characteristics

The state of Idaho produces over 25 potato varieties, and the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is proud to promote them all.
— Read More
May 06, 2014

USDA Releases Full Results of 2012 Ag Census: Agency finds 11.3 percent increase in the number of young people getting into agriculture as a full-time job

USDA on Friday released full results of the 2012 Ag Census, showing more than 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States.
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May 05, 2014
John O'Connell, Capital Press

Idaho Officials Postpone Russian Trade Trip

A planned trip to Russia to promote and evaluate the potential for Idaho equipment in Russian potato cropping systems has been indefinitely postponed.
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May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
Phillip Nolte and Alan Westra

Aloha!: Idaho winter seed test report

Some of the most exciting news in the Idaho seed potato industry has to do with the “big move” of the winter test plots to Waialua, Hawaii this year.
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May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
James DeDecker, Michigan State University Extension

Cover Up: Cover crops as a weed management tool

Cover crops are crops grown between harvest and planting of cash crops, usually not for harvest, but for the production of biomass and the various agroecological benefits this additional biomass can provide.
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May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
John Toaspern, VP, USPB International Marketing

Do You Know the Dehy Market?: The latest numbers

We all know what an important role dehy plays in the potato industry, but none of us fully understands what that role is.
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May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

Herbicide Buyer's Guide

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May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
John Keeling

No Rest for the Weary: With farm bill passed, growers turn to next challenges

Potato growers are not known to bask in their accomplishments: as soon as the fall crop is in storage, growers begin planning for next spring’s planting.
— Read More
May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
Frank Muir, IPC President

Our Good Buddy: ">Spuddy Buddy’s importance to the Idaho brand

He’s big…he’s brown…he’s round and makes more people smile than anyone I’ve ever met.
— Read More
May 05, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
Jerry Wright, UPGA President/CEO

The Times They Are A-Changin’: The potato market’s new reality

Not that long ago singer-songwriter Bob Dylan wrote and performed the hit song “The Times They Are A-Changin’.
— Read More
May 03, 2014

Striking Gold : 5,000+ retailers vie for prizes in IPC’s 2014 Potato Lover’s Month Contest

This year’s Potato Lover's Month display competition was the biggest commodity display contest ever.
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May 02, 2014
New Products, Potato Equipment

Exmark Simplifies Equipment Management with MyExmark.com: Online app uses QR codes to deliver maintenance schedules, specifications

With the launch of MyExmark.com, Exmark has made the process of searching for equipment information dramatically easier.
— Read More
May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

Everything is Fine: Time to acknowledge just how good you've got it

When I first took the job as editor of Potato Grower and realized I’d need to write a column for the beginning of each issue, I put some serious thought into what I wanted this space to be.
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

Farmland Sales Strong in 2013

Land sales finished strong in 2013, spurred by good farmer demand for additional land, according to Farmers National Company, the leading farm and ranch real estate company in the U.S. Farmers National is reporting record real estate sales of $750 million
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

GroupAg Adds Kauer to Workforce

GroupAg, a leader in potato storage, has added a new expert to its staff. Travis Kauer will handle installation and repair on the mechanical cold-storage side of GroupAg’s business.
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue
Tyrell Marchant, Editor

Heads Up: Sackett Potatoes in Mecosta, Mich

The late Muriel Siebert, the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, once explained her strategy for overcoming obstacles thus: “I put my head down and charge.”
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

Natural Relief?: Salicylic acid’s potential for crop protection

Willow trees are well-known sources of salicylic acid, and for thousands of years, humans have extracted the compound from the tree’s bark to alleviate minor pain, fever and inflammation.
— Read More
May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

New Products: Latest and Greatest

Copper has been used to combat disease in high-value fruit and vegetable crops since the late 1880s, when the “Bordeaux mixture” of copper sulfate and lime was used in French vineyards to protect grapes from downy mildew.
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

Potato Marketing Association Discusses Contract Negotiations

The Potato Marketing Association of North America held a special spring meeting in early February in Las Vegas to discuss progress on the 2014 preseason potato contract negotiations.
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

To What Avail?: Potato response to phosphorous fertilizer using the Avail polymer

High yield and high-quality potato production in any cropping system depend on adequate soil levels of nutrients being available.
— Read More
May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

WeighPack Adds Territory Management

WeighPack Systems Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-performance packaging equipment, is pleased to announce the appointment of John Cloutier and Derek Chandler as territory managers.
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May 02, 2014| Published in the May 2014 issue

WPVGA Releases Production, Distribution Findings

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) has released findings that are making people take notice of Wisconsin’s massive vegetable production and distribution statistics.
— Read More
May 01, 2014

NPC Accepting 2014 Graduate Scholarship Applications : Applications accepted from May 1 through June 30, 2014

The National Potato Council (NPC) is now accepting applications for a $10,000 graduate-level scholarship to be applied toward the 2014-15 academic year. Each year, NPC awards one scholarship to a graduate student pursuing advanced studies (master’s degree
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May 01, 2014
Duane Maatz

Failure to Reform Immigration Hurts Farmers: Farm labor shortages could put U.S. food supply at risk

In this column for Gannett Central Wisconsin Media, the executive director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association explains why Congress needs to enact immigration reform in the next year to help the U.S. food industry continue to thrive
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May 01, 2014
Kathleen Thomas Gaspar

Maverick Potato Co. Adds Pack Options, Food Safety Compliance

Cleaning up the 2013 shipping season on April 1, Maverick Potato Co. in Center, Colo., is headed into its second season with shed upgrades and plans for increased production.
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May 01, 2014
Jan Suszkiw, USDA-ARS

Potato Psyllid Dissected for Clues to Better Controlling It

U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to finding new ways of managing "zebra chip" and the insect that can spread this plant disease to potato crops.
— Read More