F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9 POTATO GROWER 3 February 2019 • 84, 268 CONTENTS 4 NPPGA Marketing Message 6 Potatoes USA Message 8 NPC Message 10 Dave Moquist And Paul Dolan Win NPPGA’s MSA Awards 12 Andy’s Advice: Understanding Plant Growth Regulators 20 Potato Associate Spotlight 22 Earl Mallinger Of Oslo Has Been Farming His Entire Life On the cover This is an overhead picture of the 2018 International Crop Expo held at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (The 2019 International Crop Expo will be held February 20th and 21st.) Northern Plains Potato Growers Association P.O. Box 301 420 Business Highway 2 East Grand Forks, MN 56721 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P P A A I I D D Fargo, ND Permit No. 152 O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E N O R T H E R N P L A I N S P O T A T O G R O W E R S A S S O C I A T I O N Februa ry 2019 : Publisher Northern Plains Potato Growers Assn. General Manager Todd Phelps NPPGA Staff President Donavon Johnson Finance and Operations Director Diane Peycke Marketing and Communications Director Ted Kreis NPPGA Executive Committee Chair Eric Halverson Vice Chair T.J. Hall Secretary/Treasurer Matt VanRay ND Council Representative David Fedje MN Council Representative Peter Imle Potato Associate Representative Gary Shields Past Chair Greg Campbell Valley Potato Grower is published 8 times annually at: P.O. Box 301, East Grand Forks, MN 56721. Telephone: (218) 773- SPUD. Fax: (218) 773-6227. E-mail: [email protected] Subscription: no charge in U.S.; Canada: $45/1-year; Advertising: call (218) 773-SPUD. Editor welcomes manuscripts and pictures but accepts no responsibility for lost materials. Reproduction in whole or in part of materials in this issue without permission is prohibited. Copyright © 2019 Northern Plains Potato Growers Association. All rights reserved. PH: 218-346-3357 • Toll Free: 888-884-8070 47418 US Hwy 10 Perham, MN 56573 • w w w . b t u v e n t . c o m