M A R C H 2 0 1 9 POTATO GROWER 11 obtained from TeamPotatoes.com. Kristie Steffen of Cavendish Farms dis- cussed the “Potato Sustainability Initiative.” It has the objective of hav- ing continuous improvement in sus- tainable potato production. The Potato Sustainability Initiative (PSI) is a collab- oration of potato product buyers, processors, packers, growers, grower organizations and advisors, facilitated by the IPM Institute, all working togeth- er to improve the sustainability of pota- to production in the US and Canada. Sustainability is consumer driven. Conscious consumerism is not a trend, it’s the future. Consumers want sustain- able products. Ms. Steffens said that we need to tell our story because con- sumers can become confused by mixed advertising and labelling (Natural, real, artificial). Unproven claims are made about farming practices and food prod- ucts such as super weeds, GMO, nutri- tion, and stewardship. Ms. Steffen said that PSI is a tool to help growers talk about how sustainability is a priority for their farms, livelihoods, communities, and environment. “We can have one on one conversations with people we meet on a daily basis. On Social Media we should share our love of potatoes and the good things we are doing with our friends and family. On Farm Tours/Open House, kids and adults enjoy field trips. Field and facili- ty tours with a farm guide are a fun and interesting way to learn about agricul- ture.” Potatoes are the number one vegetable grown and consumed worldwide and the third largest staple crop. We believe that potatoes contribute to a sustainable future. Our members focus on safe and nutritious food production, environ- mental stewardship and leaving a posi- tive legacy in our communities. We cul- tivate partnerships from our fields to the world. A website with more infor- mation is: www.potatosustainabilityini- tiative.org. Brett Miller from Syngenta gave a prod- uct update. Two of the products men- tioned were: Minecto Pro®, an insecti- cide targeting Colorado potato beetle, and Miravis Prime®, a fungicide against early blight and white mold. Diseases that were controlled in their trials were: Brown spot, early blight, powdery mildew, Septoria, and white mold. They also found that black dot and gray mold were suppressed. Eric Byre, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, reported that in the Minnesota post-harvest test in Hawaii 78% of total acreage represented was determined to be eligible for re-certifica- tion. In the higher classes of MN-G1 to