b'Potato Associatesof the Northern Plains Potato Growers AssociationAssociate Spotlightincreaseforthisasitishelpingseed yearsandtheyhaveatwoyearoldgrowerscontrolandthensellamore daughter and theyare expecting anoth-marketableproductbycontrolling er child in July. John likes to spend timewhenthepotatowillwakeupand with his family and get out on the golfsprout.saysJohn.Makingtheseed course from time to time. I enjoy beingsprout with more vigor and more even a Potato Associate because it is a greatemergence with less apical dominance waytoconnectwithpeoplewhoarewhich helps growers harvest much more involved in the potato industry. It hasconsistent sized tubers. helped me meet new people and devel-oprelationshipsthathavehelpedtoJohn grew up on a farm near Hoople, grow my business. says John.North Dakota. He attended NDSU andOurAssociateSpotlightforthisissue graduatedwithaBachelorsdegreein FormoreinformationonbecomingafeaturesJohnOstenrudeofAugies AgriculturalEconomics.Heandhis PotatoAssociatemember,calltheChemicalCompany.Johnhasbeena wife, Carly, have been married for five NPPGA at (218) 773-3633.Potato Associate for 8 years.Don Augustin started Augies ChemicalCompany in 2008. John joined him in2013 and isnow a partner in the busi-ness.Theyfocusonapplyingpotatodormancy and sprout inhibitor productsto potatoes in storage. They also handleand apply products that sanitize to killfungal and bacterial infections in potatostorage. AugiesChemicalalsosellproductstotablestockgrowerstoapplytotheirpotatoes before packaging to keep theirproduct fresh and marketable until it issold and ultimately consumed. One of our big focuses in recent years isapplying 1,4 Seed to seed potatoes. Wehaveseenthedemandsignificantly16 POTATO GROWER MARCH 2021'