b'Jeff VanRay Is 2022 NPPGA Meritorious Service Award WinnerJeffVanRayofVanRayFarmsinused in rotation for potatoes. All ofDakBargainingCoopfor10years, Pingree, North Dakota received thetheir 3,300 acres of potatoes are irri- hewasontheNeilGudmestad NorthernPlainsPotatoGrowersgated.Endowment Board as well as serving AssociationsMeritoriousServiceasChairmanoftheNPPGAfrom awardattheannualChairmansJeff and his wife, Diana have been2011 thru 2012. BanquetdinnerheldattheAlerusmarried for 40 years and have three centerinGrandForks,Northchildren. Savanna is 38, Marc is 36,He is a NDSU Bison football fan as Dakota on Tuesday, February 15th.and Corey is 32.well as a Minnesota Vikings fan. He enjoys golfing, big game hunting, as Jeff and his family have been grow- Jeffs nephew, Matt VanRay, was thewellasduck,geese,andpheasant ingpotatoesfor28years.TheNPPGAChairmanthepasttwohunting. VanRaysdecidedtogrowpotatoesyears. Matt says, "It\'s nice to see Jeff for several reasons, but one of thegetrecognition for his many yearsNPPGA President Donavon Johnson foremost was that a potato produc- of service to the industry. Jeff has asays,Jeff is highly deserving of the tion facility was built in their back- passion, for not only growing pota- NPPGA MeritoriousServiceaward. yard, or at least close to it.toes, but for farming overall.HehasservedthisAssociationfor manyyearsaswellastheentire The Cavendish Farm Plant was built Jeff has served on the North Dakotapotato industry. We thank him for in1996.TheVanRaysgrowRussetPotatoCouncil,heservedonthehiscommitmenttotheNPPGAas BurbanksforprocessedpotatoesUnited States Potato Board for eightwellasthenationalpotatoindus-only.Theyalsoraisewheat,corn,years,thePMANA Boardfor10try. and soybeans. Most of the crops areyears. He was President of the Minn-Jeff VanRay and his family at the 2022 NPPGA Chairmans Banquet at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.14 POTATO GROWER MARCH 2022'