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NorthernPlainsPotatoGrowersAssociation P.O.Box301 420BusinessHighway2 EastGrandForksMN56721 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 Non-ProfitOrg. U.S.Postage PAID FargoND PermitNo.152 April2016 bbringing auBec e tg mor ouuse y ao the tt evbelie able in bbringing e tg mor ao the tt able. ro oYo udorpdnasdohtemcinagror esruom yore fromdnameduo usmuimerpmusisatorPstc r puof yt ocepsy arevd enafle siS71-05-0-0hsatopfoetaflu u uoyfr iettao mN.noitcudorp ruoyfoyhtrows lanoitnevnoe csu ot ts si. Voon tau coo ye slbae tho t musisatoh pgih hti. Wsdradnat eao ltmoc.sulPmuissatorPtsi o cy nllautri vruflue staflu sm .eron mra edarf gy oteirad a vne adirohl eros mgnirt b is A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 3 April 2016 81 246 CONTENTS 4 NPPGA Marketing Message 6 Potatoes USA Message 8 NPC Message 10 North Dakota State Seeds Willem Schrage Retires 12 Andys Advice Is It Glypho- sate Or Something Else 16 Lonnie Spokely Becomes New NPPGA Chairman 17 Growers Stand Up For Potatoes On Capitol Hill 18 2015 Larimore Processing Potato Trials 24 NPPGA Hosts 2016 PILI On the cover This is a picture of NDSU research plots at Hoverson Farms from 2015. You can read about results from some of these trials on page 18. Photo courtesy of Asunta Susie Thompson Publisher Northern Plains Potato Growers Assn. General Manager Todd Phelps NPPGA Staff President Chuck Gunnerson Finance and Operations Director Diane Peycke Marketing and Communications Director Ted Kreis NPPGA Executive Committee Chair Lonnier Spokely Vice Chair Greg Campbell SecretaryTreasurer Eric Halverson ND Council Representative Greg Campbell MN Council Representative Justin Dagen Potato Associate Representative Todd Phelps Past Chair Don Suda 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 vpgsalesnppga.org Subscription no charge in U.S. Canada 401-year Foreign 601-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 2016 Northern Plains Potato Growers Association. All rights reserved. Please Come Enjoy Potato Golf Open 2016 and Potato Associate Day Thursday July 21st Hill Crest Golf Course Park River N.D. Questions Contact the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association. 218-773-3633 All involved in the potato industry are welcome A P R I L 2 0 1 64 POTATO GROWER4 POTATO GROWER Potato Promotion Board Changes Name to Potatoes USA Carl Hoverson Passes Chairmanship to Mike Pink by Ted Kreis NPPGA Marketing and Communications Director Besides a new name the past year was one of many other changes for the promotion board formerly known as the USPB. Changes included new and exciting programs and reorganization of the staff to increase efficiency. These changes came under the leadership of CEO Blair Richardson and Past Chairman Carl Hoverson from Larimore North Dakota. Hoverson passed the gavel to Mike Pink from Pasco Washington at the groups annual meeting in Colorado Springs last month. Carl will continue to serve as Immediate Past Chairman on the Executive Committee for the next year. Those that worked with Carl this past year will have no trouble remembering where he was from. Carl promoted North Dakota every chance he got. In his farewell speech Carl once again slipped proudly into his University of North Dakota hockey jersey as he did one year earlier when he gave his accept- ance speech. At the banquet he gift- ed UND caps to members of the Executive Committee he led the past year. New Identity Board Members at the annual meet- ing approved a new name for its agricultural promotion group. During the Boards 44th Annual Meeting at the Broadmoor Hotel they voted to change its doing-busi- ness-as dba name from the United States Potato Board U.S. Potato Board or USPB to Potatoes USA. This far-reaching update comes on the heels of the organizations newly created mission and strategic plan which were also approved. Potatoes USA exists to strengthen demand for U.S. potatoes. We are the global cham- pion for U.S. potatoes representing 2500 family farms growing more than 600 varieties of potatoes. We promote U.S. potatoes in all forms including seed fresh frozen chipping and dehy- drated products. We make potatoes exciting We create positive change in the industry through innovative collab- orative and inspiring approaches in marketing education and research. With access and utilization of over 6 million in USDA funding annual- ly Potatoes USA works in more than 20 countries around the world. Exports of U.S. potatoes have experi- enced unprecedented growth over the past 30 years and now account for 18 percent of production. In the United States Potatoes USA is the leading organizer of potato nutrition research education and varietal development said Potatoes USA President and CEO Blair Richardson. We will have a positive impact on long-term demand con- sumer awareness research efforts and utilization of our potatoes by foodservice and retail operators consumers and other entities. Potatoes USA is ready to fight for The USPB will now be known as Potatoes USA. This is their new logo. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 5 the future of this industry and will take an aggressive approach in doing so added new Potatoes USA Chairman Mike Pink. The potato is an essential part of the American diet and should be something peo- ple can enjoy with pride. With its new strategic plan mission and business name Potatoes USA is pre- pared to lead the way. Your Representation Each year we elect growers to repre- sent the states on the promotion board. The following growers repre- sent our two states on the Potatoes USA Board. From North Dakota - Eric Halverson from Grand Forks Carl Hoverson and Casey Hoverson from Larimore Bill Sheldon from Ray and Jeff VanRay from Pingree. Minnesota board members are Jeff Edling and Gary Gray both from Clear Lake and Justin Dagen of Karlstad. The Board is divide into regions North Dakota and Minnesota are part of the North Central Region that also includes South Dakota Missouri Nebraska Wisconsin Ohio Illinois Indiana and Michigan. Board members from each region caucus and elect repre- sentation on the Administrative Committee. There are also sub- committee assignments. From our area Casey Hoverson will be on the Finance Committee Eric Halverson was chosen for International Marketing and Justin Dagen will serve on Industry Outreach. Executive Members from the North- Central Region are John Halverson from Missouri and Steve Gangwish representing South Dakota. Carl Hoverson will remain on the Executive Committee as Past- Chairman. Food Truck First Spud Nation Food Truck was on Display at the Annual Meeting. The food truck is part of Potato USAs new marketing and education program. The truck is based in Denver. The next one will be based in Washington DC with more to follow after an evaluation of the program. The state-of-the art food truck is owned by the 2500 farming fami- lies involved in the potato industry. This means Potatoes USA will con- trol how potatoes are used and pre- sented and the messages used. It will operate like any other food truck selling food in this case pota- to based dishes to the public at opportune locations. If successful the trucks could be franchised to private business but no decisions will be made until an evaluation of the program is made after a year or two of operation. The Spud Nation food truck will enable Potatoes USA to carry its message to market with messaging about the health benefits of pota- toes which has been gathered over many years of research. It will be a small yet extremely visible and growing part of the Potato USA mar- keting programs that will provide a direct marketing channel for engag- ing consumers with new and inno- vative potato dishes.The Spud Nation food truck was showing off what it could do at the annual meeting. Carl Hoverson gives his closing remarks as USPB Chairman. A P R I L 2 0 1 66 POTATO GROWER By TK Kuwahara Global Marketing Manager Potatoes USA Todays students recognize good food quality when they see it and crave food that is on-trend and cus- tomizable. They want choice whether at home dining out or at school. School foodservice directors want to provide these delicious choices but many times they face many operational and staffing chal- lenges as well as the need to meet USDA require- ments. Potatoes are the perfect healthy canvas for everything from global flavor inspired salads and sides to simple herb- oven-roasted spuds provid- ing the choice todays students demand. This is where the pota- to industry has an opportunity to influence the next generation of potato con- sumers and help provide solutions to time and resource strapped school foodservice staff. To capture the palates of todays stu- dents Potatoes USA has partnered with Chef Garrett Berdan a regis- tered dietician and child nutrition specialist to develop over a dozen new school-friendly potato-centric recipes. In addition to providing tasty recipes the Board is working with school districts on a variety of programs to feature potato versatili- ty creativity and nutrition. Just as schools come in all shapes and sizes so do the p a r t n e r s h i p s that range from presentations in culinary classes to devoting an entire day to the potato during Fruit and Veggie week to 52 weeks of potato- centric Kids Cook Monday recipes for stu- dents and par- ents to prepare together or working to increase the number of potato menu items on salad bars and behind the serving line. Wilder School District in Wilder Idaho is a great partnership exam- PotatoesUSA Message Innovating School Meals With Potatoes Please visit www.Potatoes RaiseTheBar.com and share the website recipes potato nutrition information and marketing ideas with your local school food service team A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 7 ple showcasing how school meals can be innovative with potatoes Once their school was identified as a salad bar recipient through the Boards Salad Bar Challenge to the industry the Board followed up with Potatoes Raise the Bar recipe ideas salad bar marketing ideas and information. The school foodservice director along with the culinary class used the Boards recipes as a guideline but made their own cre- ations to help celebrate the new salad bar unveiling on March 7th. These included mashed potatoes and meatballs made from dehy- drated potatoes tater taco nachos made with fingerling potatoes and purple potato power pizza made with yellow and purple potatoes to show off their school colors as well as potato salad on their new salad bar Please visit www.PotatoesRaise TheBar.com and share the website recipes potato nutrition informa- tion and marketing ideas with your local school foodservice team Lets work together to show how Potatoes Raise the Bar on school nutrition and school meal innovation A P R I L 2 0 1 68 POTATO GROWER Potato Growers Visit Capitol Hill On February 22-25 the National Potato Council NPC hosted the 2016 Potato D.C. Fly-In where more than 130 U.S. potato growers and industry partners from across the country came to Washington D.C. to advocate for the industrys most pressing federal policy priori- ties. Growers blanketed Capitol Hill and met with federal regulators at USDA and EPA. During their visits growers urged Congress and agency officials to address key industry issues including the Potato Research Special Grant Trans- Pacific Partnership TPP Voluntary GMO Labeling Pollinator Health and the waters of the U.S WOTUS rule. The energy and enthusiasm that growers showed when address- ing key issues in the potato industry was apparent and the residual effect will be positive for the grower com- munity. Potato Special Research Grant Funding For more than 25 years NPC has worked with Congress to secure these grants that support competitive potato breeding proj- ects across the country. Last year the potato industry received 2 mil- lion in funding which was roughly a 30 percent increase over FY2015 funding. Growers reported that their lawmakers were receptive and eager to continue the funding at the 2 million level for FY2017. TPP The Obama administration is seeking approval from Congress for TPP which is an Asia-Pacific region- al free trade agreement with 11 other countries. The agreement will give the potato industry the ability to be more competitive by eliminat- ing tariffs in key markets where U.S. exports are valued at 1.05 billion. Although there are some doubts that this bill will be voted on by the end of the 114th Congress NPC believes that the personal interac- tion between growers and lawmak- ers increased the chances of it hap- pening. Growers conveying the pos- itive impact this measure will have on the potato industry is a strong motivator for members of Congress. Voluntary GMO Labeling Fly-In attendees did an effective job of communicating their concerns over the negative effects of state mandat- ed food labeling regulations. Growers told their elected represen- tatives that genetically modified foods are equally safe for consumers and the environment as conven- tionally bred food and that a patch- work of state laws will cost American families hundreds of dol- lars for groceries each year. NPC believes that this message was heard loud and clear and will encourage Republicans and Democrats to work out a compromise that will establish federal preemption for food label- NPCMessage by John Keeling NPC Executive Vice President and CEO A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 9 ing. Vermonts mandatory labeling law could go into effect in July unless Congress steps in and passes a national labeling law. Pollinator Health EPA is being urged by environmental activists to limit the use of neonicotinoids in agriculture claiming they are responsible for declining health in pollinators. Neonicotinoids are a valuable pesticide tool for potato growers and restricting it could bring negative impacts to grower operations. The scientific communi- ty has reviewed extensive studies carried out by registrants on possi- ble impacts on the pollinators and there is no scientific evidence when used according to the label that they pose a threat to the bee popu- lation. Potato growers noted this fact to EPA officials and said that the biggest threats were coming from other areas such as habitat condi- tions and the Varroa mite. The EPA is still evaluating study data and we believe that grower participation on this issue will help inform the agencys deliberations. WOTUS In March of 2014 the EPA revised the definition of what con- stitutes the federal jurisdiction over waters of the U.S. WOTUS. The new WOTUS rule developed by EPA is the subject of litigation seeking to vacate the rule. At a meeting with EPA officials growers expressed their concerns that the new rule will subject additional areas of their farms to regulation by the federal government. EPA officials believe that the exemptions contained in the rule for normal farming prac- tices will protect farming opera- tions. Both the court challenges ini- tiated by agriculture interests and the interests in Congress to void the WOTUS rule indicate that many do not agree with the EPAs positon. The common theme at the conclu- sion of every meeting at the 2016 Potato D.C. Fly-In was the deep gratitude expressed by lawmakers and regulators to potato industry professionals who chose to take the opportunity to engage with mem- bers of Congress and government officials who impact public policy. By joining with others in the indus- try and making their voices heard through personal stories from the farm attendees made a real differ- ence for their industry. The grass- roots power shown at the 2016 Potato D.C. Fly-In will help create the momentum to have a positive impact on the outcome of these and other issues during the last 10 months of the 114th Congress. A P R I L 2 0 1 610 POTATO GROWER Willem Schrage Retires From North Dakota State Seed Department Willem Schrage Director of Potato Programs for North Dakota retired April 4 2016. Willem joined the Seed Department in September of 2007 after a long distinguished and geographically diverse career in the potato industry. Willem directs field inspection shipping point tissue culturegreenhouse winter test grower relations and seed regulatory aspects of the NDSSD Seed Potato Program. Before North Dakota Seed Willem was Head of the Potato Inspection Program for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for 13 years. Willem is a native of the Nether- lands where he developed an inter- est in agriculture and farmed prior to earning an advanced degree. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in plant sciences and nema- tology which served him well in a career path taking him worldwide working with seed potatoes. Those career stops include 1976-77 International Potato Cen- ter Lima Peru. 1977-79 International Potato Cen- ter Regional Center Izmir Turkey. Development of a national seed potato program research and exten- sion. 1979-82 International Potato Cen- ter Tunis Tunisia. Tunisian National Seed Potato Program expatriate manager of the national seed potato program. 1982-85 Seed Potato Specialist for the N.B. Department of Agriculture. Duties included seed potato research and extension manage- ment coordination of the provin- cial seed potato production pro- gram. 1985-94 Florenceville New Bruns- wick Canada. Manager of the N.B. Potato Agency Provincial Potato Marketing Board. 1994-2007 East Grand Forks Minn- esota. Head of Potato Inspection Program Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Willem has been active in many professional societies and organiza- tions throughout his career. During his time in the U.S. with Minnesota and North Dakota seed agencies he has served as SecretaryTreasurer of the Potato Association of America Seed Certification Section along with service on other seed-related committees with the National Potato Council U.S. Potato Board and USDA. He has represented U.S. seed potato programs with the UNECE specialized section on seed potatoes traveling world-wide for meetings representing the U.S. This dedication to and professional rep- resentation of potato seed growers in the region speaks to Willems commitment to the seed industry. While Willems career is very much international in scope he has served this regions seed growers with distinction for over twenty years. His knowledge of and loyalty to Northern Plains Potato Growers Association seed growers evidenced by leading the two state certification agencies within the NPPGA was rec- ognized in 2013 with the National Potato Council Meritorious Service Award. This vast list of jobs and places has benefited the North Dakota seed industry and the North Dakota State Seed Department. Having experi- enced or observed seed production on every continent but Antarctica is impressive. North Dakota State Seed Commis- sioner Ken Bertsch says Willems people skills are as important as any A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 11 other in his success as our Program Director. His teamwork skills and tendencies and his ability to work well with everyone around him is a giftone that is truly appreciated. Willem and his wife Gail have three children and five grandchildren who will now benefit from more of his time. Willem will be missed at the North Dakota State Seed Department but promises to remain active on a part-time basis. NPPGA President Chuck Gunnerson says Willem is one of the most knowledgeable individuals I know when it comes to seed potato issues. He is always current on the many regulatory standardization issues facing the industry. He provides the National Potato Council and United States Potato Board with valuable insight and information. Willem is able to accomplish this with a great deal of respect from producers processors other state seed agencies and industry. Willem has always been considered an international seed potato expert because of his work and experience across several time zones. He sincerely enjoys the numerous relationships he has made over a lifetime of working to make the seed potato industry bet- ter for everyone. When he returns from a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNECE meeting on seed certification and international regulatory standardi- zation issues he shares hours of sto- ries about his many friends he has not seen for years and provides an analysis of decisions made on International Potato Seed Stan- dards. Willems accomplishments are numerous and his support of the seed potato industry has been unequaled. He has given a lifetime and has asked for nothing in return. Willem Schrage has been a great friend and contributor to our maga- zine the Valley Potato Grower for many years. His insight on the pota- to industry in the Red River Valley and around the world is vast. We would like to thank Willem for his many years of service and congratu- late him on his most deserved retire- ment. A P R I L 2 0 1 612 POTATO GROWER Planting season is always a fun time of year. I fondly remember planting the crops with my father and grandfather. Every year invariably brings some type of challenge and you want to ensure a successful planting because is an important initial step to a successful crop. I remember back in the days of no auto steer how we would spend a lot of time lining up the first pass of the planter so we could plant in straight lines. Of course todays technology with auto steer has replaced this issue of driving straight my wife says this takes all the fun out of it. As science continues to advance and new technologies are devel- oped our ability to do many tasks has improved. For exam- ple we can now detect many pesticides as parts per billion or trillion. These tests can help determine if herbicides may be the cause of problems in the field. Glyphosate residues have been recognized as being a major problem in seed potato causing many issues with emergence. Because of this I frequently have people asking if glyphosate is causing problems with emer- gence in their fields. In some cases they are correct and a lab- oratory analysis can confirm the presence of glyphosate but in other situations glyphosate is wrongly accused. For this rea- son I will review glyphosate symptomology and cover some symptoms that may be similar to glyphosate symptoms in potato emergence. Problems with herbicides residues in seed tubers most like- ly began the prior year when the plant came in contact with some type of herbicide whether by drift tank contamination or another mode. When those seed tubers are planted the following year and begin to grow the her- bicide residues take effect and cause visual problems with the stems petioles andor leaves. Symptoms of glyphosate affect- ed tubers are erratic and slow emergence bending or twisting epinasty of young leaves mul- tiple stems from an eye andor cauliflower or candelabra for- mation of stems Figure 1. Typically glyphosate affected plants will express many of these symptoms however the one symptom most characteristic of glyphosate is multiple stems coming from a single eye. If just one of these symptoms is expressed not including multi Andys Advice Is It Glyphosate Or Something Else By Andy Robinson Extension Potato Agronomist NDSUUMN A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 13 ple stems from a single eye it is likely that another herbicide or other issue besides glyphosate is causing the problem. Problems that may cause similar symptoms as glyphosate can be biotic abiotic or from other pes- ticide residues. Uneven emer- gence can be caused by many factors including diseases such as Fusarium dry rot soft rot or phytoplasmas in seed tubers CIPC residues in seed tuber physiologically young seed or various herbicides to name a few. The epinastic symptoms some- times observed from glyphosate can be caused by other herbi- cides especially plant growth regulators such as dicamba clopyralid or others Figure 2. The candelabra formations of stems have been observed when the tip of the main stem dies or when the apical dominance of the stem is lost. This may be caused by Rhizoctonia or physio- logically old seed. Candelabra formations are also frequently seen as a result of hot and sunny days in the early growing season when the soil temperatures are cool. This creates a heat layer in the hill and as the stem grows into this heat layer the apical meristem growing point is shocked causing the tip of the stem to die or lose dominance Figure 2. When this occurs axillary buds nodes further down the stem will grow caus- ing the multiple stems known as the candelabra effect. As you can see there are many ways that funky things can hap- pen to emerging potato stems and not all are related to the same cause. Thus careful diag- nostics will need to be taken to ensure the proper conclusion is made. This article is a small primer and there are many other situations that may result in similar symp- toms. If you need help in diag- nosing your problem you can submit it to me from your smart- phone tablet or computer at z.umn.edud. I look forward to another great potato production year in 2016. Figure 1. Glyphosate symptoms expressed from seed tubers with glyphosate residues. Figure 2. Epinasty of leaves caused from a plant growth reg- ulator in the seed tuber A B. Heat damage causing leaf crinkling and candelabra of Russet Burbank potato C D. A P R I L 2 0 1 614 POTATO GROWER Recipe Page Turning Back The Clock A Look Back 25 Years Ago at Excerpts from The April 1990 Issue of The ValleyPotato Grower Magazine North Dakota Farmer Named National Outstanding Young Farmer A 32 year old Grafton North Dakota man who has been very active in the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association has been named National Outstading Farmer of the Year by the US Jaycees. Rick Johnston a farmer for about 11 years was chosen Outstanding Young Farmer along with three other men. Almost 40 state Outstanding Young Farmers gathered February 22nd thru 25th at Eau Claire Wisconsin to hear the announcement of the national winners. The recogintion is given to farmers annually for progress in their agricultural career conservation practices and commu- nity service. The honor came as quite a surprise to Johnston. It is really a nice honor to receive he said. In talk- ing with other state winners I was very impressed with their opera- tions and the diversity of their oper- ations. So it was quite a surprise to me to be chosen as a national win- ner. Johnston grows potatoes and small grains near Grafton North Dakota under the company name R. M. Johnston Company. A somewhat new venture he is part owner of KIP Farms which grows potatoes and corn under irrigation near Karlsruhe North Dakota. He and his wife Helena have three daugh- ters Megan Lindsay and Ellen. With a large portion of his business being potatoes Johnston has been very active with the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association. He is currently serving his fourth year as Chairman of the Promotions Committee. Johnstons philosphy on being a successful businessman is that one must be educated and knowl- edgable about his business and a good way of doing this is keeping an eye and ear open. In the area that we live he said you can learn an awful lot from just keeping your eyes open and looking at what your neighbors do. Weve got a pretty high caliber of farming in our area and between watching them asking them ques- tions talking with the research peo- ple talking with my father Jim Sr. and my brother Jim Jr. you can learn quite a bit. Theres an awfully high caliber of peole around here farming and I dont know that I do anything different than they do. Johnstons operation supplys pota- toes to some of the leadin potato processing companies in the US. With a couple dry years in the Red River Valley he has become involved with irrigation as have other potato growers. Receiving the National Outstanding Young Farmer award is an honor that will not easily be forgotten. Johnston siad One of the nicest things of this whole competition is just the fact that it all started with me being honored by the agri-busi- ness community in Grafton and the Grafton Jaycees. Having those peo- ple think enough of you is the best part of the whole thing. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 15 A P R I L 2 0 1 616 POTATO GROWER Lonnie Spokely Becomes New NPPGA Chairman Lonnie Spokely a certified seed and fresh market grower from Nielsville Minnesota is the new NPPGA Chairman. Lonnie got into the washplant busi- ness when his family purchased the Micheal Swanson Brady washplant in 1976. The plant was built in 1947 by Arnold MIller an account- ant from the Kansas City account- ing firm for which the plant was owned by and named. It is believed to be one of the oldest wash facili- ties in the Red River Valley. Lonnie raised his first crop in 1977 and has been raising red potatoes for the fresh and certified seed mar- kets ever since. Spokely Farms goes much further back before the wash- plant era having been established in 1871. Lonnie has actively served on the Minnesota Potato Council for many years as well as a board member for the Minnesota Certified Seed Growers Association and a member of the United States Potato Board. Lonnie was also a charter member of the Red River Valley Fresh Potato Growers Cooperative established in December 2007. He has served on their Board of Directors for all but one year. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 17 Growers Stand Up For Potatoes On Capitol Hill On February 22-25 NPC hosted the 2016 Potato D.C. Fly-In where more than 130 U.S. potato growers and indus- try partners from across the country came to Washington D.C. to advocate for the industrys most pressing federal policy priorities. Growers blanketed Capitol Hill and met with federal regu- lators at USDA and EPA. During their Hill and agency visits growers urged Congress and agency officials to address key industry issues including the Potato Research Special Grant Pollinator Health Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP and other trade affairs Voluntary GMO Labeling waters of the U.S. WOTUS rule and pesticide regulations. Rep. Reid Ribble R-WI addressed atten- dees on the truck weight legislation that was ultimately taken out of the long- term transportation reauthorization bill that passed last year. Rep. Ribble thanked growers for their efforts in fighting for an increased truck weight limit and encouraged them to pursue this issue even harder going forward. Fly-In attendees also heard from Rep. Dan Newhouse R-WA who spoke on the importance of improving port per- formance for potatoes that are to be shipped overseas and answered ques- tions related to the topic. Both represen- tatives thanked attendees for making the trip and noted the positive impact it leaves when lawmakers see that con- stituents care enough to visit and share their concerns. Additional speakers included agency officials such as EPA Administrator Jim Jones and Deputy Commissioner for Foods at the Food and Drug Administration FDA Mike Taylor who gave growers an overview of the imple- mentation process for the Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA. Jones spoke on a broad array of topics that are impactful to the grower community such as pesticide regulations waters of the U.S. WOTUS and worker protec- tion standards. He said that EPA is work- ing steadily with the potato industry to ensure that government regulations are not hindering grower operations. Taylor spoke on the Food Safety Modernization Act FSMA and said that the regulations are meant to be risk based and are not meant to compromise potato produc- tion. Before visiting Capitol Hill the Congressional Management Found- ations Management Consultant Phil Flewallen gave growers good tips on how to communicate their concerns to lawmakers comfortably and effectively. Fly-In attendees also heard from a num- ber of renowned political strategists and commentators including Bestselling Author NBCMSNBC Political Analyst and Huffington Post Global Editorial Editor Howard Fineman National Political Correspondent for National Public Radio Mara Liasson and Senior Writer for The Weekly Standard and Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes. The political analysts gave their views on the upcoming presidential election and the current domestic and international cli- mate. Journalist and author of the New York Times Bestseller The Big Fat Surprise Why Butter Meat Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet Nina Teicholz. Teicholz spoke on the topic of low-fat nutrition advice and the problems with the use of epidemiologic studies in setting nutri- tion policy. Greg Campbell and TJ Hall grower- shippers from Grafton and Edinburg North Dakota respectively along with Jared Erickson of Black Gold Farms headquartered in Grand Forks were in DC as part of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute joined up with Fly- In attendees NPPGA President Chuck Gunnerson and growers Brian Vculek from Crete North Dakota and Justin Dagen from Karlstad Minnesota. Left to right Justin Dagen TJ Hall Jared Erickson North Dakota Senator John Hoeven Chuck Gunnerson Brian Vculek and Greg Campbell. A P R I L 2 0 1 618 POTATO GROWER 2015 Processing Potato Trial Larimore North Dakota by Asunta Susie Thompson Potato Breeder NDSU The northern plains potato produc- tion areas of Minnesota and North Dakota produce potatoes for all mar- kets including tablestock seed and processing. About 60 of produc- tion is for processing chips and frozen including French fries. Russet Burbank is grown on about 35 of the acreage in North Dakota with Prospect Russet being grown on about 15. Russet Burbank while the industry standard has several shortcomings it is a long-season cul- tivar it requires high amounts of inputs including fertilizer and water and it is susceptible to many pests but more importantly to many stresses including temperature and moisture. Cultivars possessing excel- lent processing quality including low sugar accumulation and high specific gravity and that are more environ- mentally and economically sustain- able are of interest to producers processors and consumers. In order to identify superior geno- types the North Dakota State University NDSU potato breeding program conducts crossing selec- tion evaluation and cultivar devel- opment activities across North Dakota and western Minnesota. In 2015 field research trials were grown at eight sites. Five were irrigated Larimore Oakes Inkster Williston and Park Rapids and three were non-irrigated Hoople Crystal and Grand Forks sites. These trials are important in identifying selections with high yield potential disease and pest resistance stress tolerance and consumer quality attributes for tablestock and processing genotypes. This report summarizes the results from the Larimore Processing Trial. Twenty-four advancing dual-purpose russet selections and commercially acceptable cultivars were included in the trial planted on April 25. The field plot design was a randomized complete block with four replicates cultural practices typical of the grow- ing area were used during the grow- ing season including sprinkler irriga- tion. Rows were 36 inches apart with a 12-inch within-row spacing. Vines were flailed on September 16 and the trial was harvested on September 24. Typically we flail within a day or two of harvest in order to mimic what many process growers are doing in terms of green digging. Days to vine kill were 144 while days to harvest totaled 152. Agronomic and quality evaluations yield and grade and French fry qual- ity are summarized in Tables 1 2 and 3 respectively. Percentage stand ranged from 89 to 100 Table 1. Many entries particularly those with Dakota Trailblazer as a parent tend to have strong dormancy. Vine sizes significantly differed as expected and ranged from very small for ND091933ABCR-7Russ ND8068- 5Russ and ND102647-3Russ to very large for Dakota Trailblazer and ND113174B-2Russ. Vine maturity ranged from 1.0 very early for ND8068-5Russ and ND091933ABCR- 7Russ to 4.3 medium late for ND113174B-2Russ. Stems per plant is indicative of seed quality physio- logical age and seed size tuber eye number genetic and length of dor- mancy genetic. Stem numbers ranged from 1.1 for Dakota Russet to 2.0 for ND8068-5Russ. Seed quality was excellent in 2015 and this was reflected in the stem numbers. Most cultivars peak performance will be in the 1.5 to 3.0 stem range. Total yields were significantly differ- ent ranging from 222 cwt.acre for ND049546b-10Russ to 488 cwt.acre for Alpine Russet Table 2. Yield of US No. 1s ranged from 202 for ND091933ABCR-7Russ to 446 for Alpine Russet. Percentage US No. 1s ranged from 65 for Shepody to 92 for Dakota Russet and WND8624-2Russ. Due to a more normal growing season late April through mid-September the tuber size profile for all clones tended to be larger than in 2014 when we experi- enced a very short growing season and the size profile was small. The percentage of 6 to 12 ounce size tubers for most clones was in the upper 40 to mid-50 percentage range. Several clones could have per- haps been vine killed earlier because they had an excessively high per- centage of oversized tubers ND019194AB-1Russ ND049251B- 9Russ ND060761B-3Russ ND081764B-4Russ ND091938BR- 2Russ ND113174B-2Russ Dakota A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 19 Trailblazer Bannock Russet and Shepody are some entries with a high propensity for over-sized tubers. Some of these entries do not set many tubers per plant data not presented here so within-row spac- ing may need to be tightened up perhaps to 10 inches to allow for development of a smaller tuber size profile. ND113100-1Russ ND1131 74B-2Russ and Shepody produced more than 10 US No. 2 tubers. Tubers were generally culled due to misshapen tubers or growth cracks ND113174B-2Russ and Shepody had a high propensity for culls. Several advancing selections and industry standards had outstanding French fry color when fried at har- vest and after storage at 45F for 8 weeks Table 3. Many demonstrate sugar end resistance and while most clones considered resistant to sugar ends had some they were light enough to be manageable during processing. ND8068-5Russ ND09 1938BR-2Russ ND102647-3Russ ND102719B-1Russ Dakota Russet and Dakota Trailblazer would be con- sidered resistant. ND113174B-2 Russ and Russet Burbank had the most severe and the most sugar ends as defined by the industry. Our pro- gram assesses a sugar end as any color deviation from the main fry. This is more stringent than the pro- cessing industry that requires a score of a 3 or 4 on the color chart to be called a sugar end. Clones with stem end colors 2 or less can usually be managed during processing. Our research efforts are designed to iden- tify processing both chip and frozen germplasm that will reliably and consistently process from long- term cold 38F and 42F 3.3C andor 5.5C storage. As we grade a field zero time sample is collected for immediate French fry processing. French fryfrozen processing selec- tions are also evaluated from 45F 7.2C storage after eight weeks and again the following May or June for fry color stem end fry color sugar ends and other defects. All clones with processing potential chip and frozen are chipped from 38F after 8 weeks of storage as we seek geno- types that will reliably process from that temperature. Trial entries were evaluated for inter- nal defects. ND102647-3Russ Bannock Russet Dakota Trailblazer and Russet Burbank had high per- centages of hollow heart Table 1. The latter three had a high percent- age of oversized tubers while the ND102647-3Russ tended to have a smaller profile. This selection will need to be monitored to see if it is susceptible to hollow heart due to cool temperatures during early tuber bulking as Russet Burbank is or if it is more similar to Norgold Russet and thus is more susceptible to late season manifestations. Trial entries are also evaluated for blackspot and shatter bruise potential. Blackspot bruise Table 1 results when polyphenol oxidase and tyrosine combine within damaged cells due to tubers bumping around during harvest and handling. Usually the skin is not broken and bruises are dif- ficult to detect without peeling. Based on our ratings producers should use management practices to maximize the marketing of bruise- free tubers including a pre-harvest irrigation if appropriate maintain belts and conveyors full of tubers and soil as the potatoes move through the harvester limit drops and utilize padding on harvesters in trucks and on conveyors going into storage. Shatter bruise potential was evaluated following storage at 45F. No clone stood out as having signifi- cant potential for shatter however keeping tubers properly hydrated using bruise-free management tech- niques and minimizing damage limit shatters. Shatter bruises may be a possible entrance point for pathogens such as Fusarium gramin- earum Fusarium sambucinum and Fusarium coeruleum. The most promising advancing dual- purpose frozen processing and tablestock russet selections included AND97279-5Russ ND8068-5Russ ND039194AB-1Russ ND060761B- 3Russ and ND102719B-1Russ. The most advanced is ND8068-5Russ. ND8068-5Russ has very early maturi- ty about seven to ten days earlier than standard Russet Norkotah thus will not compete with late season cultivars for yield however it sizes early and has potential as an early russet for packing or may be used in place of Shepody or Ranger Russet as a clone for opening processing plants in mid-July. The NDSU potato improvement team wishes to express our gratitude to Hoverson Farms for hosting this research trial. We are appreciative of the opportunity to conduct coopera- tive and interdisciplinary research and are grateful to our many grower industry and research cooperators in North Dakota Minnesota and beyond for funding and certified seed potatoes in support of our efforts. A P R I L 2 0 1 620 POTATO GROWER Table 1. Agronomic and quality evaluations for advanced processing se full season Larimore 2015. Clone Sta nd Vine Size1 Vine Maturity2 Stems per Plant Specifi Gravity3 Hollow Heart4 Black- spot Bruise5 1. AND97279-5Russ 98 3.8 2.3 1.9 1.1041 6 4.7 2. ND8068-5Russ 96 1.5 1.0 2.1 1.0962 3 5.0 3. ND039194AB-1Russ 96 3.5 3.0 1.4 1.0911 2 3.8 4. ND049251B-9Russ 90 4.0 2.8 1.7 1.0895 3 3.6 5. ND049546b-10Russ 96 3.0 1.5 1.3 1.0885 11 4.2 6. ND060761B-3Russ 91 3.3 2.3 1.4 1.0899 3 4.7 7. ND081764B-4Russ 90 3.3 3.3 1.2 1.0917 9 4.2 8. ND091933ABCR-7Russ 91 1.3 1.0 1.7 1.0896 10 4.0 9. ND091938BR-2Russ 96 4.0 3.5 1.8 1.0933 1 3.0 10.ND102647-3Russ 95 1.5 1.8 2.0 1.0836 33 3.8 11. ND102719B-1Russ 96 4.3 4.0 1.3 1.1030 3 4.2 12. ND113100-1Russ 93 4.5 2.0 1.8 1.0888 1 3.9 13. ND113174B-2Russ 99 5.0 4.3 1.4 1.0940 5 4.3 14. WND8624-2Russ 89 2.8 2.5 1.4 1.0912 4 4.0 15. WND8625-2Russ 91 3.8 1.1 1.6 1.0920 9 4.2 16. Alpine Russet 96 4.3 3.0 1.6 1.0942 0 4.4 17. Bannock Russet 100 4.0 3.9 1.8 1.0928 28 3.5 18. Dakota Russet 94 3.8 3.3 1.1 1.0976 13 3.2 19. Dakota Trailblaz 96 4.8 4.0 1.3 1.1112 20 3.6 20. RangerRusset 96 4.0 3.5 1.9 1.0993 3 4.9 21. Russet Burbank 99 4.0 2.9 1.8 1.0850 21 4.2 22. Russet Norkotah 99 2.8 1.0 1.8 1.0875 11 4.4 23. Shepody 96 3.8 2.3 1.8 1.0893 8 3.7 24. Umatilla Russet 98 3.5 2.5 1.9 1.0968 8 3.2 Mean 95 3.5 2.6 1.6 1.0933 9 4.0 LSD 0.05 7 0.9 0.7 0.3 0.0078 10 1.6 1 Vine sizescale 1-5 1 small 5 large. 2 Vine maturityscale 1-5 1 early 5 late. 3 Determined using weight-in-air weight-in-water method. 4 Hollow heart includes brown center. 5 Blackspot bruise determined by the abrasive peel method scale 1-5 1none 5severe. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 21 Table 2. Yield and grade for advanced processing selections and cultivars 2015. Clone Total Yield Cwt.A US No. 1 Cwt.A US No. 1 0-4 oz. 4-6 oz. 6-12 oz. 12 oz. US No. 2 Culls 1. AND97279-5Russ 347 276 79 16 19 50 10 2 3 2. ND8068-5Russ 259 211 81 17 23 56 2 1 1 3. ND039194AB-1Russ 375 338 90 6 11 46 33 4 0 4. ND049251B-9Russ 313 272 87 9 14 48 25 3 1 5. ND049546b-10Russ 222 200 88 10 21 51 17 2 0 6. ND060761B-3Russ 361 303 85 5 8 42 34 9 2 7. ND081764B-4Russ 332 299 90 10 13 49 28 0 0 8. ND091933ABCR-7Russ 289 202 69 30 32 37 0 1 0 9. ND091938BR-2Russ 391 339 87 3 7 41 39 7 2 10. ND102647-3Russ 281 225 80 17 32 43 4 2 0 11. ND102719B-1Russ 371 316 84 5 8 48 28 7 4 12. ND113100-1Russ 310 243 78 7 10 47 21 14 1 13. ND113174B-2Russ 404 290 71 2 6 31 35 12 14 14. WND8624-2Russ 263 243 92 6 16 51 25 1 0 15. WND8625-2Russ 275 248 90 5 9 50 31 3 1 16. Alpine Russet 488 446 91 3 9 38 45 5 1 17. Bannock Russet 309 279 90 9 13 45 32 0 0 18. Dakota Russet 335 311 92 6 8 59 25 1 1 19. Dakota Trailblaz 321 268 84 6 9 42 32 6 4 20. Ranger Russet 390 310 79 7 11 42 27 5 9 21. Russet Burbank 423 315 74 10 14 35 25 7 8 22. Russet Norkotah 345 296 86 14 18 47 20 0 1 23. Shepody 358 230 65 4 7 29 29 15 16 24. Umatilla Russet 394 297 75 12 11 44 21 8 5 Mean 340 282 83 9 14 45 25 5 3 LSD 0.05 79 76 9 5 5 10 11 5 5 A P R I L 2 0 1 622 POTATO GROWER Table 3. Shatter bruise potential and French fry evaluations following ha storage at 45F full season trial Larimore 2015. Clone Shatte Bruise1 Fry Color2 Stem-end Color Sugar End3 Fry Color2 Stem- end Color Sugar End3 Field Fry Following 8 wks. at 1. AND97279-5Russ 1.5 1.0 2.2 75 1.0 1.8 58 2. ND8068-5Russ 1.7 0.6 1.1 50 0.5 0.9 33 3. ND039194AB-1Russ 2.4 1.3 2.0 75 1.4 2.0 59 4. ND049251B-9Russ 2.5 1.0 2.2 75 1.1 2.4 84 5. ND049546b-10Russ 1.4 0.5 1.2 83 0.9 1.8 58 6. ND060761B-3Russ 1.4 0.6 1.7 59 0.6 1.7 59 7. ND081764B-4Russ 2.0 0.9 2.6 83 1.6 2.9 50 8. ND091933ABCR-7Russ 1.7 0.5 0.8 33 1.4 1.8 25 9. ND091938BR-2Russ 1.6 0.8 1.2 42 1.2 1.5 25 10. ND102647-3Russ 1.3 0.5 1.1 25 0.4 1.2 33 11. ND102719B-1Russ 1.4 0.5 1.1 46 0.6 1.4 50 12. ND113100-1Russ 1.2 0.7 2.0 83 0.6 2.3 67 13. ND113174B-2Russ 1.7 1.4 3.2 67 1.0 3.8 88 14. WND8624-2Russ 2.5 2.3 2.6 17 2.6 2.9 17 15. WND8625-2Russ 1.9 1.0 1.7 50 2.0 2.4 33 16. Alpine Russet 2.0 1.0 1.6 42 1.0 1.8 42 17. Bannock Russet 1.4 0.8 2.0 75 1.3 2.1 75 18. Dakota Russet 1.5 0.7 0.9 25 0.7 0.8 17 19. Dakota Trailbla 1.3 0.7 1.6 67 0.6 1.1 50 20. Ranger Russet 1.8 0.9 2.4 100 1.1 2.4 67 21. Russet Burbank 1.3 1.3 3.3 84 1.0 3.1 84 22. Russet Norkotah 1.4 1.6 2.2 50 1.9 2.4 42 23. Shepody 2.0 1.6 2.5 42 1.0 2.3 67 24. Umatilla Russet 1.3 1.3 2.9 67 1.0 2.0 75 Mean 1.6 1.0 1.9 59 1.1 2.0 52 LSD 0.05 1.6 0.6 0.9 45 0.7 0.8 43 12 Shatter bruise is evaluated using a bruising chamber with digger chain link baffles. Tubers are stored at 45 rated on a scale of 1-5 with 1 none and 5 many and severe. 2 Fry color scores 0.1 corresponds to 000 0.3 corresponds to 00 0.5 corresponds to 0 1.0 equals 1.0 subs rating scale 000 to 4.0. Scores of 3.0 and above are unacceptable because adequate sugars cannot be leached f acceptable fry of good texture. 3 Any stem end darker than the main fry is considered a sugar end in these evaluations thus mirroring the wor industry defines a sugar end as a 3.0 or darker. A P R I L 2 0 1 624 POTATO GROWER Northern Plains Potato Growers Association Hosts 2016 Potato Industry Leadership Institute Bridgett Lake-Cheff of Ronan Montana Elected Grower-Leader The Potato Industry Leadership Institute PILI Class of 2016 included twenty- seven potato growers and industry rep- resentatives. The annual program is administered by the National Potato Council NPC and the United States Potato Board USPB and identifies and trains the next generation of industry leaders. From Feb. 17-25 PILI participants trav- eled from potato growing regions across the country to attend eight days of industry training and professional development. This years class kicked off in Grand Forks North Dakota where the class received an overview of the local and national potato industry including some of the challenges and issues beyond the production sector. NPC Executive Vice President and CEO John Keeling provided attendees with an overview of the industrys pressing public policy issues. USPB Chief Marketing Officer John Toaspern gave a market and consumer update and high- lighted international export opportuni- ties for potatoes and potato products. Greg Campbell and TJ Hall grower-ship- pers from Grafton North Dakota and Edinburg North Dakota and Jared Erickson of Black Gold Farms headquar- tered in Grand Forks North Dakota attended this years Leadership Institute. The group attended the International Crop Expo a trade show held in Grand Participants in the 2016 Potato Industry Leadership Institute front row left to right Greg Campbell Grafton N.D. Bryan Fischer Kalkaska Mich. Troy Sorenson Alliance Neb. Toby Price Kennewick Wash. Jordan Driscoll Pocatello Idaho Katie Walchli Hermiston Ore. middle row left to right Rebecca Jones Moses Lake Wash. Andy Schroeder Antigo Wis. Jared Erickson Grand Forks N.D. Tyler Thompson Center Colo. Jaren Raybould Saint Anthony Idaho Ryan Crane Exeter Maine 2017 Grower-Leader Mike Kirsch Madras Ore. Karl DeJonge Manhattan Mont. back row left to right Bridgett Lake-Cheff Ronan Mont. 2016 Grower-Leader Ben Zechman Minden Neb. Patrick Morris Lansing Mich. Tanner Wahlen Aberdeen Idaho Casey Park Rexburg Idaho Brian Mahany Arkport N.Y. Clay Allen Pasco Wash. T.J. Hall Hoople N.D. Travis Meacham Moses Lake Wash. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 25 Forks North Dakota every February. They also visited Hoverson Farms in Larimore North Dakota. US Potato Board Chairman Carl Hoverson talked about his potato operation and served fresh cooked potato chips and french fries to everyone. The group went on tours of the University of North Dakotas renowned Aerospace Center and also the Ralph Englestad Arena where the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks play. They also toured Simplot a processing plant in Grand Forks and the UDSA-ARS facility in East Grand Forks Minnesota. Darrin Haagenson USDA-ARS Worksite Director gave everyone a tour of the facilities. On Friday evening they watched the UND Fighting Hawks defeat the Univeristy of Minnesota Duluth in overtime. The next morning everyone headed off to Washington DC. Attendees joined in the discussions on public policy taking place at NPCs Potato D.C. Fly-In where they learned about the legislative and regulatory pri- orities of the U.S. potato industry. On Sunday Gary Matteson with the Farm Crdit Council talked about advanced communications for ag lead- ers and cash flow planning for potato growers. The day concluded with the Iron Potato Chef Competition. On Monday Brad Fitch of the Congres- sional Management Foundation talked about how Congress works and after that the group role played on how to lobby and also received training on eti- quette and media training. The evening ended with a welcome reception and dinner where Howard Fineman NBCMSNBC Political Analyst spoke about the political climate in Washington DC. Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with more classes and visits to Capitol Hill where they attended the Standing Up For Potatoes reception. The program finished with more visits to offices on Capitol Hill where partici- pants joined their state grower delega- tions for the Fly-In to meet with mem- bers of Congress and advocate for indus- try priorities. Bridgett Lake-Cheff of Lake Seed Inc. in Ronan Montana served as the groups Grower-Leader after being elected to the position in 2015. The PILI program has helped me grow within the industry preparing me to become the best person and leader I can possibly be said Cheff. At the conclusion of the event the 2016 class elected Ryan Crane of Crane Brothers Farms in Exeter Maine to serve as the 2017 Grower-Leader. The Institute is made possible each year through a major sponsorship from Syngenta. USDA-ARS Worksite Director Darren Haagenson talks to the group about the research that is conducted at the East Grand Forks Minnesota worksite. Everyone in the group enjoyed the tour of the University of North Dakotas Aerospace Center. A P R I L 2 0 1 626 POTATO GROWER Kent Sather Joins North Dakota State Seed Department Mr. Kent Sather joined the staff of the North Dakota State Seed Department on February 15th as Director of Potato Programs. Sather is responsible for managing and directing all activities associated with potato seed certification shipping point inspections potato tissue culture and seedstocks production and other servic- es provided by the North Dakota State Seed Departments Potato Programs. Sather replaces Mr. Willem Schrage who managed program activities with North Dakota State Seed for nine years after performing similar duties for the state of Minnesota for fifteen years. Sather joins the North Dakota State Seed Department after an eighteen year career with Colorado State University potato certification service serving as both Assistant Manager and Manager of certification programs. Prior to his tenure in Colorado Sather served as the Assistant Manager of the Potato Certification Association of Nebraska from 1981 to 1997. Sather obtained a BS degree in Plant Sciences from the University of Idaho and holds a Master of Science degree in Potato Physiology from Colorado State University. A native of Madison Minnesota Kent and his family wife Barb and daughter Sarah have relocated to Fargo North Dakota from the San Luis Valley of Colorado. ND State Seed Commissioner Ken Bertsch said We are thrilled to have someone of Kents background and experience join the North Dakota State Seed Department. Kent knows the seed industry has a great deal of expertise and experience in core areas of our pro- gram and has been active with many industry groups. Its already apparent that Kent has a combination of techni- cal experience and people skills that will serve him and our growers well going forward. The Seed Department is the North Dakota state agency responsible for seed certification seed regulatory and seed testing of certified seed products includ- ing field crops and potatoes. The main agency offices and laboratories are locat- ed in Fargo North Dakota with a region- al office dedicated to potato certifica- tion located in Grafton North Dakota. Sathers primary office location is the Fargo office with frequent external work in Grafton and other potato seed production areas in the state. Mr. Sather can be reached at his office in Fargo 701-231-5400 and at ksatherndseed.ndsu.edu. A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 27 Potato Associates Donation Help Purchase Tractor For Research Plots Dr. Andy Robinson NDSUUMN Extension Potato Agronomist has purchased a new tractor to be used in potato field research and for field days research plots. This includes planting hilling spraying harvest- ing and field work. The Potato Associates donated 5000.00 towards the purchase of this tractor. Without a tractor we have had to borrow tractors and find other means to get our field work done Dr. Robinson says. Now we will have a tractor we can use when we need it and ot be delayed waiting to use a tractor. This will increase our efficiency and improve the quality of research. The Potato Associates have donated dollars to other worthy projects in past years such as NPPGA Annual Research Reporting Conference sponsor. NPPGA Field Day sponsor. NPPGA Golf Open Repairs done to research equipment as well as equipment purchases. United States Potato Board and the National Potato Council. The Potato Associates program is an affiliate of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association. Its members are individuals who are non-potato producers who hold an interest in agriculture. Our purpose is to support the potato grower members of the NPPGA. The membership fee for an individ ual is 50.00 and for companies who would like to have more than one Potato Associate member there are several options to choose from. Some of the membership benefits include Your name and company name are included in an issue of the Valley Potato Grower magazine. You receive a complimentary sub- scription to the Valley Potato Grower magazine. You receive a copy of The Past Is Never Far Away a history of the Red River Valley Potato Industry by Lynda Kenney. NPPGA wall calendar. Opportunity to apply for college scholarship for children and grand children of Potato Associates. You also receive invitations to the following NPPGA events NPPGA Field Day International Crop Expo NPPGA Potato Golf Open NPPGA Annual Meeting Potato Bowl USA To get more information or to apply for membership please call 218-773- 3633 or e-mail vpgsales nppga.org. A P R I L 2 0 1 628 POTATO GROWER Eric Halverson Returns To US Potato Board Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced 29 appointments to the National Potato Promotion Board also known as the United States Potato Board USPB. Each representative will serve for three years beginning March 1 2016. Among those appointed is Eric Halverson from Black Gold Farms headquartered in Grand Forks North Dakota. This will be Halversons second stint on the board he previously served two three-year terms from 2008 to 2014. Halverson will join North Dakota board members Jeff VanRay Bill Sheldon Casey Hoverson and cur- rent USPB Chairman Carl Hoverson on the board. Minnesota board members are Justin Dagen Leon Hapka Jeff Edling and Howard Gray. North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer commented Eric will be a strong voice for potato producers from North Dakota and across the nation. I congratulate him for receiving this honor and wish him the best of luck in this new posi- tion. USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service AMS provides oversight of the National Potato Promotion Board in accordance with the Potato Research and Promotion Act and the Potato Research and Promotion Plan. The program is administered by board members who are selected by the Secretary of Agriculture. Research and promotion programs are industry-funded authorized by Congress and date back to 1966 when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower agricultural industries including the fruit and vegetable industry to leverage their own resources to develop markets strengthen exist- ing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight paid for by industry assessments which helps ensure fiscal responsibility program efficiency and fair treatment of par- ticipating stakeholders. An induction ceremony was held at the United States Potato Boards annual meeting in Colorado Springs. Major U.S. Legislative Issues Impacting Produce Anticipated In 2016 The 2016 U.S. congressional calen- dar is expected to be very com- pressed because of the Democratic and Republican Conventions sched- uled for July and the November presidential and congressional elec- tions. Nevertheless major legisla- tive issues of interest to the fruit and vegetable industry may include Child Nutrition Reauthorization As discussed in another post this major program that sets policy and funding for school lunch and other nutritionfeeding programs has been considered in a Senate com- mittee and must move through floor consideration and the House of Representatives before becoming law. It includes important policy provisions that direct content of federally funded meals as well as foster healthy eating habits. The short-term win for the produce industry is greater fruit and veg- etable consumption for kids. The long-term benefit is that childrens boost in consumption will carry on into adulthood building consumers for life. Annual Appropriations Annual legislation to fund opera- tion of the federal government is expected to move much earlier than normal however election-year pol- itics and uncertainty over who may win the White House and which party may control the Senate could derail plans to complete bills before the end of the U.S. governments fis- cal year on Sept. 30. As election-year People Product News A P R I L 2 0 1 6 POTATO GROWER 29 People Product News posturing ramps up the threat of a government shutdown always looms. These can lead to border inspection delays and backups delays in distributing important research funding and overall uncer- tainty in the economy which under- mines consumer confidence. Approval of the Trans Pacific Partnership Consideration of this agreement by the U.S. Congress may not occur until after the November elections as members of both political parties are concerned about how ratifica- tion before the elections could affect the outcome. Generally sup- port for the agreement seems strong but the apprehension will likely mean further delay of the benefits that accrue to many sectors under the agreement especially pro- duce. These include reductions in tariffs and enhancement of sanitary and phytosanitary rules to better facilitate produce trade. Eight years have passed since a change in presidential administra- tions. The coming months will be filled with posturing for advantage in the upcoming elections as well as a desire by the Obama Administration to define its legacy. These efforts will include promulga- tion of regulations based on laws passed by Congress this year as well as using existing laws to advance administration priorities. All sides- including the produce industry-will need to be watchful of this process and as usual PMA will have your back. Put MNSeed ad from March page 11 here A P R I L 2 0 1 630 POTATO GROWER CALENDAR April 2016 Ad Index AgCountry............................31 Associated Potato Growers...26 Minnesota Seed....................29 North Dakota Seed...............11 North Valley Lockwood.....30 Protassium...........................2 Syngenta Orondis..............32 Techmark inc........................9 TriEst Ag GroupInc................7 Tri-Steel Mfg.........................16 May 21-24 National Restaurant Association Show Chicago Illinois Information 312-580-5403 June 20-23 United Fresh 2016 Convention Chicago Illinois Information 202-303-3420 July 8-10 NPC Summer Meeting Park City Utah Information 204-239-6932 July 12-14 PMANA Summer Meeting Winnipeg Manitoba Information 204-239-6932 July 9-17 Maine Potato Blossom Festival Fort Fairfield Maine Information 207-472-3802 July 21 NPPGA Annual Golf Tournament Park River North Dakota Information 218-773-3633 July 29-31 PMA Foodservice Conference Monterey California Information 207-581-3042 Aug 8-11 Empire Farm Days Seneca New York Information 877-697-7837 Aug 25 NPPGA Field Day Larimore Inkster and Hoople Information 218-773-3633 Orondis fungicide with its unique best-in-class active ingredient for controlling oomycete fungi is on its way to achieving Most Valuable Product status. 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