Travels with Clea
Are you familiar with the song, I’m From Everywhere” popularized by Johnny Cash? Well, if there’s a theme song to my spring and summer travels, that would have to be it.
I may not have traveled every road in this here land, but with my dog Clea riding shotgun, of travel I’ve had my share. I would estimate that she and I put down about 8,000 miles visiting growers and attending meetings during the past five months.
On a recent stretch we covered both of Michigan’s peninsulas, down to Wisconsin and continued south into Illinois, visiting growers along the way. I won’t reveal the growers at this time. You’ll have to read about them in the upcoming issues of Spudman in 2015.
One of my earlier trips this spring was to Lynden, Washington, during planting season at the Bedlington Seed Farm. I met the extended family while touring the farm with Scott Bedlington. This is truly a family farm operation.
Northwest Washington, just south of the Canadian border, is a beautiful area and the Bedlingtons continue to grow their operation despite the agricultural demands on the land from the blueberry and raspberry industries and encroaching urban pressures from their north.
Correspondent Melanie Epp updates us on efforts to control bacterial ring rot in seed potatoes and we have state seed reports and the national accepted seed potato acreage report from Rob Davidson.
A little over two months ago I was stunned to read of Christian Thill’s death and then less then a month ago I read that Don Horneck died.
Over the years I had met both Christian and Don at winter conferences. Both men gave freely of their time and answered any and all questions I asked, with patience and erudition reserved for speaking to the media.
The potato industry not only has lost two valuable researchers with their deaths, but their families, friends and we as a community have lost two men who enriched our lives just by their presence.
You can read more about both men on pages 8-9.
You only live once: live to the fullest and without regrets.
