November/December 2009

A solid work ethic and rural-road smarts have served the Streef brothers well. Those are two of the qualities instilled into the five by their parents.There's another quality, however, that may have h... more »

I had the chance to tour the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit International Trade Show and Exposition in October to see the fresh produce suppliers and the many value-added products.Even w... more »

The J.R. Simplot Company has announced that it will permanently close its Hermiston, Ore., potato processing plant in a phased shutdown over the next nine months.The plant and related support operatio... more »

Bob Bartlett, a potato industry leader from Littleton, Maine, recently completed six years as a leader of the U.S. Potato Board (USPB). At the organization's 2004 Annual Meeting in Denver, he retired ... more »

Lagerstrom Farms of Presque Isle, Maine, is a son and mother operation that has grown considerably in recent years. Marena Lagerstrom and her son, Paul, have operated the farm for three years, followi... more »

Dwight Horsch is a third generation potato farmer in Aberdeen, Idaho. The three basic focuses of his life have been family, farm and service to his industry.In the early 1900s his grandfather took up ... more »

On a cool, crisp September morning, as the chill of the early autumn air began evaporating, as the sun climbed higher in the clear blue sky, Jim Carlson was in his element, keeping his seed-potato har... more »

In 2003, the U.S. trade balance in potatoes and potato products was in deficit for the first time ever. Total U.S. exports were valued at $646 million in 2003 down 11 percent from 2002, while imports ... more »

With low-carb diets sending potatoes onto the menu of taboo dinner items, growers are seeing decreased demand and decreased value of the once-prized American staple. But a new variety being grown in F... more »

Chinese potato growers do much of their work by hand, on small plots with rudimentary tools. While the size of fields varies, the average farm totals between two and five acres. When it is consider... more »

A photo gallery of Joe's trip can be viewed on the Spudman Facebook fan page here.She grew the potatoes, carried them to the factory and processed them into crisps.I saw her carry a bag of potatoes to... more »

Total seed acres approved for certification in 2009 decreased less than 1 percent from 2008, but there were some surprising changes in the Top 20 varieties. Total certified seed acreage, at 108,444, i... more »

The National Potato Council's 2003 Environmental Stewardship Award was given to four growers from across the U.S for their outstanding achievement in the area of pesticide risk reduction. The winners ... more »

After nearly four great years here at Spudman and Great American Publishing I am leaving to tend my bonsai potato (www.bonsaipotato.com).Have you seen these things? They are great. You patiently tend ... more »

Growers tend to build their own formula for good vine killing management from years of experience. Over that period of time they learn how factors such as soil moisture, the percent of mature vines in... more »

Kraig Knutzen is a fifth-generation grower from Burlington, Wash. who was elected to serve as chair of the U.S. Potato Board earlier this year. He was nominated to the board in 1999. Prior to his appo... more »