News
Maine board names Nightingale Farms’ Curtis Harrison as 2019 Young Farmer of the Year
The Maine Potato Board has named Curtis Harrison of Nightingale Farms its 2019 Young Farmer of the Year. Nightingale Farms is located in New Limerick in eastern Maine near the New Brunswick border. Harrison operates the farm with his uncle, Frank ... more
University of Wisconsin-Extension conducting series of Soil, Water & Nutrient Management meetings
The University of Wisconsin-Extension in conjunction with UW-Madison Department of Soil Science will conduct eight Soil, Water and Nutrient Management Meetings Nov. 27 to Dec. 6, 2018 around the state to provide research updates in the field ... more
Soil health movement highlighted in new documentary
The Soil Health Institute (SHI) released a 60-minute documentary on Nov. 15 that captures the history — and significance — of the soil health movement. “Never have I seen, among farmers, such a broad quest for (soil health) knowledge as I’... more
Maine potato growers get boost from Specialty Crop Block Grant Program
The federal government is investing more than a half million dollars in Maine to help boost production of crops including state staples like potatoes and blueberries. Maine Agriculture Commissioner Walter Whitcomb says the state is working with th... more
Potatoes perfect fit for Flexitarian diet trend, says Side Delights
Side Delights has announced new ways to help create “plant-based menu plans” as the trend continues toward diets and ways of eating that focus more on vegetables and less on meat. The so-called Flexitarian diet, based on the benefits of a pla... more
First-quarter potato exports down, but Washington’s Voigt isn’t too worried
U.S. potato export numbers were down during the first quarter of the July 2018-June 2019 marketing year, a Potatoes USA report showed, and tariffs imposed by China and Mexico are a big reason why. Frozen potato exports were down 6 percent during t... more
Secretary of Agriculture expresses optimism on passage of farm bill
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was in New Jersey on Tuesday, when he toured several farms to hear about concerns and issues growers there are facing. On the tour, Perdue spoke with reporters and expressed optimism that, now that the mi... more
Insecticide resistance in Colorado potato beetles
Colorado potato beetles overwinter in the soil as adults, often aggregating in woody areas adjacent to the fields in which they have spent the previous summer. Starting in late May, the overwintered beetles dig themselves out of the soil and mate. Th... more
Potato production in Minnesota, North Dakota expected to see small drop
Potato production in the upper Midwest looks to be down somewhat in 2018. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates that North Dakota potato crop will be 23.7 million hundredweight (cwt), down 3 perc... more
