We held Potato School 2021 this past December and it was a big success. Over 100 people from around the world attended this one-day all virtual event featuring expert guest speakers, key information on potato diseases, and practical advice for growing a more sustainable potato crop. The agenda included: Gary Secor, North Dakota State University […]
Farmers have a lot on their minds: pests, frost, heat, commodity prices, too much rain, drought, labor, regulations and even more.
I recently had the pleasure of authoring three articles for SpudSmart. I hope you enjoy them!
Improving sustainable potato production is an admirable goal for the potato industry. The basic concept of sustainable crop production is to produce an economically viable crop while maintaining or improving soil health and reducing the potential environmental impacts of farming. As farmers have long known, there is a link between the economic and environmental sustainability of the […]
Sustainability is something that takes time to appreciate. Sustainability is part of wisdom. You believe that the gifts the land provides your family are not a given. Your grandfather used to say, “Take care of the soil and it will take care of you”.
Soil Health is a relatively new phrase in agriculture that describes the important role soil plays in the long-term sustainability of crop land. Soil health involves a productive balance of soil chemistry (nutrients), soil physics (structure), and soil biology (soil microorganisms). The potato industry needs productive, healthy soils to remain competitive. Therefore, it is good to […]
Farming has always been a business that succeeds through innovation. Farming innovations over the years have allowed farms to increasingly produce more potatoes per acre staying ahead of cost of production. As potato production costs increase, one has to sell more potatoes to cover the higher cost of production. Production efficiency is a term that can be […]
Potato farmers are facing changes in established markets during the Covid-19 crisis. There are reports of increased demand for all potatoes at the supermarket. However, stay at home orders have severely reduced demand for restaurant and institutional products. The potato market is shifting to meet new product demands and provide an outlet for those products that no longer […]
Climate change is a politically divisive topic. However, it is advisable for those with a stake in agriculture to explore the ramifications of potential weather changes on business. As weather instabilities or weather extremes become more common, farming will need to change. One common refrain regarding climate change is that existing agriculture will move to latitudes with […]
