Potato Bytes
Potato News
Friday, September 5, 2008
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Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
Office News
Maatz Resigns to Take Similar Position in Wisconsin
Northern Plains Potato Growers Association President Duane Maatz has resigned his position to become the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association headquartered in Antigo, WI. Maatz has been head of the NPPGA since 1998. He will be on the job in East Grand Forks until late September.
From NPPGA Marketing Director, Ted Kreis ~ Minnesota Harvest Moves to Long Prairie - The southern Minnesota red potato harvest is in the process moving from the Big Lake area to Long Prairie. Markets were generally in the $20/cwt. range.
Rainy Weather Continues – Rain has fallen in the Red River Valley six out of the last ten days slowing any type of field work.Because of the cool temperatures accompanying the most recent rain, growers don’t anticipate any negative effects. Growers in the Red River Valley are still anticipating very good yields and excellent quality. Size profiles of early test digs indicates fewer B-size potatoes than last year.
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North Dakota Selection Dates Postponed – North Dakota Potato Breeder Susie Thompson says rain has delayed the start of her selection process to Monday at the earliest. Susie estimates the selection process will take 5-6 days once it gets started. Interested growers are urged to stop by the Langdon Research and Extension Center. Call Susie at 701-799-8536 for more information.
Dean Peterson Still Looking for Digger Chains - Chain for one-row potato digger. 24’’ wide, 3/8” diameter with ½” pitch. Need 19-20 feet. Will take new or used, anything has got to be better than what I have. Also looking for nose cone rollers for one-row digger in good condition.
Contact:Dean A. Peterson
NDSU Plant Pathology Department
701-231-8362 Office
701-231-8471 Shop
701-730-3841 Cell
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Bytes Trivia ~ Last week’s Trivia winner was Ryan Bjertness from Black Gold in Grand Forks. Ryan knew scoliosis is the medical term for a lateral curvature of the spine.
Here is this week’s Trivia question: What institution is sometimes dubbed "Canoe U."? Send your answer to tkreis@nppga.org. The winner will receive a calculator.
This Week’s Amazing Fact : Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool! He changed it every 2 innings!
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Industry News
From the North Dakota Dept. of Ag ~ ND Pesticide Control Board to Meet - The North Dakota Pesticide Control Board will meet by video conference at 9 a.m., Friday, Sept. 12.
Agenda topics include:
- North Dakota’s pesticide enforcement program and selected pesticide policies
- EPA’s container/containment regulations
- The upcoming legislative session.
The meeting may be monitored at the North Dakota Department of Agriculture conference room on the sixth floor of the State Capitol.
The Pesticide Control Board consists of Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, Ken Grafton, director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, and Duane Hauck, director of North Dakota State University Extension Service.
Entries Sought for Agricultural Photo Contest - More photographs of farm and ranch life, crops and livestock are wanted for the third annual North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) Photo Contest.
“We’ve already received some excellent entries and would like to see more,” said Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson. “Harvest is underway and there are lots of other activities happening on North Dakota’s farms and ranches. That means there are plenty of opportunities for great photos.”
Contest rules and entry forms are available on the department’s website at www.agdepartment.com (click on “Hot Topics”) or by contacting the department at (800) 242-7535 or ndda@nd.gov .
The deadline for submitting photos is Oct. 31, 2008.
One photo will be chosen from each of six categories: farming, ranching, crops, livestock, people and agricultural landscape. Winning photographs will be used in department publications and on NDDA’s website. Each winning photographer will receive a $50 cash prize and will be invited to a special ceremony during National Agriculture Week 2009. They will also be credited in all publications in which their winning photos appear.
Eligible photos must have been taken in North Dakota within the past three years by North Dakota residents. Employees of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and their immediate families and professional photographers are not eligible to enter. Entrants can submit a total of four photographs in either digital file or print form.
From the USPB ~ If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you're sure to enjoy the “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed™” campaign signature in all its glory on the Reuters electronic billboard in Times Square in New York. The United States Potato Board (USPB) launched a business story to announce the “Peel Back the Truth” ad campaign, which tackles potato nutrition myths and quickly reveals, with the swoop of a potato peeler, the healthy truth inside a fresh potato.
As of August 25—just one week after the release—results tally an impressive 9,043,884 impressions, including a story in the Chicago Sun-Times on-line and print editions where they featured the ad, as well.
Coming soon, look for a Special Edition of Industry Update, detailing all aspects of the industry’s new nutrition campaign, “Potatoes…Goodness Unearthed” and the “Peel Back the Truth” consumer advertising campaign.
Fresh Potato Exports to Mexico Grow - Exports of fresh potatoes to Mexico for the FY08 marketing year grew 23% by volume to reach 56,589 metric tons, valued at nearly $26 million. These increased exports are encouraged by USPB in-store promotions. In December 2007, the USPB carried out 110 days of promotions in 28 outlets of the Gigante supermarket chain located in the three cities of Ensenada, Mexicali and Tijuana. Average sales increases during the in-store promotions were 107%. The promotions covered both russet and white varieties from the United States
Wide Variety of U.S. Potatoes Promoted in Hong Kong - From July 25 to August 7, the USPB worked with Jusco supermarkets in Hong Kong to promote russet, yellow, white, red and purple US potatoes at their eight stores. The USPB provided in-store demonstrators to show cooking methods for these potatoes and provide nutritional information on US potatoes. Consumer leaflets and potato recipes were distributed to customers, while Jusco produced a flyer for the promotion, featuring US potatoes with USPB logo.
Chip Growers Invited to Symposium - The USPB would like to invite all interested chip-stock growers to attend an exciting international information session to be held in Los Angeles, California.
The “International Chip Symposium” will be held Friday, October 17, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Lunch will be included with a reception & dinner to follow the Symposium.
This program will provide presentations on several topics, including the current US chip market, foreign chip market opportunities, US chipping varieties, as well as information on the USPB International Chip Programs & assistance. Participants from major chip manufacturers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China who attended the USPB-hosted Reverse Trade Mission will present information on their markets, as well as their companies. This is an excellent opportunity for US chip growers to meet potential, new foreign chip buyers!!!
For more information, please call Sarah Mahler at 303-873-2334, or e-mail sarah@uspotatoes.com.
Space is limited, so it is important you RSVP by September 25, 2008 to ensure your participation! Please fill out the attached form and fax to 720-249-0110. We look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles!
USPB Contest Winners to be Interviewed on Martha Stewart Radio - On Wednesday, September 3, the chefs who created the top three winning recipes in the USPB’s “50 States of the Potato” contest will be interviewed live on Martha Stewart’s Morning Living Radio, a show broadcast every weekday morning, with expert advice on cooking, entertaining, gardening, and more from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EST.
Ilona O’Brien, Manager, Island Gourmet at the Outrigger Hotel in Hawaii, will discuss her Grand Prize winning Potato Poke (http://www.potatogoodness.com/foodService/fsRecipeDetail.php?id=84 ) at 7:05 am. At 8:05 Owner/Chef Jason Apfelbaum of Totally Baked in NY, along with his executive chef, Jeffrey Crawford, will talk about their NY Rueben Baked Potato (http://www.potatogoodness.com/foodService/fsRecipeDetail.php?id=73). Finally, at 9:05, Chef Justin McArthur of Alluzion Catering in Ohio will chat about his creation, Ohio’s Best Potato Salad (http://www.potatogoodness.com/foodService/fsRecipeDetail.php?id=81).
This is an exciting and unexpected result from the contest, originally designed to inspire new and different potato menu ideas in foodservice. Now, consumers will be inspired to try their own gourmet potato dishes.
To listen, tune your Sirius system to channel 112. If you don’t have Sirius, you can download a three-day trial version at http://www.sirius.com/siriusinternetradio .
Thailand Introduced to U.S. Dehy Products for Baking - A new, whole wheat bagel product, made soft with US dehy, was launched in two menu items in 31 outlets in Thailand and is the direct result of the USPB’s technical assistance, sampling program and work with local importers and distributors. To ensure success of the product, the promotional launch was also supported by the USPB. For the period July 2007-May 2008, US exports of dehydrated potatoes to Thailand increased 31.46% over the previous year’s totals to date, reaching 1,120 MT or 160,524 cwt fresh weight equivalent.
In Japan, USPB representative, Uniflex Marketing, continues to implement outstanding activities to affect the USPB International Marketing growth strategy for dehy: “Increase understanding and use of US dehydrated potato products”! Publicity, such as this article in Ryori Tshushin, a very popular monthly cuisine magazine, builds a foundation of technical knowledge and information regarding the benefits of utilizing US dehy in a variety of applications, provides education and training about US dehy where needed and appropriate and increases the number of channels in which US dehy is included /utilized
Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Potato Industry Leadership Institute (PILI), being held February 19-26, 2009. The Institute is an eight-day program designed to identify, develop and cultivate new leaders within the potato industry. The Institute focuses on leadership development, public policy, marketing, trade, team building, public communication, presentation skills and more. Participants are selected through state organization nominations and a committee facilitated by the National Potato Council (NPC) and the USPB, who jointly coordinate the program. The Institute receives a major sponsorship from Syngenta, who has long been committed to leadership development in agriculture.
The 2009 Institute will begin in the Columbia Basin in Oregon where participants will receive an overview of the US potato industry, including domestic and international marketing. Tours of local production and processing will be held, in addition to exposure to the unique attributes of the growing area and market. Participants will then head to Washington, D.C., where the focus will move to national legislative and regulatory priorities for the US potato industry and skills training. Training sessions will include presentation skills, leadership development, media training, and lobbying skills.
“If you have a passion for potatoes, the Leadership Institute is the best investment you will make,” asserts Ernie Ford, a grower from the San Luis Valley of Colorado, who was elected by the 2007 class to serve as the grower leader in 2008, then one month later, put his newly honed leadership skills to work by being nominated to the USPB and elected to the USPB Administrative Committee, serving on the Industry Communications & Policy Committee. “You’ll be able to tell people how much passion you have for the industry and show them by leading us all into the future!”
Attached is the Institute registration form. If you are interested in participating in the 2009 Potato Industry Leadership Institute, contact the NPC or your local state organization. Applications are due October 31, 2008.
From the Minnesota Dept. of Ag ~ MDA To Offer Free Waste Pesticide Collection In Seven Southeastern Counties - Program already has collected more than 82,000 pounds of waste pesticide this summer – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is offering a new program called “Clean Sweep” to help homeowners and farmers safely dispose of unwanted and unusable pesticides. A round of collections will be held September 15-18 in seven southeast Minnesota counties.
The Clean Sweep collections are open to farmers, households, commercial pesticide applicators, golf courses, lawn care companies, structural pest control operators and other pesticide users. There is no cost to participate and no pre-registration is required. The program will accept unwanted, unusable agricultural and residential pesticides including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and rodenticides. However, crop oils, adjuvants, pesticide rinsate, fertilizer, treated seed, contaminated soil and empty pesticide containers will not be accepted.
MDA is partnering with regional and county hazardous waste facilities to offer disposal opportunities in every county around the state. The southeast county collections will be held at the following locations and times:
Houston County September 15, Houston County Fairgrounds, Caledonia, 2 ‑ 4 p.m.
Mower County September 16, Harvest States Cooperative, Elkton, 9 ‑ 11 a.m.
Steele County September 16, Central Valley Cooperative, 502 SW 42 nd Street, Ellendale, 2 ‑ 4 p.m.
Freeborn County September 17, Freeborn County Fairgrounds, Albert Lea, 9 ‑ 11 a.m.
Waseca County September 17, Waseca County Landfill, 4.5 miles south of Waseca on Hwy 13, 2 ‑ 4 p.m.
Rice County September 18, Rice County Recycling Center, 3800 E 145 th, Dundas, 9 ‑ 11 a.m.
Scott County September 18, Hwy Ag/Genesis, 820 Main St E, Belle Plaine, 2 ‑ 4 p.m.
Future collection events will be posted on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us (found “In the Spotlight” box). Interested farmers and homeowners can also contact the MDA Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division at 651-201-6562.
According to MDA Commissioner Gene Hugoson, the department has collected and safely disposed of more than 82,000 pounds of waste pesticide since the program started earlier this summer.
“As a farmer myself, I know how helpful it is to have a convenient and safe way to get rid of unused pesticides,” Commissioner Hugoson said. “We’re pleased that this new Clean Sweep program will offer Minnesotans more opportunities to safely dispose of these products.”
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Make Plans Now to Attend POTATO EXPO 2009 in San Antonio January 7-9 - Learn more about the POTATO EXPO 2009 by visiting www.potato-expo.com.
Many national potato organizations are scheduling meetings in San Antonio the week of the Expo including PMANA, the National Potato Council, the United Potato Growers of America, the US Potato Board, and the American Potato Trade Alliance. For a complete schedule of these meetings, go to: http://www.potato-expo.com/mc/community/vieweventcalendar.do?orgId=napc&selCalendarMonth=0&selCalendarYear=2009 .
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Items for Potato Bytes? - If you would like to submit an item or announce an upcoming event in Potato Bytes, or if you have a story idea for the Valley Potato Grower magazine, please call (218) 773-3633 or send an e-mail to communication@nppga.org.
