In the October 2012 Badger Common’Tater
Coloma Farms Adds New Packing Facility
In an effort to keep up with increasing demands for food safety and product traceability, Coloma Farms, a 2600-acre potato and vegetable operation in Central Wisconsin recently added a new packing shed to its operation. The 100-foot by 150-foot wood frame building was added on to the farm’s wash plant. The entire wash line has been remodeled, with flumes and conveyors connecting the new building to the old. The new facility also includes an 80-foot by 80-foot fully refrigerated cooling room. With larger holding tanks and new potato packing equipment, Coloma Farms now has more capacity and more flexibility in its packaging options. See the October Bagging/Packaging Issue of The Badger Common’Tater for the full story.
Coloma Farms’ Vice President Andy Diercks is shown with the farm’s Land-O-Lakes brand potatoes in a 50-pound paper bag.
2012 Year in Review: Late Blight Challenges Crops in Over A Dozen States
Dr. Amanda J. Gevens
By Dr. Amanda J. Gevens, Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Plant Pathology
The generally hot, dry weather of Wisconsin in 2012 made for a year of good foliar disease control in the potato crop. But for minor incidences of early rhizoctonia and blackleg, and some later development of early blight, the season seemed destined to make its way through to vinekill without account of late blight. However, across the country, late blight challenged both tomato and potato crops in over a dozen states along the eastern seaboard, the midwestern states, and in isolated cases along the West Coast. Read The Badger Beat column in the October issue of The Badger Common’Tater for more on this critical issue.
Service Motor Company Hosts Tillage Demo Day at Gagas Farms, Inc., Stevens Point
Area growers were welcome to drive the Steiger 500 tractor with Landoll 6230 Tandem Disc at a Tillage Demo Day in Stevens Point in September. Steiger tractors feature a cab that allows greater freedom of movement in your seat to widen your view, and engineering that stabilizes your ride, reducing the shaking and bumping of uneven terrain. Landoll’s 6230 Tandem Disc features an aggressive 20-degree front gang angle and standard concavity blades, enabling the unit to penetrate and mix tough residue while still doing an excellent job of finish discing. Check out the October issue of the Common’Tater for more photos of the Tillage Demo Day.
