Wisconsin-grown potatoes make a delicious and nutritious meal. Regardless of whether you like puree, baked or fried, potatoes will certainly appear on every table of a satisfied consumer.
Planting
The potato journey begins with seed potatoes. These fully mature potatoes are checked for diseases and defects to ensure the highest quality are planted. After passing the test, the seed potatoes are passed through a cutting machine to be cut into smaller pieces. To properly emerge from the ground, each element must have an eyelet or a recess with a bud.
The seeds are then sown in April and May, after the last ponderous frost. Most farms exploit a GPS planting system to improve productivity and yields.
Once the potatoes are six to eight inches above the ground, the machine goes through each row and piles the soil around the plants. This process called Hilling, allows more potatoes to grow underground. Throughout the summer, the plants are carefully monitored by scouts. Scouts check for diseases and pests and develop the best action plan in case of possible disruptions.
Set
At the end of July, the potatoes are ready harvested. The potato harvester drives through the fields and carries them to a huge truck or wagon. Upon arrival at the processing plant, the potatoes are unloaded, checked for quality and placed in storage. Most farms have special huge storage sheds that are gloomy and kept at a low temperature. In such conditions, potatoes can survive for several months.
When the farm is ready to process the potatoes, they are taken out of storage, washed, polished and checked again for quality. Since the potatoes will be used for a variety of products, they should be sorted by size and quality before packaging.
Packaging
Once the destination is determined, they are packed in appropriate packaging and shipped to retailers. Once the potatoes are transported to the store, they are ready to be taken to the table.
The process of planting and harvesting potatoes may only take a few months, but farmers are busy year-round processing and planning for the next growing season. Each farm strives to provide high-quality products that you can enjoy. Next time you’re at the grocery store, consider supporting Wisconsin potato farmers!
