Produce Managers
Buy Wisconsin Potatoes!
Wisconsin potatoes means more of the good things:
- more varieties
- Wisconsin Healthy Grown™ Potatoes
- glacial soil and abundant water
- efficient growing/packaging practices
- state-of-the-art storage facilities
- reliable transportation
Developing More Varieties
When it comes to potatoes, no other state offers the range and quality that Wisconsin does. As the world leader in the development and production of potato varieties, Wisconsin potato shippers can provide you with anything — from a new red potato to traditional Russet Burbank — to unique purple, blue, and fingerling varieties. Our state-of-the-art potato seed farm, located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, is where the industry’s top researchers are testing tomorrow’s varieties.
Wisconsin Healthy Grown™ Potatoes
Available in russets, reds, yellow flesh and round white varieties, Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes are good for your customers — and the environment — and that’s good for your business. Going beyond organic, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association, University of Wisconsin researchers, and the World Wildlife Fund developed innovative environmental-friendly growing standards that protect the land and wildlife. Protected Harvest, an independent, third-party certifier, audits every grower, shipper and handler of Wisconsin Healthy Grown Potatoes. This audit ensures that each follows strict practices producing measurable, restorative results. For more information about Healthy Grown Potatoes, please visit www.healthygrown.com.
Glacial Soils and Abundant Water
The source of Wisconsin’s quality is its diverse environmental setting. Our cool northern temperatures closely match the climate of the Peruvian Andes where the potato’s history began. The rapid warm-up, low density, and lack of organic residue of Wisconsin’s glacial soil allow for less plant disease and vigorous plant growth, providing healthy, eye-appealing potatoes year-round. With 95% of our acres irrigated, Wisconsin growers are able to monitor soil moisture and provide a more consistent product.
Efficient Growing / Packaging Practices
Wisconsin potato growers and packers have adopted state-of-the-art technology into the production and packaging of their product. The latest machinery and equipment is used in planting, cultivating and harvesting, enabling Wisconsin to rank among the nation’s leaders in yields per acre of U.S. No. 1 potatoes. Equally sophisticated are the modern packing sheds where elaborate electronic sizing machines are widely used—as is the Lectro-tech hallow heart detector, scanning potatoes for internal defects. Automated bagging machines and computerized inventory control ensure accuracy when shipping the wide variety of Wisconsin potatoes.
State-of-the-Art Storage Facilities
Modern storage warehouses, which carefully balance temperature, humidity, and handling, go a long way toward preserving potatoes at the highest level of quality. This means Wisconsin can provide buyers and consumers with top quality potatoes all year long.
Reliable Transportation
What good is a great supply of raw product if you can’t get it when you need it? Wisconsin’s proximity to the marketplace allows us to provide you with a consistent supply of potatoes — on time — every time. Many Wisconsin potato shippers own their own fleet of trucks or brokering firms to ensure their customers are supplied with potatoes within 48 hours of placing an order. As an industry, Wisconsin potato shippers meet annually to analyze and strengthen our transportation network to ensure efficiencies and reliability to trade customers.
To find out more of the reasons why Wisconsin Potatoes provide “More of the good things” contact a shipper or the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association.
