Three potato projects receive grants in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle announced that 11 agriculture innovators will share $225,500 in grants for projects that would strengthen, build or restore sectors of the Wisconsin agricultural industry. The Agricultural Diversification and Development Grants build on the state/s efforts to encourage innovation and diversity in agriculture.

Among the projects awarded, three are potato industry related:

• McCain Foods USA, Plover, $24,000 to collect a second year of data to judge whether Wisconsin growers can compete with southern states in producing sweet potatoes for processing into frozen fries.
• Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Antigo, $24,000 grant for developing storage profiles of new chip potato varieties developed to have longer storage life than is now available.
• Wisconsin Seed Potato Improvement Association, Antigo, $24,000 to develop use of nutrient film technology, a system of circulation a shallow stream of nutrients over the tubers that will become seed potatoes.