Spudman

Today I was on a panel talking about social media at the Michigan Potato Conference.  Fellow dairy farmer Annie Link and crop farmer Jeff VanderWerff were the other members of the panel. 

 

Have you ever been to a potato conference?  Met a potato farmer?  Me neither!  (I'm assuming your answers here.)   

 

There were some interesting things to see, like tables of different types of potatoes.  They explained to me how they take potatoes and slice out the middle and test them.  They said that if you see a potato chip with a brown spot in it, it's a spot that the balance of the carbohydrate and the sugar wasn't quite right ... but there are some companies that want brown chips, so they go for that balance on purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

And super cool technology, like this drone.  It flies over fields, taking a video to give farmers information about their crops.   

 

Fun potato facts?  Yes.  A potato has more potassium than a banana, spinach, or broccoli.  There are 85 potato farms in Michigan and they farm 47,000 acres.  Plus, 70% of Michigan potatoes become potato chips.

 

 

 

We gave our talks and answered a lot of good questions.  Whether we're dairy - or whatever crops we grow - we have a lot in common.

 

 

 

 

And!  I saw a special treat on my way out.  Like every industry ... potatoes have their very own magazine. 

 

 Spudman.  Sounds like a superhero ... saving you from boring vegetables.