Investing in the Future
Murray Blackstone and sons are looking to the future of Maine potatoes
Murray Blackstone of Caribou, Maine, would like to see a potato processor come to Northern Maine, which would utilize undersize and off-grade potatoes. “A dehydration plant that could make frozen mashed potatoes,” he said. Murray and his family – wife, Roberta and his two sons, Dan, 27, and Bill, 22, and daughter, Jenny, 24 – have been named the Maine Potato Board’s Farm Family and Farmer of The Year for 2003.

WIREWORM ANGLE: A new angle to get a grip on wireworm on the rebound
Recall this picture of yesteryear's agriculture: The farmer with the shovel flinging soil against a screen to monitor for the wireworms he knows can decimate his crop. Then came advances in ag chemistries that pushed the wireworm to the back of growers’ minds until – not a good surprise – the late 1990s when all of a sudden severe wireworm damage was reported on spud crops and also on no-till wheat fields in Eastern Washington.

Prices, Water and Fry Demand
PGI meeting tackles tough industry issues
Low commodity prices, a widespread water shortage, dwindling demand for french fries, quality control and maintaining membership were among the daunting challenges tackled by Potato Growers of Idaho members when they met Dec. 4-5 in Pocatello, Idaho, at their annual conference.