There’s much charm in living in a small rural town, in a dairy state. One would wish, I am sure, that every post could be about topics as happy, sincere, and admirable as this one, of a press release from the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association. Congratulations, and best wishes to all.
WPVGA Presents Annual Industry Awards
In addition to its annual Hall of Fame induction, the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association presented several other annual industry awards at a banquet held February 3, 2010 in Stevens Point.
Brenda Bula of Bula Potato Farms, Antigo, was named the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year.
Brenda has served for many years on the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Board of Directors, including serving as President. She has also served as the coordinator of the Auxiliary’s largest annual project, the Wisconsin Potatoes booth at the State Fair. She also works tirelessly on the farm with her husband Dennis at Bula Potato Farms of Antigo, which raises certified seed potatoes.
The WPVGA Young Grower of the Year Award was presented to Jon Hamerski of Hamerski Farms, Plover. Jon works with his father, Don, and cousin, Dale O’Brien at Hamerski Farms, Plover. The farm raises 1,000 acres of potatoes for the fresh market along with 1,300 acres of sweet corn, snap beans and field corn. Jon readily embraces change, and is constantly looking to improve his farming operation with the latest, state-of-the-art technology and equipment. In 2008, Hamerski Farms was the first farm in the Midwest to use the Fuji Ace robotic palletizer. His packing shed also utilizes a Lectro-Tek automatic sizer and an x-ray machine for hollow heart detection, and this past fall they became the first potato farm in the US to use an electronic grader for russet potatoes. Also in 2009, the farm added the country’s first ozone generator with water injection system.
The WPVGA Researcher of the Year Award was presented to Dr. Russell Groves of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Groves works in the Department of Entomology. His area of expertise is insect management. He has conducted outstanding potato research in areas such as Long Term Storability of Potato Virus Y infected tubers; and the differential impact of PVY-O and the new PVY-N: O strain. He recently gave a presentation at the 2010 Potato Expo on Controlling PVY levels in seed potatoes; and PVY N-T-N eradication. He also reported on his research on Managing Aphid-Transmitted Viruses.
The WPVGA Associate Division presented the Associate Division Business Person of the Year Award to Tom Domaszek of M&I Bank, Stevens Point. Tom is a long-time member of the Associate Division and served a five-year term on the Associate Division Board of Directors. He held the position of Secretary on the Associate Division Board for several years and was highly regarded for his accurate note-taking. He was instrumental in helping the WPVGA obtain a loan for the Storage Research Facility as well as getting M&I Bank to make a very generous donation toward the facility.
The Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary named Sara Stelter of Stelter Farms, Wautoma, the Potato Industry Woman of the Year. Ten years ago after her husband died, Sara decided to keep farming and convinced his brother that, together, they could continue. Her children were 10 and 11 years old at the time. The farm consists of about 800 crop acres raising potatoes, sweet corn, beans, peas, #2 yellow and soybeans, as well as beef. Now the farm is changing again as Sara’s brother-in-law and his wife recently passed away. Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Past-President Lynn Isherwood said, “Sara is a prime example of a farm woman … she is the farm. She is determined to keep going, as she says ‘You do what you have to do.’”
The Agri-Communicator Award, sponsored by Agri-View newspaper, was presented to Mike Finnessy of Okray Family Farms, Plover. Finnessy has been involved in virtually every aspect of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association. He served on the WPVGA Board of Directors. He serves on the Marketing Committee. He serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee and is the leading fundraiser of that group year in and year out. He also serves the industry on a national level as one of Wisconsin’s delegates on the National Potato Council. He serves on the NPC Legislative Affairs Committee as well as the Disease Management and Seed Certification Sub-committee. He also has served on the NPC’s Time-Zone Research – Review Committee. He is politically active locally in Plover and is an international ambassador for the potato industry, recently attending the World Potato Congress in New Zealand.
2009 WPVGA President Kevin Sigourney of Kevin Sigourney Farms, Coloma, did not present an individual President’s Award. He said there were many individuals deserving of recognition. He gave special thanks to his father, his wife, Jackie, the WPVGA staff and many of the growers in his area who have helped him throughout his career in the potato industry.
Special Industry Appreciation Awards were presented to Chuck Kostichka of Hazelhurst and Heartland Farms, Inc. of Hancock. Kostichka recently retired after three decades of administering University of Wisconsin agricultural research facilities and programs. The former Superintendent of the UW-Hancock Agricultural Research Station, Chuck made exceptional contributions to supervising and managing staff, developing short- and long-term management plans, enhancing communications and outreach activities, and managing station finances.
In 2009, Heartland Farms was instrumental in helping with an off-gassing study of metam sodium which could have far-reaching implications for the potato industry throughout the United States. Heartland Farms was also cited for its contributions to the Storage Research Facility at Hancock. Accepting the award on behalf of Heartland Farms were Dave Knights, Jeremie Pavelski, T.J. Kennedy, Brian Wysocki and Charlie Higgins. Heartland Farms, Inc. President Richard Pavelski was also recognized.