Shark Farmer Visits Hall’s Potato Processing Facility in Hoople, ND

What happens once the potatoes leave the field? Rob Sharkey – The Shark Farmer Visits Hoople, North Dakota to meet with TJ Hall at Hall’s Potato Processing Facility, a family operation for nearly 75 years and counting!
TJ offers a behind-the-scenes look at their wash plant and ground-breaking electronic grading machine, while highlighting just what makes Red River Valley potatoes the ‘filet mignon’ of potatoes! (Rob’s words, and we certainly agree!) Take a listen!
Help us spread the word by sharing this video or the YouTube link found here: https://youtu.be/Rg6_ziRT6qo

The ‘wow’ factor and the reality of mobile, automated potato cleaning

The ‘wow’ factor and the reality of mobile, automated potato cleaning

If you’re convinced the only way your potato field can, year after year, produce so many rocks is that they must be reproducing underground, you’re not alone. Harvesting rock and debris alongside one’s potatoes is a frustrating and expensive reality of production.

Until recently, producers haven’t had good post-harvest handling options. Operating a picking line is costly, inefficient and, as fewer and fewer people are willing to take on menial piece-work, increasingly challenging to staff. Shipping direct from field to processor without cleaning means hefty penalties imposed on debris. Cleaning in the yard means paying to move tare from field to yard and back again; storing without cleaning means paying to store dirt, rocks and vines, not to mention an increased likelihood of bruising, nicking, skinning and/or heating and rot.

There is, however, a better way.

In the past ten years, several companies have come forward with various versions of fully or nearly fully automated potato cleaning lines. Rather than depending heavily on human labor, the lines use a series of conveyor belts, vibrating tables and air pressure to separate harvest from debris. While both positive air (blowing) and negative air (vacuum pressure) versions are available, negative air technology is less dusty and — just as it is easier to clean a house by vacuuming than by blowing dirt out one’s door — more effective.

In just the past two years, automated potato cleaning lines have made one new and enormous step forward: full mobility. Contained on a single semi-trailer that can be moved between locations at highway speed, today’s diesel powered, telescoping units can be set up and operational right in one’s field in as little as 30 minutes. Showing these units off at industry tradeshows is a ton of fun; growers are so wowed by the mobile technology that the most common comment I’ve heard is: “I wouldn’t have believed it if I wasn’t actually seeing it!”

Separating rocks and debris from clean dirt right in the field offers multiple benefits. In addition to cost savings and enhanced efficiency, sieving out the garbage on-site allows a producer to increase the fertility of a field for future years, potentially opening up marginal land. It also means today’s producer has the option to plant potatoes following a corn rotation since root balls are no longer a concern.

Given that automated potato cleaning lines can handle 3500 to 5000 sacks per hour, they tend to best suit large operations. Return on investment varies largely based on the volume of product going across the conveyors and how much debris needs to be separated from one’s tubers. Some farmers who implement this technology report decreasing their picking lines from 35 or 40 people to just three or four. In a case like that, labor savings alone could pay off the machinery in just a couple years.

Today’s farm consolidation, per acre production increases and tight labor market mean maximizing efficiency is more vital to farm business success than ever before. Mobile, automated potato cleaning lines are just one of many new efficiency-focused innovations coming soon to a field near you.

Source: Lockwood Manufacturing
Photo: The Lockwood Vacs Mobile. Credit Lockwood Engineering

From potatonewstoday.com. Read here.

IFPA’s Global Produce & Floral Show

Event Date: October 19, 2023 – October 21, 2023

The Global Produce and Floral Show is the single best place to meet the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain! You’ll make lasting new connections and reconnect with your favorite peers who help your business grow.

WHEN: October 19th-21st

WHERE: Anaheim, CA

To learn more, click here.

America’s Food and Beverage Show

Event Date: September 18, 2023 – September 20, 2023

The Americas Food & Beverage Show & Conference is the meeting point for decision makers from throughout the hemisphere and the world.

50% of the show attendees are decision makers ensuring that the AF&B Show & Conference the ideal forum for meeting customers, vendors/service providers, suppliers, distributors and industry experts. The Americas Food & Beverage Show & Conference is only open to the industry, making this an exclusively B2B (business to business) event. Attendees of the Show are there looking for new and innovative products to source, add to their store shelves, menus, and to wow their clients.

WHEN: September 18th-20th

WHERE: Miami Beach Convention Center

To learn more, visit americasfoodandbeverage.com.

To download the show brochure, click here.

Pride of Dakota Day

Event Date: July 24, 2023 – July 24, 2023

Experience Pride of Dakota Day! Visit with local entrepreneurs and purchase products made exclusively in North Dakota. As a special treat, the ND Department of Agriculture will offer a $1 Hot Dog lunch from 11am-1pm with all proceeds going to the ND FFA.

WHEN: July 24 from 11am – 1pm

WHERE: Festival Tent at North Dakota State Fair

Click here to learn more.

57th Annual Potato Bowl USA

Event Date: September 5, 2023 – September 9, 2023

The Potato Bowl is back again! This year’s line-up includes:

  • Hugo’s Potato Bowl Golf Scramble
  • World’s Largest French Fry Feed by Simplot
  • Kid’s Zone featuring numerous large inflatable games
  • Get Wet and Run Wild Kids Fun Run
  • KEM Shrine Potato Bowl Parade
  • Game Day! Tailgating and Football

To learn more, visit www.potatobowl.org.

 

 

44th Annual Golf Open

Event Date: July 20, 2023 – July 20, 2023
Save the date for our 44th Annual Golf Open! Tournament proceeds benefit our NPGA Scholarship Fund, an annual scholarship gifted to children or grandchildren of associated grower members or Potato Associates.
Help us make a difference in young lives by signing up and supporting this great cause! Read the post below for more details.
We also want to thank our major sponsor, BASF! Stop by their tent at the open to learn more about who they are and what they do.

NPC 2023 Annual Potato Yearbook

The 2023 edition of the Annual Potato Yearbook is now available, highlighting progress on NPC’s national legislative, regulatory, and marketing priorities. The Yearbook also features updated U.S. and world potato production and consumption stats, grower and industry contact information, position statements, and program overviews.

Noting the recent release of the Spud Nation economic impact report, which is included in the 2023 Yearbook, NPC President RJ Andrus writes in his message, “NPC’s Spud Nation report cements the fact that potatoes are an essential component to our prosperity as a nation, built and sustained by America’s potato growers, who put people to work in every city and town across our great country. Armed with this report and the relationships we have built with our allies in Congress, NPC and our state partners look forward to “Standing Up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill” and moving our industry’s policy interests forward this year and beyond.”

Click here to view an electronic version of the 2023 Annual Potato Yearbook.

NPGA Scholarship Winners Announced