Research helps farmers grow ‘healthy potatoes’

Bags of “Healthy Grown” Wisconsin potatoes will begin appearing in select stores this winter.

The Healthy Grown brand resulted from a major program to label potatoes grown in an environmentally sensitive way under strict growing standards.

The program is a cooperative effort involving the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, the World Wildlife Fund and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“The program gives consumers a choice to buy a product that was produced in a way that is healthier for the environment,” says Jeff Wyman, an entomologist who helped make the effort a success. “It also gives consumers a chance to reward growers for their investment of time and money to reduce environmental impacts.

“Wisconsin potato growers have worked closely with UW–Madison researchers and extension specialists since the 1980s to build the foundation for this program,” Wyman says. “Our growers lead the nation in adoption of innovative strategies to reduce reliance on pesticides. They deserve recognition in the marketplace.”

The program goal is to grow potatoes in a way that protects wildlife and the environment, and reduces growers’ reliance on pesticides. Wyman says that the program is a model for identifying ecologically sound methods of food production.

The UW–Madison team developed an intensive program for managing pests that emphasizes monitoring and avoiding pesticides — especially the most environmentally harmful ones — whenever possible. By implementing the methods, Wisconsin potato growers reduced their pesticide use by 500,000 pounds between 1997 and 1999.