Michigan ranks eighth in the country for potato production and contributes about $1.2 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to the Michigan Potato Industry Commission. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Michigan harvested over 48,000 acres to produce more than 2 billion pounds of potatoes in 2021, an increase of about 3,000 acres and 300 million pounds from 2020.
Stephanie Kipp assists farmers through her family business, Kipp Farm Services in Edmore. To maintain a sustainable crop, Kipp said she recommends research from a partnership between the East Lansing-based commission and Michigan State University. The commission funds about $180,000 of research each year, said Kelly Turner, its executive director. Experts from MSU conduct most of the research, but farmers benefit from many of their findings.
“We get the research started, but then it’s also vetted by the farmers themselves,” Turner said. She said they focused on yielding as many potatoes as possible by optimizing their water intake while reducing soil additives.
Source: eu.sentinel-standard.com