Wisconsin Ag Connection - WPVGA Presents Annual Industry Awards

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WPVGA Presents Annual Industry Awards
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 02/08/2010

The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association presented several annual industry awards during its annual banquet last week in Stevens Point.

WPVGA Hall of Fame inductees this year were John Landa and Robert Stodola. The award honors lifetime achievement in the development of the state's potato industry.

Brenda Bula of Bula Potato Farms in Antigo was named the WPVGA Volunteer of the Year. She 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 of 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.

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.

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.

The Agri-Communicator Award 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.

Special Industry Appreciation Awards were presented to Chuck Kostichka of Hazelhurst and Heartland Farms, Inc. of Hancock. 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.