Potato Industry Board

Started in 1989, this market order board has 9 members who represent about 150 licensed potato producers. Its purpose is marketing, promotion, research, and education.

The board is responsible for managing an annual assessment of $1.3 million. The assessment rate is 6 cents per hundredweight of potatoes.

Wisconsin's potato growers produced 2.4 billion pounds of potatoes - valued at about $236 million - in 2010, ranking it third in the United States. Idaho was the nation's top potato producing state.

Potato production in Wisconsin is predominant in the central region of the state, although all 72 counties are represented on the potato industry board.

The Wisconsin Potato Industry Board directors, each of whom serves a three-year term, are:

• District 1: Tom Wild of Antigo, John Schroeder of Antigo and Keith Wolter of Antigo (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Kewaunee, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn counties)
• District 2: William Wysocki of Plover, Donald Isherwood of Plover and Clifford Gagas of Custer (Marathon, Outagamie, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca and Waushara counties)
• District 3: Heidi Randall of Friesland, John Bobek of Markesan and Dennis Zeloski of Lake Mills (Adams, Buffalo, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago and Wood counties)

More information about the board is available by writing to the Wisconsin Potato Industry Board at PO Box 327, 700 Fifth Street, Antigo, WI 54409-0327 or phoning 715-623-7863 or faxing 715-623-3176.