This summer, Wisconsin experienced one of its worst droughts in the last 20 years.
For potato farmers, that meant their crops were in danger.
Potatoes are cool season crops.
Intense heat shrinks yields, and this summer’s drought seemed to spell certain disaster for the potato harvest.
Tamas Houlihan is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.
“Initially the growers thought there's no way we're going to have a bumper yield this year. It's just been too dry and too hot. That'll take, they say, it takes the top off the crop. In other words, they won't get those bumper yields,” he said.
That said, Houlihan says a drought is preferable to flooding, since growers can use backup irrigation systems.
Because of these systems, which 95% of growers had, potatoes look strong this year.
“And so, as it turned out, this crop looks really good. We have above average yields, we have excellent quality. And so all potato growers are now saying, man, it's unbelievable how resilient this potato crop is,” said Houlihan.
Now it’s time to harvest.
Houlihan says they’re about two-thirds of the way through and that the last third of the crop should come out over the next 10 to 12 days.
Harvesting was delayed after temperatures recently spiked above 70 degrees.
“The growers have been waiting for it to dry out and cool off. And fortunately, it looks like the next 10 days should be almost perfect, with highs in the 50s and lows not getting into that freezing area,” he said.
Houlihan thinks that we’ll see ideal conditions for harvest.
