Don’t Overlook Wisconsin: A Potato Powerhouse

The state boasts soil, water and climate ideal for production and provides easy access to US partners.

Wisconsin is a powerhouse potato producer, digging up nearly 3 billion pounds of this vegetable worth $414 million in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2024 State Agriculture Overview.

This ranks Wisconsin third overall in potato production in the U.S., after Idaho and Washington. The state sells over a third (37%) of its spuds on the fresh market, based on data from the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA), in Antigo, WI.

A significant retail advantage of purchasing potatoes from the Badger State is its strategic Midwest location, which enables shorter travel times, fresher product, and lower freight costs compared to western states. This is particularly advantageous for markets east of the Mississippi, where over half the U.S. population lives.

What’s more, Wisconsin grows a whole category of potatoes, from russets to specialty, offers a year-round supply, and has packers capable of supplying supermarkets with pack sizes and styles desired.

“Wisconsin-grown potatoes are important to our customers,” says Mike Johnson, produce and floral director for the T.A. Solberg Co., Inc., headquartered in Minocqua, WI, which operates five Trig’s grocery stores. “We typically carry three SKUs of yellows, three SKUs of reds, and russets in a 5-pound bag and bulk.”

WHY WISCONSIN?

Wisconsin’s soils, access to water, and climate make it an ideal location for potato production, according to Dana Rady, director of promotion, communication, and consumer education for the WPVGA.

“The growing season began with cool, dry temperatures and has seen more moisture and rainfall,” Rady adds. “New crop harvest begins in the southern part of the state and works its way north. Some growers have had reds and yellows available from the first few weeks in August. Russets typically start harvest at the end of August and into early September.”

Wisconsin-grown organic russet, red, and yellow varieties started shipping in early to mid-August from Alsum Farms & Produce Inc., in Friesland, WI.

“We expect a good quantity and quality in this year’s crop, including a mix of small and large-sized potatoes.”

— Mike Carter, Bushman’s Inc., Rosholt, WI

Overall, Mike Carter, chief executive officer for Bushman’s Inc., in Rosholt, WI, expects “a good quantity and quality in this year’s crop, including a mix of small and large-sized potatoes.”

A FULL CATEGORY OF CHOICES

Wisconsin produces the most potato varieties of any state, says Rady. “Since potatoes aren’t sold by variety, consumers will be most familiar with seeing russets, reds, yellows and whites. Specific examples of varieties that thrive in Wisconsin, to name a few, are Dark Red Norland and Red Norland (reds), Burbank, Silverton, and Goldrush (russets), Yukon Gold (yellows), and Snowden (whites). Consumers will also see specialties, like blue/purple, fingerlings, and little potatoes, which also come in a medley of colors.”

Mark Finnessy, vice president of Okray Family Farms in Plover, WI, says russets “remain king of the category.”

Russets are available year-round from Wisconsin, while yellows and reds finish up by January due to these varieties’ storability, according to Christine Lindner, marketing manager for Alsum Farms & Produce.

“Our varieties have shifted based on consumer demand at retail. We have seen a considerable growth of yellow potato and petite categories in the past three years. As a result, we have added more acres of yellow potatoes and petite red and yellow potatoes, replacing the previously red potato acres.”

Yellow potatoes have overtaken red-skinned varieties in sales at Trig’s.

“In yellows, B-size in 3-pound bags is the big seller in this area,” says Johnson, speaking about the chain’s northern Wisconsin market. “We also carry a 5-pound bag of A-size and sell bulk B’s that we bag and sell by the pound. These are all yellows.”

Wisconsin has several large packing sheds that pride themselves on meeting customer needs, and can provide multiple potato varieties, types, and sizes in a range of pack sizes as well.

“Packaging has consistently shifted to smaller sizes. From 10- and 15-pound bags, it’s now 5-pound bags that rule the marketplace, driven by smaller family sizes,” says Bushman’s Carter. “There’s a growing interest in more 3-pounders, but it’s a slow crawl rather than a mad rush trend.”

Smaller packaging sizes, tray packs, and individually packaged potatoes are among the options Okray Family Farm’s Finnessy says the company is considering for the future.

Alsum Farms & Produce, which offers pack options from 12 ounces up to 50-pound packs, and in poly, mesh, paper, or cartons, has installed two final grading AI-driven robots and updated its plant’s primary sizer/sorter with machine learning vision inspection cameras and software. These systems also provide high levels of manufacturing data, helping to inform day-to-day execution.

A major packing facility project is also underway, with a summer 2026 completion date, to add new palletizing robots and RPC/DRC filling stations.

TELL THE WISCONSIN STORY & SELL MORE

The biggest challenge to successfully promoting Wisconsin potatoes remains price sensitivity and competition from larger, out-of-state growers who operate on volume, according to Alexandra Gumz, marketing specialist with Gumz Farms, in Endeavor, WI. “But that challenge also presents an opportunity,” she emphasizes. “Retailers can differentiate with premium, locally grown potatoes that offer transparency, traceability and quality.”

Nearly 30 years ago, the WPVGA partnered with the World Wildlife Fund and other organizations to create the Wisconsin Eco-Potato Partnership. This led to the Wisconsin Healthy Grown brand launch in 2002. Wisconsin Healthy Grown potatoes undergo an annual third-party audit to ensure they are sustainably produced, according to program standards.

“By highlighting Wisconsin origin, sustainability certifications like Healthy Grown, and the story behind family-owned operations like ours, retailers can build consumer loyalty and boost margins.”

— Alexandra Gumz, Gumz Farms, Endeavor, WI

“Our team takes pride in working closely with Wisconsin growers who prioritize responsible farming practices and sustainability,” says Ryan Dietz, president of Heartland Produce Co., in Kenosha, WI. “These efforts not only promote environmental stewardship, but also give our retail partners a great story to tell, one that resonates with today’s conscientious shoppers.”

WPVGA is in conversations with independent retail stores to feature Wisconsin Healthy Grown potatoes this fall.

“We are currently working with the WPVGA on a partnership with local growers,” says Trig’s Johnson. “We also have some of our Wisconsin potatoes with our ‘Trig’s Love it Local’ call-out.”

The WPVGA promotions program has several other initiatives, including cooking demonstrations twice a month on two different television stations, says Rady. ”We also do a lot of digital marketing; participate in trade shows; and we’re working with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture on expanding exports of Wisconsin potatoes into Canada and Mexico.”