US: R.D. Offutt Company’s move into forest land raises water, wildlife concerns

R.D. Offutt Co., the nation’s largest potato grower, has been clear-cutting trees across north-central Minnesota in recent years, making space for potatoes. The massive change in the landscape, fears of groundwater overuse, the risk of nitrogen fertilizer contaminating the drinking water – all this has some locals fuming. Offutt spokeswoman Anne Struthers said turning forests into fields creates room for the company to switch from a three-year to a four-year crop rotation – a move meant to make its farming more sustainable. “We’re not trying to grow more potatoes,” she said. More