“While 2018 will go down as one of the most challenging on record for the Wisconsin potato crop, I was encouraged and impressed with the positive outlook displayed by Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association members,” said Tamas Houlihan, executive director of WPVGA.
“I was struck by the resolve shown by our members, who remained upbeat and optimistic in the face of severe adversity.”
Houlihan explained that the 2018 Wisconsin potato planting season was delayed well into May by the spring’s cold, wet and snowy conditions, and then a heat wave on Memorial Day weekend stunted crop growth and burned off some potatoes that had just emerged.
Several heavy rains pounded the state during June, with drought-like conditions throughout July, followed by a very hot August. More wet weather and high temperatures during September delayed the harvest, with consistent rains into October and then several nights of below-freezing temperatures.
