Articles by brian@columbiamediagroup.com

Nathan Bender has taken over for his father, Bob Bender, as president of baby potato operation Tasteful Selections. The younger Bender has a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from the University…

Vegetable equipment manufacturer Tong Engineering has opened its new manufacturing facility in England after a three-year, two-phase construction project. The 90,000-square-foot factory includes new shot-blast, paint-spraying and powder-coating facilities, as…

The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) is pleased to announce Paige Hickman, a Ph.D. student at University of Idaho, studying plant-parasitic nematodes, insect pests, and diseases of…

Northwest Farm Credit Services’ 12-month profitability outlook suggests profitable returns for potato producers. According to the lender’s quarterly Market Snapshot report released in April, remaining potatoes in storage are in…

Taking a systems approach can steadily improve soil health even with underground crops Minimizing soil disturbance is one of the key tenets promoted to build soil health in agricultural systems….

By Dale Lathim Hyperinflation is never a good thing when you are a price-taker like all farmers are. Most growers fully understand and accept that costs are rising on most,…

During emergence, all your potato plants appeared normal. You didn’t observe any blackleg at that time. As the season progresses and the temperatures increase, however, you begin to notice wilted…

By Kelie Yoho, University of Idaho Photos by Erik J. Wenninger, University of Idaho In the United States, there is a prevalent consumer expectation for unrestricted access to high quality…

The Northwest Potato Variety Development Program (Tri-State) is poised to release a red-skinned variety with white flesh, notable for its consistently round tuber shape and its desirable size profile.   The…

Washington State University will be hosting an insect and weed control field tour on July 20th from 2-4 pm. Join them at the WSU Commercial Vegetable Farm in Pasco to view experiments…