Excellent post. My daughter in N. Idaho has been fighting against a commercial “grower” that just moved into their rural neighborhood and is using poisonous pesticides. The state banned use of some of them this year. She’ll be interested to know that Senator Risch, James E (R-ID) took $3,500 from Monsanto—and so will her neighbors.
Southern Idaho is a Monsanto-ized mess, grows pseudopotatoes for McDonalds. I avoid Idaho potatoes altogether.
I’m certain that’s a problem in Wisconsin as well, because we are RIGHT behind you in potato production - pretty much the entire middle 1/3 of our state produces potatoes, onions and carrots to the extreme. Nothing prettier than a tater field in bloom, or a carrot field in frond. :)
I love growing potatoes myself. Both Kennebec and Red Pontiac keep really well for me. Just used up the last of last years crop a few weeks ago in potato salad. This season I’m doing winter squash in the potato patch for rotation purposes. With all of our rain, they’re pretty much just sitting there, but we’ve got plenty of growing season ahead of us. I rarely give up on my garden.
My ‘Bestie’ of 35+ years just moved from ID (south of Boise) to the pine forests (NE corner) of AZ. When she lived here, her garden was always SO much better than mine - but now I have the upper hand...only until she gets her raised bed built, LOL! :)