Heartland Farms, Inc. a 14,000-acre irrigated potato and vegetable farm and American Vegetable Grower Top 100 Grower in the North, is the recipient of the National Potato Council (NPC) Environmental Stewardship Award. The award was presented at the annual awards banquet of the NPC held Jan. 7 in Orlando, FL.
Specializing in chipping potatoes, Heartland Farms is headquartered in Hancock, WI. The fifth generation farm was settled in 1873 by August Pavelski, great-grandfather of current CEO Richard Pavelski.
“We’re very grateful for this honor,” said Richard Pavelski. “We have a long tradition of farming in our family and our farm has strong commitment to sustainability. Our motto is ‘farming for the future,’ and we are committed to environmental stewardship because we want our farm to be around for future generations so we can continue to provide food for America and the world.”
According to Pavelski, the quality of the potatoes goes hand-in-hand with the quality of the environment. The farm uses integrated pest management, monitoring its fields for the presence of pests and establishing thresholds for treatment. Next, the operation dials in on problem areas and avoids unnecessary spraying elsewhere.
Crop rotation and resistance management are also keys to environmental stewardship. Habitat restoration for deer and wild turkey is part of the farm’s plan, while lupine is being planted in field corners for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. Waterfowl and sandhill cranes are frequent visitors to the farm.
“Sustainability is basically a three-legged stool,” Pavelski said. “We need to conserve and protect the resources we use to grow the crop; we need to make sure that we are a valuable part of the community so we get community support and that our employees are taken care of from a personnel standpoint; and we also need to make some money. Financial stability is a key part of sustainability.”
The 2011 Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Young Grower of the Year, Jeremie Pavelski, current president and Richard’s son, currently serves on the WPVGA Board of Directors. He is the Chairman of the WPVGA Chip Committee, Co-chair of the WPVGA Water Task Force and Co-Chair of the NPC Water and Endangered Species Sub-Committee. He is also one of three Wisconsin representatives on the National Potato Council board of directors, while also serving on the US Potato Board’s Chip Committee.
Jeremie said water use is a critical issue in central Wisconsin, and Heartland Farms is committed to the judicious use of this most precious resource. Heartland Farms operates about 100 center pivot irrigation systems, which are vital to potato production.
“Potatoes are more sensitive to stress than other crops,” said Jeremie. “Without the ability to apply the proper moisture a crop needs you will see a major reduction in yield and quality. If you look at agricultural statistics you will notice there are fewer acres of potatoes grown in Wisconsin than in the past and this is due in part to increased yields from proper water and nutrient management. To supply the ever-growing population with a consistent food supply, we need to increase yields while lowering the inputs used.”
“We use low-pressure systems and drop nozzles on our irrigation systems,” he continued. “I believe it is a very smart decision to use low-pressure irrigation systems. These systems use much less energy than high pressure systems since you are using pump motors that are about half the horse power. Using drop nozzles allows the water to be applied closer to the ground, reducing the amount of evaporation that can take place. The goal of any irrigation system is to supply the water where it is needed.”
Pavelski stated that soil moisture probes are used to fine-tune irrigation management, and that water used in washing and grading potatoes is recirculated as yet another conservation measure.
The Environmental Stewardship Award is a component of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program of the NPC and EPA. The award and a video highlighting the winner are sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection. To view the video, please visit the Heartland Farms web site: www.hfinc.biz.
Source: WPVGA press release
Heartland Farms, Inc. a 14,000-acre irrigated potato and vegetable farm and American Vegetable Grower Top 100 Grower in the North, is the recipient of the National Potato Council (NPC) Environmental Stewardship Award. The award was presented at the annual awards banquet of the NPC held Jan. 7 in Orlando, FL.
Specializing in chipping potatoes, Heartland Farms is headquartered in Hancock, WI. The fifth generation farm was settled in 1873 by August Pavelski, great-grandfather of current CEO Richard Pavelski.
“We’re very grateful for this honor,” said Richard Pavelski. “We have a long tradition of farming in our family and our farm has strong commitment to sustainability. Our motto is ‘farming for the future,’ and we are committed to environmental stewardship because we want our farm to be around for future generations so we can continue to provide food for America and the world.”
According to Pavelski, the quality of the potatoes goes hand-in-hand with the quality of the environment. The farm uses integrated pest management, monitoring its fields for the presence of pests and establishing thresholds for treatment. Next, the operation dials in on problem areas and avoids unnecessary spraying elsewhere.
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Crop rotation and resistance management are also keys to environmental stewardship. Habitat restoration for deer and wild turkey is part of the farm’s plan, while lupine is being planted in field corners for the endangered Karner Blue butterfly. Waterfowl and sandhill cranes are frequent visitors to the farm.
“Sustainability is basically a three-legged stool,” Pavelski said. “We need to conserve and protect the resources we use to grow the crop; we need to make sure that we are a valuable part of the community so we get community support and that our employees are taken care of from a personnel standpoint; and we also need to make some money. Financial stability is a key part of sustainability.”
The 2011 Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Young Grower of the Year, Jeremie Pavelski, current president and Richard’s son, currently serves on the WPVGA Board of Directors. He is the Chairman of the WPVGA Chip Committee, Co-chair of the WPVGA Water Task Force and Co-Chair of the NPC Water and Endangered Species Sub-Committee. He is also one of three Wisconsin representatives on the National Potato Council board of directors, while also serving on the US Potato Board’s Chip Committee.
Jeremie said water use is a critical issue in central Wisconsin, and Heartland Farms is committed to the judicious use of this most precious resource. Heartland Farms operates about 100 center pivot irrigation systems, which are vital to potato production.
“Potatoes are more sensitive to stress than other crops,” said Jeremie. “Without the ability to apply the proper moisture a crop needs you will see a major reduction in yield and quality. If you look at agricultural statistics you will notice there are fewer acres of potatoes grown in Wisconsin than in the past and this is due in part to increased yields from proper water and nutrient management. To supply the ever-growing population with a consistent food supply, we need to increase yields while lowering the inputs used.”
“We use low-pressure systems and drop nozzles on our irrigation systems,” he continued. “I believe it is a very smart decision to use low-pressure irrigation systems. These systems use much less energy than high pressure systems since you are using pump motors that are about half the horse power. Using drop nozzles allows the water to be applied closer to the ground, reducing the amount of evaporation that can take place. The goal of any irrigation system is to supply the water where it is needed.”
Pavelski stated that soil moisture probes are used to fine-tune irrigation management, and that water used in washing and grading potatoes is recirculated as yet another conservation measure.
The Environmental Stewardship Award is a component of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program of the NPC and EPA. The award and a video highlighting the winner are sponsored by DuPont Crop Protection.
To view the video, please visit the Heartland Farms website: http://hfinc.biz.
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Top 100 Grower Takes Home Environmental Stewardship Award
Christina Herrick is former Editor of American Fruit Grower magazine and Western Fruit Grower magazine, published by Meister Media Worldwide. See all author stories here.
January 18, 2012 
