b'FROM OUR DESKWinter 2023 - Vol. 20, No. 1Advancing the Canadian Potato IndustryLearning New ThingsPUBLISHED BY:SEED WORLD GROUP About Spuds 6327435 Canada Ltd.200-449 Main Street, Box 478, Oakbank, MB, R0E 1J0Phone: 204-453-1965, Fax: 204-475-5247Email: [email protected] WINTER issue is always a bit different than the otherseedworldgroup.comissues. At this time of year, were more focused on conferencesPUBLISHERand trade shows and with no potatoes in the ground, it givesShawn [email protected] more wiggle room with what we cover. I usually find myselfEDITORdigging into more in-depth topics that may not fall within any ofAshley [email protected] production seasons. MANAGING EDITORFor this issue I got to take a close look at a lot of interesting andMichelle [email protected] topics. For the cover story, we dug deep into CanadasADVERTISING SALESASHLEY ROBINSON,organic potato industry. This is a topic Ive been wanting to coverCraig [email protected] Spud Smart editor Dean [email protected] I first started as Spud Smart editor three years ago. Candace [email protected] In a previous job, I gathered and wrote about organic cropSam [email protected], which was an anomaly in the industry. No one elseCREATE CLIENT SERVICESdid the work to find this information and I found it deeplyAiden [email protected] fascinating. Then starting as the Spud editor and living inMARKETINGManitoba, I knew we had a very large organic potato farmCharlene [email protected] hereKroeker Farms. So, between my previous workLaura [email protected] covering the organic industry and being so close to an organicTheresa Ramsoomair [email protected] farm, I really wanted to research this industry. CREATIVEIn Organic Opportunities on pages6 to 13, I talk withCharlene McIvor, Lesley Nakonechny, Kyle Dratowany,Theresa RamsoomairKroeker Farms and others in the Canadian organic industry to learn about this fascinating part of the potato industry. For myself,DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCERI found it intriguing how a lot of organic production work isAlly [email protected] to what conventional growers are doing for sustainable/ CIRCULATIONregenerative agriculture practices on their farms. I wonder if weDean [email protected] see more conventional growers make the organic switch inCONTRIBUTORSthe future, in order to get a premium on their crop sales. Elaine Froese, Eugenia Banks, Kevin Elmy and Shanyn SilinskiOrganics wasnt the only topic I got to dive into. Last summerEDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDI saw a story about a new potato disease called rubbery rotChad Berry, Darin Gibson, Greg Donald, Rick D. Peters, Scott Graham, Tracy Shinners-Carnelley, Peter VanderZaagthat was discovered just south of the American border in the Midwest. Right away I knew this was something I needed to do aSUBSCRIPTIONS is published four times a year.Spud Smartstory on to make sure Canadian growers were aware of it.To subscribe, please email [email protected], once I started working on it, I learned there isntCanadian subscription rate is: $45.00/year plus GST. much known about this storage disease. I was able to track downInternational subscription rate is CDN$110.00/year.a few researchers in the United States who had come across the PRINTED IN CANADAdisease in the past decade and wrote research papers on it. EveryPlease recycle where facilities exist.researcher I talked to agreed that more coverage is needed toNo part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. make growers of aware of it so they can receive more samples of infected spuds and potentially find a way to stop it. Make sure to makes no expressed or implied warranties of Spud Smartmechantability or fitness for a particular purpose or otherwise, read A New Disease Lurking in Potato Storages on pages 14 toconcerning the use of any product and assumes no liability for any 16 to make yourself aware of the symptoms of rubbery rot andinjury or damage, direct or consequential, incurred from the use of keep them in mind as you check your storages. such products or services therein. Federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations supersede the information contained within. These are only two of the amazing stories in this issue. I alsoPublications Mail Agreement No. 40030841.recommend reading the feature on the Potato Sustainability Alliance and please check out what Manitoba is trying to doReturn undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Seed World Groupwhen it comes to potato research at the university level. I loved200-449 Main Street, Box 478, Oakbank, MB, R0E 1J0working on this issue, and Im really excited for you all to read it and learn what I have.PRIVACY CODETo view our privacy policy, visit spudsmart.com. SPUDSMART@SPUDSMARTMAGWe acknowledge the [financial] support 2SPUDSMART.COM Winter 2023 of the Government of Canada.'