Growing Map
Wisconsin Potato
Growing Regions
Wisconsin is one of the top potato-producing states in the country, and the growers pictured on this map are a big reason why. Wisconsin growers, along with educators and researchers, keep sustainability and the environment top of mind while producing the highest quality potatoes to feed families.
This map shows where that happens: the counties where commercial potatoes are grown, regions where next year’s seed potatoes get their start, and the research stations that keep Wisconsin potatoes among the best in the country.
How To
Read the Map
This image uses markers to show how Wisconsin’s potato industry is organized across the state:
Red counties are Wisconsin’s commercial potato-growing counties – the working farmland where table-stock, chipping, and processing potatoes are planted, irrigated, and harvested each season.
Gold counties are seed-growing counties. Before a potato ever reaches a commercial field, healthy seed potatoes are the cornerstone for a profitable industry. The Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program ensures that potato growers receive high-quality, reliable, early-generation seed potatoes that are clean.
Green Star icons mark the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Centers in Rhinelander, Antigo, and Hancock. These stations are where UW-Madison researchers and Wisconsin growers work with industry partners to invest in the future of agriculture. These facilities allow growers to improve storage methods and provide valuable information regarding seeding, growing, packaging, and shipping potatoes. Antigo is also home to the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) headquarters and the Spudmobile, WPVGA’s traveling agricultural education exhibit.
Meet the Growers
Behind the Map
Every county on this map represents real farms and real families. Here are a few of the growers you’ll find across Wisconsin’s potato country:
Justin Isherwood grows Gold Rush potatoes on 200 acres in Plover, on land his family has farmed since 1852 near the Buena Vista Marsh. A Wisconsin Healthy Grown® grower since the program’s inception and an accomplished author, Justin describes farming as a family tradition that “connects the family to each other and to the land.”
Larry Alsum grows russet, red, white, golden, fingerling, specialty, and organic potatoes on 3,000 acres at Alsum Farms & Produce in Friesland, Wisconsin, and has been a leading voice for the Wisconsin Healthy Grown® sustainability program.
Steve and Andy Diercks run Coloma Farms in Coloma, WI, growing about 850 acres of potatoes each year with deep roots in the Antigo seed potato region and a long partnership with UW-Madison potato researchers.
Jeremie Pavelski leads Heartland Farms in Hancock, a 20,000+ acre, fifth-generation farm and one of the nation’s premier suppliers of chipping potatoes, operating across five Wisconsin counties.
Learn More
About Local Potatoes
Every region on this map grows something a little different. Wisconsin growers match the right potato to the right soil, climate, and dish.
Explore Wisconsin Potato Varieties : See which variety is grown where, and what each one is best for baking, mashing, frying, roasting, or salads.
Find a Recipe : Once you know your variety, put it to work. Browse recipes by potato type, meal, or cooking method, from weeknight sides to holiday centerpieces
Want to know more about how your potatoes get from field to fork? Visit Field to Fork to meet more growers, or read Why Buy Local to see why buying Wisconsin-grown makes a difference.