In northern Michigan, May is generally when that favorable weather arrives. It is also a time when farmers are in a frenzy to get crops in, in a timely manner. That means prepping the fields, which could be light tillage, some fertilizer, then heading out with the planter. Even when they get out into the field, things may not be favorable. They can encounter wet fields, muddy areas, and of course with the recent ice storm, fallen trees and debris littering the edges of the fields — something else to add to the task list.

Wilk Farms, a third-generation potato farm near Metz, was started in 1927 by Paul Wilk. After Paul’s untimely death left a widow and six very young children, it took, out of necessity, faith, sacrifice, hard work, and some good decisions, to create a thriving potato farm. The legacy continues with grandchildren and great grandchildren: Greg, Terry, Randy, my husband, Cliff and I, and our son, Wade, who is actually fourth generation, along with some part-time employees.

Currently we are receiving semi loads of certified potato seed from Wisconsin. Our planting begins around May 14. Certified seed are smaller potatoes that have been tested to verify no viruses exist that can inhibit yields. Planting takes about two weeks. About two weeks later, plants begin emerging. When they are just breaking ground, we will pull an implement called a hiller, between rows to create a mound around the new growth, helping keep the tuber submerged under the ground while growing. Any part of a new tuber exposed to sunlight will cause them to turn green, and renders potatoes unsellable. Potato crops have many enemies: deer, fungal diseases, blight, above-ground insects, and below-ground pests.

Deer find potatoes tasty, so they paw and gnaw at the new potato, both damaging the tuber and exposing potatoes underneath.

Courtesy Photo The Wilk family, of Wilk Farms, gathers for a photo at the potato farm. Pictured, from left, are Clifford, Jackie, Wade, Randy, and Terry. Greg is missing from the photo.

Throughout summer, crops are watched very closely for fungal problems or any insect, such as potato beetles, leaf hoppers, or aphids. These insects can carry disease-carrying pathogens, affecting the health of the plant and tuber.

Blight is another concern that can affect the crop. If left untreated, it could wipe out the entire field. Fields are monitored and sprayed accordingly to the need. It is a misconception that farmers dump pesticides on the fields. These chemicals are costly and are used only when necessary. Nobody benefits from putting on any more than what’s required. Every farmer that applies chemicals to the field is required to have a pesticide certification license to buy and apply pesticides. Detailed record-keeping is a must! Potential problems underneath the ground include grubs and wire worms. They create surface holes on the tuber, rendering the potato useless to sell.

Farmers are great stewards of the land. Potato fields are rested for up to five years because the potatoes are heavy nutrient consumers. Crop rotation and cover crops are used to keep soils healthy. No-till practices are used whenever applicable. Fields are monitored closely until September when they reach maturity and start to yellow and die back. Vines will dry. Then potatoes need to sit in the field for at least three weeks after vine kill to toughen the skins, so they can withstand harvest and store properly over winter. Hot and dry weather is favorable for creating a mature potato for harvest.

Our farm is a little different than the typical grain producer. Our niche is table stock production, which means in the potato world, we grow, harvest, and ship table stock. We spend seven months of the year grading, sizing, and packing potatoes for major grocery outlets. We have about seven employees for both packing and harvesting. When the potatoes have been harvested and are all in storage, we allow them to rest for a couple weeks to cool to about 42 degrees. This toughens their skins so they don’t “skin up” during the grading and packing process.

Now mind you, while the potatoes are resting, we are not! It is a short window to clean fields, pick rocks, and get wheat or rye planted before the November rains. Once grain planting is done, that’s when potato grading starts.

The marketing process begins with an order from a broker, so we schedule a truck to deliver the potato order at the required time. In the warehouse, we prep the potatoes for that order:

1. Potatoes go through an Exeter machine that detects greening, bruising — any surface defects, including scab, grub, or wire worm damage.

2. The sizer sorts different sizes and conveyors potatoes into very large boxes that are set aside for future orders. The market is always looking for a specific size for their orders. A Jumbo order will take eight to 10-ounce potatoes; 12 ounce and up are sold as Chefs (these are the ones that are about the size of a football), and the rest get put into 10-pound bags. The standard-sized potato gets put into a large holding bin until we have enough for the order. One order is usually about 42,000 pounds of potatoes.

3. When we are ready to pack, potatoes get one last “look-over” as they go into the packing machine. This machine electronically weighs, then dumps the required weight into the bag, clips it, and rolls it onto a conveyor which carries it into a bailing machine. A bale is equivalent to 50 pounds, so five- to 10-pound bags make up a bale. It then heat-seals the bag, and our employees lift and stack it onto a pallet.

4. A pallet consists of 40 bales. It is then shrink-wrapped and lifted to the dock with a forklift for shipping. A typical order requires 21 pallets for a semi load and can be shipped to either Indiana, Kentucky or Ohio, where the grocers’ warehouse is, depending on the buyer. If you were to see our warehouse now, it is just about empty; a couple more loads to ship and it’s time to wrap up the packing season.

It’s May. The cycle starts all over again. I hope you found this article helpful with what’s happening in your rural neighborhood.