April 2020 - 17

Chase Kidd, dealership and international sales
representative for Industrial Ventilation Inc.,
shows the features of storage control panels
that monitor temperature and humidity levels
in cellars.
" At $350, it's a lot cheaper than bruise
balls we've used, which are easy to lose
because they're the same color as a
potato. I'm definitely interested. "
Kevin Burgemeister, farm manager at
Driscoll Brothers Potatoes in American
Falls, Idaho, dropped the Soil Tech
on the floor and kicked it to test its
durability.
" It should last about five years, " Soltan
said.
Besides the Soil Tech, Burgemeister
said he was impressed with the laborsaving
features of a webbed skid steer.
" There are so many attachments, " he
said. " Forks on the front can be used
to clean cellar tubes instead of manual
labor. There's a backhoe attachment
and another for picking rocks. With the
webbed tracks, you can move snow. "
At the Tomra booth, a new optical
sorter for field use intrigued Keith
Jorgensen, who grows 19 varieties of seed
potatoes in Grace, Idaho.
" I'd use it for sorting and grading
potatoes going into and coming out
of storage, " Jorgensen said. " Labor is a
major issue for all of us. "
The high-capacity Tomra 3A sorter
quickly sorts potatoes by size while
removing green potatoes and debris such
as dirt, rocks, bones or sprinkler heads.
" We just released it in January, "
said Max Elliott, of Tomra's office in
Sacramento. " Optical sorters have been
used in processing plants for years,
but this is the first time we've added
Darren Neville, left, a mechanical engineer for
Spudnik, talks with Aaron Savage, a sales rep
for LOCKWOOD, an equipment manufacturer.
stabilization features so they can be used
in the field. "
Growers were also impressed with
LOCKWOOD Manufacturing's mobile
VACS-8 separator. Using a vacuum
chamber to reduce bruising, cleaning
tables and containment center, it removes
rocks and dirt clods at a capacity of 5,000
cwt of potatoes per hour.
In neighboring Blackfoot, about 30 miles
north of Pocatello, Spudnik hosted a tour
of its manufacturing plant before the expo
started. An eight-row windrower and a12row
planter manufactured at the Spudnik
plant were popular, said Darren Neville, a
mechanical engineer for Spudnik.
" We had people from all over the U.S.
and Canada, " Neville said.
AGCO's product specialist Josh Blair
showed the features of its webbed
tractor to Clark Hamilton, chairman of
the Idaho Wheat Commission.
" It has a continuously variable
transmission and the latest technical
features, " Clark said.
held in
The expo in the university's arena,
conjunction with the Idaho
Potato Conference in the student
union, are popular with growers, said
Carla Armentrout, associate for Spectra
Productions, the company that manages
the events.
" Every year, we have a waiting list, "
she said, estimating there were more
than 220 exhibitors at both the expo
and potato conference. " We had strong
attendance at both events. "
Spudman * April 2020
17
AC Chaleur
Norwis
Adirondack Red
All Blue
Andover
Atlantic
B2727-2
Belmonda
Bora Valley
Brodie (NY140)
Caribou Russet
Dark Red Norland
Elba
Envol
French Fingerling
Genesse
German Butterball
Huron Chipper
Innovator
Katahdin
Kennebec
Kueka Gold
Lamoka
Lehigh
Natascha
(Crystal Strain)
Ontario
Peter Wilcox
Pike
Prada
Purple Majesty
Reba
Red LaSoda
Red Maria
Red Pontiac
Red Thumb Fingerling
Russet Burbank
(ID Strain)
Satina
Sebec
Shepody
Snowden
Strawberry Paw
Superior
Toscana
Waneta
Yukon Gem
Yukon Gold
April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2020
