Heartland Farms teams with a central Wisconsin co-op to raise chipping potatoes in near-perfect sandy soils. Behind the tree-lined highways of central Wisconsin hides some of the most productive vegetable cropland you’ll fi nd anywhere in the United States. Look further into this area known as the Central Sands and smack in the middle you’ll fi nd Heartland Farms, owned and operated by the fi fth generation of the Pavelski family. Established in 1873 by Polish immigrant August Pavelski, the operation encompasses 15,000 irrigated acres of potatoes and vegetables grown in fi ve Wisconsin counties by the Pavelski family and Dave Knights, who joined as a partner in 1979. Heartland Farms grows specialty potato varieties for the chipping (potato chip) market, plus some for the fresh market. The Pavelskis’ biggest marketing contract is with Frito-Lay for the Lay’s potato chip brand. It’s a long-standing relationship, dating back to 1954. What’s unique about Heartland Farms is its ability to effi ciently store 175,000 tons of potatoes onsite so it can deliver a steady supply to customers almost year-round. The operation ships 30 to 60 semi loads of potatoes every day. In 1990, the 1,100-acre farm started expanding rapidly, and by the end of the decade another 10,000 acres had been added to meet the production needs of Frito-Lay. Potatoes are trucked as far away as the East Coast, Atlanta and Texas. “We stuck with potatoes because they’re a high-value crop and it’s where our core expertise was,” says y Dick Pavelski, , Heartland Farms CEO. “Frito-30. Lay told us it had 300 suppliers and wanted 30 . We grew so we could be one of those 30.” This exclusive area of Wisconsin, the third largest potato-producing state by volume, offers near-perfect sandy soils to produce consistent, reliable potatoes, Pavelski says. Of Heartland’s 15,000 acres, 9,000 are planted to potatoes. The remaining acres are used for rotation and for growing canning peas, sweet corn, green beans and soybeans. Potatoes require a three-year rotation schedule, so Heartland contracts with local farmers for additional rotation acres and to help keep the supply chain full. Maintaining those acres at peak production with a steady supply fl ow is no easy task. Heartland employs 90 full-time and 80 seasonal workers. Intensive Management Keeping this integrated operation running at optimal effi ciency — a theme often repeated at Heartland — takes plenty of micromanaging. “We make a diagnosis on each one of our 80 potato fi elds every week during the growing season, checking for fertilizer and crop protection needs,” says Jeremie Pavelski, Dick’s son and company president. “We scout fi elds using integrated pest management (IPM) and then cross-check that with an outside IPM ag service. We make sure we have someone in every fi eld every week, sometimes more often,” he says. “We understand that to manage effi ciently, we need to constantly analyze data.” >>> Jeremie Pavelski, left, and farm manager/ partner Dave Knights oversee day-to-day operations at Heartland Farms, a 15,000-acre chipping potato and vegetable operation at Hancock, Wis. Your CHS Connection 23