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Wisconsin has long been known as “The Dairy State”, and for good reason. Dairy Farms are the mainstay to Wisconsin agriculture, and the farms here produce most of the highest quality dairy products in the United States. However, agriculture in Wisconsin is much more diverse than just dairying. Wisconsin also produces a large amount of cranberries, potatoes, sweet corn, peas, carrots, and green beans. Much of these vegetables are grown in the central part of the state. In this area of the state, there is about a thirty miles wide, by fifty miles long section where very few dairy farms are in operation anymore. Which is in contrast to the rest of Wisconsin. This area of Wisconsin is commonly called the “Central Sands”, as much of the soil is, of course, sand. With the use of pivot irrigation systems, the sandy soil yields excellent vegetables. Potatoes and sweet corn are the number one crops in this area. The sand allows excellent filtering and drainage of the large amount of water that the potatoes and other vegetables require.
This “Central Sands” area of Wisconsin is where my display is based.
The Bauman Field Display is a layout that is focused on three fields that used to be part of the old Bauman farm. Orvel and Edna Bauman had farmed the land up until 1984, at which time they had decided to retire from agriculture. Aside from the main farmstead, the property was divided up, and sold to other local farmers. Roven Farms bought the majority of the farmland, while the Mirron Brothers Potato Farm bought the largest field that had belong to the Bauman’s. Two of the three fields the Roven’s had purchased, and the one field the Mirron Brothers had purchased from the old Bauman property, are the fields that are represented, in part, on the display.
The fall, mid September, field display consists of three operations, in three fields, with a backcountry road dividing one field from the rest. The layout stands at 4 ft. 2 in. high, to allow a more natural and closer view of everything.
The smallest section of field on the display has the “Larkin Custom Ag Application Services” crew applying fumigate for the next springs potato crop.
Here in Wisconsin, like many other potato growing states, fumigation is done in the fall for nematodes, or microscopic worms, which can devastate a potato crop if not controlled. The fumigate, or as I understand it, sodium bromide, is typically applied 12 to 14 inches deep, and then “sealed” into the soil, as to slow the evaporation. Other methods, like having a cover crop (green manure) prior to planting potatoes, also greatly aid in reducing the nematode threat.
The Larkin crew is made up of two AgChem TerraGator 8103’s with 12 rear-mounted chisels, and tow-behind packers, and a 2004 (identified by the new style cab top decal) CAT MT 765 hitched to a pull-type fumigation rig, which is set-up very similar to the TerraGators. The Cat tractor, and pull-type unit is available to rent for the farmers who want to do their own fumigation, but don’t have the equipment.
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