The Vegetable Garden of Wisconsin Agriculture

Thursday, September 11, 2008 6:16 AM CDT

Growing up, I remember spending time in my grandparent’s garden. From using the hoe between the rows of carrots and eating the peas right out of the pods, I have great memories of the hard work and great taste associated with fresh, locally-produced food. With my experience on such a small scale, I never imagined how Wisconsin farms grow and produce large amounts of vegetables. I was interested to find out what made our producers successful since our state is a national leader in vegetable production.

Wisconsin ranks third in carrot production. This bright orange vegetable is high in Vitamin A, which is beneficial for your eyesight. There are many complex machines for carrot planting and harvesting. The seeds are very small with 3,000 in each pound; this requires farmers to be delicate when planting carrots. In fact when they plant they sow about 500,000 seeds in every acre.

When harvesting carrots, farmers take three major steps. First, the farmer shreds the top greens to just a short stub. A second machine then comes through the field and cuts the carrot about an inch below the ground to take off the rounded top. Finally, a third machine digs the carrot out of the ground fully and sorts it into a truck. Carrot harvesting occurs in late September to the middle of November. Farmers can expect about 20 tons of carrots for each acre of production.

The largest threat to carrot production is the soil they grow in. Carrots grow best in sandy soils, and on windy days, this sand can pelt the carrot and actually cut off the carrot at ground level. To prevent these blowing sands from doing damage, farmers take care to irrigate their fields to keep the sands down and to prevent wind erosion.

When growing food, farmers need to pay attention to the demand of the consumer and processor. To please some processing companies, farmers need to stick to certain sizes. This is especially true with carrots as processing companies are looking for specific diameter. In the case of a dicing carrot, it needs to be larger with about a two inch diameter, while a slicing carrot only needs to be 7/8 inch in diameter.

I was impressed to learn so much about carrots, but my biggest shock came in learning about sweat corn on a vegetable farm. On a stalk of sweet corn, there is a dominant cob, which is the closest to the top. The dominant cob has the greatest nutritional content and taste, in fact some farms will only market their dominant cob because they know it’s the very best from the farm!

Wisconsin ranks third in the nation in sweet corn production as well, producing almost 20 percent of the nation’s supply. This is a $38 million value to the state. Sweet corn is commonly found in stores, farmer’s markets, and roadside stands.

On the vegetable farm we can move on from ears of corn to looking for heads of great vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. There are three common colors of cauliflower: white, cheddar and purple. These colors do not have noticeable taste differences, but can be aesthetically pleasing additions for your cooking needs.

To keep the color of the cauliflower pure to their name, they must be protected from the sun during growth. When the cauliflower head is the size of a golf ball, the leaves are tied together to block the head from the sun. These leaves are usually tied by hand with a rubber band and are then left to grow until full-size.

With all these vegetable farms in Wisconsin, consumers have the opportunity to buy fresh produce locally-produced. There are many benefits of choosing local foods grown in Wisconsin. When buying local, dollars circulate in your own community stimulating the economy. Farmers will stay in business keeping your working lands working with agriculture.

Locally produced vegetables are filled with nutrients and great taste because they get from the farm to you faster. Most nutrients in foods break down over time and with processing, but obviously fresher foods will have more nutrients. The same is true with flavor. Fewer flavors are lost when you can eat the food sooner.

All vegetables, grown in Wisconsin in small quantities in your garden or on vegetable farms in larger quantities, are safe to eat. Locally produced foods meet the same health standards that shipped food does. In fact, since local foods change hands fewer times, there are fewer opportunities for contamination to occur, aiding in safe handling and preparation. You can also feel more confident in your food because you can connect to your local producer and understand their growing methods n You’ll really know where it came from.

Wisconsin fields are a vegetable garden for consumers. Make your own memories planting your garden, going to a farmer’s market, or a family trip to the farm. Wisconsin farmers are proud of their product and strive to provide you with the best quality products by utilizing varied planting time and planting more frequently at small quantities to keep produce harvests fresh. Freshness is key when selecting local foods. When choosing your vegetables, choose Wisconsin!

Alice in Dairyland is Wisconsin’s agricultural ambassador. She travels over 40,000 miles each year to spread the word about our agricultural industry. Alice in Dairyland can be reached by writing to DATCP, 2811 Agriculture Drive, PO Box 8911, Madison, WI 53718. You can schedule Alice for an upcoming event by contacting the Alice in Dairyland Program at 608-224-5080 or by email at mailto:DATCPAlice@wisconsin.gov.

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