The 2026 Montcalm County Potato Field Day will feature a balance of education, fun and industry camaraderie
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EmailMSU Extension and Michigan Potato Industry Commission will host the potato field day on August 6 at the Montcalm Research Center. Two RUP credits are available.
Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, is excited to host the 2026 Montcalm County Potato Field Day, featuring a balance of education, fun and industry camaraderie. This year’s potato field day will focus on irrigation management efficiencies and post-harvest handling. It will also feature the inaugural “Dig and Drinks” potato agronomy showcase. The potato field day will be held Thursday, Aug. 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Montcalm Research Center, 4629 W. McBride Road, Lakeview, MI 48888.
The field day will consist of two breakout sessions centered around irrigation management efficiency and a deep dive into post-harvest handling. The irrigation management breakout session is organized by the MSU Extension irrigation team, who will share resources on how to improve irrigation management in potato systems, which is critical for improving yield and storability and reducing inputs. This breakout session will include a Mobile Irrigation Lab demonstration as well.
The next breakout session will feature a deep dive into preharvest and post-harvest handling topics by expert Todd Forbush, engineer for Techmark, Inc. and Dave Douches, PhD, MSU potato breeder. This session will cover preharvest considerations such as crop age, thermal age, chemical maturity, sucrose and glucose levels, specific gravity, field pathogen load, genetic components and vine kill timing. Harvest considerations will also be discussed, including mechanical process, tuber physical condition, conditions at harvest, impact bruising, physiology of bruising, ventilation strategy and refrigeration effect. This session will feature an impact bruise measurement device demonstration and harvest demonstrations as well.
We are also excited to showcase our first Dig and Drinks educational mixer, which will take place after the breakout sessions and before lunch. Dig and Drinks is an opportunity to showcase potato agronomy in an open format setting that allows participants to dig potatoes in a test plot, discuss and engage with a variety of researchers about various topics, and participate in fellowship with potato industry members. Researchers and experts in potato agronomy will be on-site to answer your questions and discuss different considerations of potato production in a less formal setting.
Immediately following Dig and Drinks, we will break for lunch and conclude the field day.
Producers, agribusiness professionals and community members are welcome to attend this free event. The field day begins with check-in at 8 a.m., with light refreshments and coffee provided, and will conclude after lunch around 1 p.m. with an optional potato research meeting immediately following. The research meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Douglass Town Hall.
Registration is free but required.
Register for the 2026 Potato Field Day
Certified credit adviser and restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits will be available for attendees. This event is also a MAEAP Phase I event. If you are unable to sign up online, please call the Montcalm County MSU Extension office at 989-831-7500.
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