With a mountain of red seed potatoes serving as a backdrop, Steve Dierkcs introduces Wisconsin Idea Seminar participants to Coloma Farms. (Photo by Catherine Reiland / UW-Madison)
Andy Diercks, a fourth-generation farmer and part-owner of Coloma Farms, helps grow 800 acres of potatoes in Central Wisconsin, among other vegetables. In 2018, the Wisconsin Idea Seminar visited Coloma Farms and learned about the 2,700-acre potato and grain operation from Andy’s father Steve Diercks, third-generation farmer, as part of the Big Lake Tour. In a recent interview with Spectrum News, Andy talks about how, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the potato industry is flooded with an oversupply of potatoes on the market because places like schools and restaurants are closed. Read and watch the full interview with Andy.