For its commitment to caring for the land and area natural resources, the Hapka family from Halma, Minn., received the National Potato Council’s 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award.

The Hapka nomination was submitted by Northern Plains Potato Growers Association, East Grand Forks, Minn.

FAMILY RECOGNITION: The Hapka family, Halma, Minn., was recently given the National Potato Council’s 2017 Environmental Stewardship Award. Attending the award banquet were (from left) Jean, Lance (holding Zoey), Katrina (holding Mara), Leon (holding Levi) and Luke, in front.

The family traveled to Orlando, Fla., earlier this month to receive the award, which is given annually to people who show leadership in adopting innovations that promote improved water quality and water conservation, reduce risks associated with pesticide application and support wildlife habitat.

The Hapka family — parents Leon and Jean, son Lance and his wife Katrina, and daughter Jennifer Borowicz — raise 750 acres of potatoes in rotation with corn and rye in Kittson County, Minn. They sell their spuds to the J.R. Simplot frozen processing plant in Grand Forks, N.D., which makes French fries.

Leon and Jean were dryland producers, specializing in potato seed production near Argyle, Minn., where they raised their family. In 1995, they started producing irrigated processing potatoes in Halma and over time, shifted all their potato production to Halma, where Leon, Jean, Lance and Katrina currently live. Jennifer and her family live in Crookston, Minn.

Lance and Katrina share ownership of the farm with Leon and Jean. Leon and Lance are primary managers along with Jennifer. Lance oversees the day-to-day operations throughout the year, and Katrina does payroll. Leon and Jean take well-deserved time off during winter months and are back at it during the growing season. Jennifer serves as office manager. She also does water sampling, Simplot reporting and fills in anywhere when needed. The farm also has four full-time employees and hires about six extra seasonal workers.

“I believe our efforts to improve the land, both in looks and productivity, is why we received the recognition we did,” says Lance, a fourth-generation farmer. The Halma farm site had been abandoned by previous owners and suffered from wind erosion. Blown-in fence lines and enormous rock piles ruined the landscape. There were areas that weeds wouldn’t want to grow.

“Through the years, all that was cleaned and restored,” Lance says.

Over the past two decades, the Hapkas improved their farm business in the following key areas:

• Soil health and conservation. All crop management decisions, such as crop rotations and cover crops, are based on how they affect the potato crop, Lance says. The family’s sandy soils require sound conservation practices to keep them in place.

 “Right before we harvest potatoes, we spread cereal rye on the field, which gets incorporated by harvest activity,” Lance says. “Our potatoes are harvested green [no spraying done to kill vines], so vines hold soil while rye is established.” The rye helps reduce erosion and improve soil tilth.

The family seeds corn into the rye with minimal tillage the following spring, followed by another corn crop the next year and then potatoes again after that. The corn residue helps controls erosion during potato crop development. If needed, they spread straw in areas needing erosion control.

The Hapkas practice minimum tillage, usually completing it before planting in the spring and in the fall after harvest.

• Water use, quality. Every acre cropped is irrigated by a central pivot that is equipped with a computer panel to allow for rate changes per position. Field corners are not cropped and are left in native grass, Lance says. Drainage tile was selectively installed and has had a major effect on crop quality and reducing water erosion.

Moisture levels in fields— which are checked daily — and the weather forecast determine the watering schedule. The irrigations systems are high volume-low pressure, allowing for fast application. The Hapkas take advantage of this at night, when low evaporation periods dramatically increase efficiency. They also use section valves to prevent overwatering certain areas when necessary. The family can view and control all irrigation by cellphone or computer.

All irrigation water sources are tested up to three times annually.

• Nutrient application. Lance makes prescription maps based on soil tests, weekly petiole test results, satellite imagery and personal experience.

“We spoon-feed nutrients as needed. No fall fertilizer is applied, and very little is applied in spring,” Lance says. “Most fertilizer is applied in-season, based on conditions. The rye cover crop preserves nutrients and has an allopathic suppression on weeds.”

• Pest control, safety. The Hapkas practice integrated pest management and do lots and lots of field scouting. They rotate crops, rotate pest control chemistry and follow industry research.

When handling chemicals, they also take care to read and follow labels, rinse containers three times and follow worker protection standards.

• Environmental considerations. On the farm, pesticide applications are done with GPS swath control to reduce overspray. And for the community, Leon and Jean donated land for a bike path around Florian Park in Marshall County, Minn. On rest of the farm property, Leon planted trees and native grasses.

“We want to thank the National Potato Council and the U.S. EPA for the Environmental Stewardship Award and the fantastic video that came from it,” Lance adds. “We also want to thank the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association and the area community for their recognition of our efforts.”

To view the NPC video of the Hapka farm, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lz3IAuiBIQ or click on the arrow below.