The East Grand Forks, Minn.-based Northland Potato Growers Association presented two meritorious service awards during the association’s chairman’s and awards banquet in February, said Gary Shields, executive director.
Loren Estad of Crystal, N.D., received the 2025 grower meritorious service award, and Dean Peterson, a potato pathology research specialist at North Dakota State University, Fargo, received the industry award.
Estad is a fourth-generation family farm operator and raises chip and process potatoes along with some other items and also is involved with the family’s seed potato operation.
Peterson manages field operations and 40 to 50 trials each year for the university at up to eight locations. Trials focus on disease control for irrigated process potatoes and dryland fresh and seed potatoes.
