CENTER, CO., – Most of Colorado’s 60,000 acres of potatoes are grown in the San Luis Valley and Colorado State University led research has long been a part of the community supporting growers and consumers. This week, an exciting announcement they’ve been waiting on has come to fruition.
In 2018, the San Luis Valley Research Center, located in Center, Colorado, experienced high winds, ending in severe damage to a potato storage unit. This week staff learned that nearly a decade later, a $1 million appropriation to rebuild the facility has been secured by Rep. Jeff Hurd. Dr. Amy Charkowski, Colorado State University Associate Dean for Research said the funds to rebuild will bolster the center’s work to support growers within the Valley’s nearly $500 million potato industry.
“Potatoes are living things, the tubers we eat are swollen stems and farmers need to be able to store them and for potato research and breeding, we need to be able to store them over the winter in a way that keeps them healthy and alive,” Charkowski said…