Dianne Somers, co-owner of Plover River Farms Alliance, LLC, and Kevin Bula, longtime inspector with the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program, were inducted into the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) Hall of Fame at the industry’s Annual Awards Banquet held February 5, 2025, in Stevens Point.
The WPVGA Hall of Fame honors lifetime achievement in the development of the state’s potato industry. It is the intention of the WPVGA to continue to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the potato industry in Wisconsin by making annual Hall of Fame inductions.
The dedication and involvement in the potato and vegetable industry by Dianne Somers over her lifetime are immeasurable, in time, energy and accomplishments. She is one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary (WPGA), which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2025! A past-President of the Auxiliary, Dianne has worked tirelessly on behalf of the industry she loves, and her passion shows through on everything she does. She served on the WPGA Board of Directors for many years and continues to be an active member of the Auxiliary.
She also serves on the WPVGA Water Task Force as well as on the Promotions Committee. She and her husband, Nick, serve on the Spud Bowl Committee, and their efforts have helped make the Spud Bowl an outstanding event while raising thousands of dollars for University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) student scholarships.
Dianne has served on the UWSP Foundation Board of Directors for many years. She is also an Advisory Committee member for the UWSP College of Fine Arts. In 2016, UW-Stevens Point presented the Mary Ann Nigbor Volunteer of the Year Award to Dianne Somers for service to the university and the potato industry. Nick and Dianne now provide an annual scholarship to a UWSP student in the Soils Department of the College of Natural Resources.
Dianne has served for many years on the WPVGA Promotions Committee, and along with Nick, has been a strong supporter of the Spudmobile. The Committee undertook years of discussion and research before Nick’s idea of the Spudmobile arrived, but it finally came to fruition and has been a successful promotional tool for the industry over the past 10 years. Nick and Dianne were also among the original supporters of the Food + Farm Exploration Center (FFEC) in Plover, serving as co-chairs of the Campaign Committee for the FFEC.
Dianne is a strong supporter of the Healthy Grown program and Plover River Farms has been a Healthy Grown grower since its inception. Among the awards she has received over the years are the Wisconsin Potato Growers Auxiliary Member of the Year (1988) and the WPVGA Agri-Communicator Award (2015). Dianne is a continual promoter of the industry. She looks for every opportunity to discuss the benefits of eating potatoes, even with the people sitting next to her on an airplane. Her passion and love are the potato and vegetable industry.
Kevin Bula, who grew up on his family’s small dairy and potato farm in Antigo, Wisconsin, applied for a position as an inspector with the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program. Drs. Steve Slack and Bob Slattery “took a chance” on Kevin. As Kevin states: “I was fortunate to learn the certification and inspection process from Slattery and long-time inspectors Wayne Guyant and Len Sorenson. I always viewed myself as being seed grower oriented, and always tried to be fair, impartial, and consistent in my decisions, but never forgetting the reason for certification in the first place, to protect the commercial potato industry and never compromise the university, the certification program or myself.”
“Potatoes have been good to me,” Bula continues. “Working in the seed program for 45 years provided a fair wage, opened doors for travel, and most importantly, it introduced me to some great potato people, people who have become some of my best friends. The winter test plots in Homestead, Florida were a lot of work but also a lot of great times. The evenings were often spent in friendly banter, each of us promoting our own state as being the best, but of course Wisconsin was the best. It was a special time, and we became a special seed potato fraternity.”
Bula has received several awards and honors over the years, including the WPVGA’s Industry Appreciation Award in 2009 and again in 2012, as well as the Wisconsin Seed Potato Industry Leadership Award in 2012 for outstanding service and leadership to the Wisconsin seed potato industry.
Comments