2008 Spud, Berry & Dairy Tour

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What do a milking dai= ry and a cranberry operation

have in common?<= /o:p>

They both are powered= by methane gas.

To find out about thi= s and more, the Central Wisconsin Tourism Association invites you to be a p= art of the Spud, Berry and Dairy Tour, September 29-October 1, 2008. Travel= through scenic Central Wisconsin at the peak color of fall foliage aboard = a deluxe coach bus for two and a half fun filled days.

On this AgVenture, yo= u will visit environmentally friendly farms, picturesque cranberry marshes = and state of the art food processing plants. As more and more people are in= volved with the food we eat, our knowledge and appreciation for where our f= ood comes from diminishes. This tour will show you first hand what it takes= to put that can of cranberries or bag of potatoes in your favorite grocery= store. Provided meals will emphasize locally-grown produce. After this tou= r, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for spuds, berries, dairies a= nd more!

Attendees, if they ch= oose, will spend Monday and Tuesday night at the Sleep Inn & Suites. Lo= cated in the heart of the Village of Plover’s business district. This= brand new hotel offers the Yellowstone Trail Pub, swimming pool, whirlpool= , exercise room, hi-speed wired and wireless internet, guest laundry servic= es, business center and free local phone calls.

Portage County in the= heart of Wisconsin’s “Golden Sands Region,” has become o= ne of the nation’s most important agricultural suppliers of potatoes,= snap/green beans, green peas and sweet corn for processing. Portage County= is the largest producer of potatoes for processing in Wisconsin, producing= over 900 million pounds of potatoes in 2006.

Wood County is the la= rgest producing area of cranberries in the world, producing 27% of the stat= e’s crop and about 15% of the nation’s crop.<= /p>

The reputation of the= Wisconsin Dairy State is evident in over 36,300 cows that inhabit Wood and= Portage Counties. Between the two counties, they produced an equivalent of= over one billion, eight ounce glasses of milk in 2006. Additional dairy pr= oduction includes cheese making at nine different commercial processing pla= nts in Wood County alone.

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