FOR THE GAZETTE

PLOVER – A special ceremony was held May 19 for the installation of the World’s Largest Potato Masher, at the nearly-complete Food + Farm Exploration Center. The nearly 39-foot tall potato masher will serve as a visible iconic attraction that will welcome visitors to the site. The potato masher represents the exploration that will happen inside and outside the new center, honoring the agriculture industry, growers, innovators, and consumers. 

“Plover is a perfect home for the center because of the rich history central Wisconsin has in the potato and vegetable industry,” said Executive Director Andy Reitz, in a written statement.

“The Exploration Center was born out of the need to reconnect people to agriculture and their food. It will be a place for people to come together on a journey into the world of modern agriculture, to meet the people behind the food, to build new science and engineering skills, to connect, play and learn. It will be a teaching farm, a children’s museum, a science center and a community workshop all rolled into a tantalizing celebration of food and farming,” Reitz added.

Through the Cultivating Connections Campaign, $28 million dollars has been raised through donations by individuals and corporate partners who are dedicated to the vitality of Wisconsin’s agricultural industry. The total fundraising goal for the project is $41 million.

The event included a short ceremony with speakers Andy Reitz, Executive Director of Farming for The Future Foundation and the Food + Farm Exploration Center; Steve Kunst, Village of Plover; Alicia Pavelski, Founding Member & Board President of Farming for the Future Foundation; Jim Yehle, President & CEO, Findorff; and Les Dobbe, President and CEO of Lineage Logistics in Stevens Point and co-chair of the Cultivating Connections Capital Campaign. 

The project was led by construction manager, J.H. Findorff & Son; architect, Eppstein Uhen Architects; and exhibit designer, Gyroscope, and is expected to be open to the public by fall 2023.

About Food + Farm Exploration Center

The Food + Farm Exploration Center is an extension of Farming for the Future Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to educating current and future generations about agricultural innovation and sustainability. Its goal is to promote agricultural literacy, to increase the understanding of the origins of our food, and to deepen the relationship between farmers and consumers.