Lane Lindstrom headshot
The Eyes Have It

The Next Evolution Of Potato Grower Magazine

Choose a printed or electronic version
Lane Lindstrom, Editor
It probably wouldn’t surprise most of you out there if I were to tell you I’m just a little “old school.”

I love comfort food, you know, like mashed potatoes and gravy. I have nothing against all the seemingly dozens of new potato recipes I see every week; I just love mashed potatoes and gravy.

I still prefer to take notes with a pen and paper. Yes, that is old-fashioned, but I trust my own writing more than a portable recording device or most other newer versions of recording events, words and images, such as a cell phone. I will admit I am using my cell phone more and more to record things but I still take notes as well.

Well, time marches on here at Potato Grower Magazine and at Harris Publishing as well.

I really like classic rock-n-roll music and old country music. Once in a great while there is a new song that comes along in those two genres that I really take a liking to. But if you were to hop in my vehicle and hit any of the preset radio buttons, it would be country and classic rock-n-roll.

I like to go to the local store and see and maybe even touch something before I buy it. I just haven’t taken a liking quite yet to online shopping.

And, maybe most importantly, I like to “hold” a magazine in my hand. There’s just something about holding and reading from a printed magazine rather than reading it on an electronic device. The same goes for a newspaper.

But, as you all know, times are changing. Ten years ago, folks would look at you strange if you said something like, “You know, you can read that online,” or “that’s only available online.”

There is a wealth of knowledge and information right at our fingertips, thanks to some pretty amazing technology.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning.”

Hey, I get it. I’m not anti-progress (or anti-electronics) by any means. Look at the farming industry and all the progress and improvements that have been made over the years. All of you are producing more with less and doing so much more efficiently than a few years ago.

Well, time marches on here at Potato Grower Magazine and at Harris Publishing as well. And that means looking at new ways to get Potato Grower Magazine into the hands of our readers. The newest way is through Vertiqul, a digital publications format. Harris Publishing has been using Vertiqul with a couple of our other magazine titles and it’s been well-received. Vertiqul is the No. 1 digital UX platform for modern and scrollable engagement and it’s easy to use on any device.

Actually, our first digital release for Potato Grower Magazine was with the December, 2022, issue, but the full rollout is with this issue, which you might be reading either on your electronic device or in printed form.

The choice is yours. You can choose to continue receiving Potato Grower in printed form or you can have it sent to you electronically. You can see/read the magazine on your mobile phone, tablet as well as desktop/laptop.

Highlights of our new format include:

  • No apps, no downloads and no frustrating page corner lipping.
  • One click from an e-mail alerting you to the newest issue—or any other location launches the digital issue.
  • Responsive on any device; no more pinching and zooming just to read.
  • Ads can be enhanced, allowing us to upgrade ads with video or responsive animation, all created by the Vertiqul design team.
  • Editorial enhancements. We can add video plus audio and bonus images beyond what the print edition carries.

It is very cool technology and goes beyond what you already see on our website when you click on “Current Issue” in the upper right corner.

And if you’re not interested in the electronic version, that’s okay. You can still get the printed version sent through the mail.

Again, the choice is yours. The point is, now we can offer you options.