Growing Together: Mike Carter

Mike Carter’s path to the potato industry was anything but typical.

After graduating with a history degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he spent a decade working in state politics.

“In my wildest dreams, there’s no way I could’ve imagined I’d end up in the potato industry,” he said. “And then to serve on a board like Potatoes USA…it’s mind-boggling.”

Mike’s political work led him to the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, where he eventually served eight years as executive director. Though he became deeply familiar with the issues facing growers, he still didn’t have much firsthand farming experience.

“My mom and dad had a garden, and that was about it,” he joked. “When I was 14, I rode my bike 3.5 miles to the local potato farmer and picked potatoes by hand for one day. I quickly decided that wasn’t for me.”

But his time with the association built strong relationships – and one of those relationships opened a door he never expected. When a member announced his retirement, he approached Mike with an opportunity to run his potato operation.

From there, Mike became a partner and CEO of Bushman’s, Inc., in Rosholt, Wisconsin. Bushman’s is a shipper and packer of fresh potatoes. The company grows russets but ships all varieties.

“Nowadays, our customers want one-stop shopping, and we’re able to offer that,” he said.

Bushman’s has approximately 23 staff members in its sales office and around 18 employees working in its packing shed, although the numbers vary seasonally.

Mike is now a 25-year veteran of the potato industry and served as chairman of the board of Potatoes USA from 2023-2024.

“Our goal is to get people to eat more potatoes more ways,” he said. “I could go through every program at Potatoes USA and tell you why it’s important. I think this organization does a really good job because they keep that very basic focus in mind in everything they do.”

When he was younger, a more experienced farmer shared some advice that stuck with him.

“He told me that he volunteered on boards and always felt like he got more out of it than he put into it,” Mike said. “At the time, I don’t think I fully appreciated it, but as my beard gets a little grayer, he was right on. There’s a lot of wisdom in that saying.”

When it comes to eating potatoes, Mike is no stranger to great cooking. His wife, Ali, has done professional recipe development and previously wrote a cooking column in the Badger Common’Tater, a publication highlighting the potato and vegetable industry in Wisconsin.

“She can whip up potatoes pretty much any way you can imagine,” he said.

But Mike’s favorite dish? A plain baked potato with butter, salt, and pepper.

“I’m a purist,” he said. “I could eat a baked potato every day.”

When he isn’t working or eating baked potatoes, Mike enjoys curling (in the winter) and hunting and fishing.

“As I came off the Potatoes USA board, my goal was to spend more time hunting and fishing and chopping wood,” he said.

He added that he’s grateful life brought him to potatoes.

“I wake up every morning and thank the good Lord that I ended up here,” he said. “I can’t think of a better industry that suits my personality. This industry produces something that’s good and wholesome. I mean, we feed the world. What’s more noble than that? And it’s full of amazing people.”