The production of elite foundation seed involves the maintenance of pathogen-free tissue culture stock potato cultivars at the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program Tissue Culture Laboratory in Wisconsin. 

Each year, these are subcultured into thousands of plants, which are taken to the Lelah Starks Elite Foundation Seed Potato Farm located in an isolated area near Rhinelander. 

These plants, through subsequent generations at the State Farm, become Elite Foundation Seed sold to Wisconsin Seed Growers.