Feeding America: How the Next Generation of Potato Farmers Are Leaving Their Mark
A new generation of potato farmers uses cutting-edge instruments and methods to progress farms and preserve the soil for future generations all over the U.S., often in unexpected areas.
In recognition of National Fruits and Veggies Month, Potatoes USA is showcasing a handful of these people and honoring their contributions to getting America’s favorite vegetable on tables everywhere, including in other countries.
These farmers frequently work in the background, putting in 15-hour days during the harvest season to produce a large portion of the vegetables that Americans consume all year. Potatoes USA recently had a conversation with a few of the industry’s sharpest minds to better understand their job and the impact they intend to have.
Leah Halverson, North Dakota: Connecting Consumers to the Families and Places that Grow Their Food
Leah Halverson left her hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota, where she had grown up, to obtain her MBA and work in advertising. Ten years later, she recognized a chance to return home, and with the establishment of Ten Acre Marketing, she was able to help Black Gold Farms, the farm of her family, as well as other businesses in the agricultural industry.
“More and more consumers care about where their food comes from, and there’s incredible potential to connect people back to the families and places that grow their food. It’s opened the door for me to return to my family’s farm to do what I do best, to help make this farm successful so we can grow what my great-grandfather started,” she added.
Halverson’s great-grandfather, who established Black Gold Farms on 10 acres of property more than 90 years ago, is honored by the name of her marketing firm. Her family grew over four generations, eventually farming in ten different states.
Halverson and her family, which includes her daughter and seven nieces, are committed to protecting the environment and improving the land for future generations. Black Gold Farms uses LEED construction methods whenever it is feasible for new construction projects and received LEED Gold certification for their headquarters in addition to embracing data and technology to optimize sustainability initiatives.
“It’s inspiring to work in agriculture today and see how people are making changes that matter. Farmers are unbelievably innovative. It’s hard work, but you get to grow something that everybody loves!” Halverson declared.
Bryan Jones, Florida: Protecting Local Waterways and Going from Potato-to-Chip in Less than 24 Hours
Bryan Jones is an expert in growing potatoes for one of the nation’s favorite snacks, the potato chip, at Riverdale Potato Farm. Bryan’s unusual potato growing season lasts from January to the middle of June and is situated just a few miles from the coast in Saint Augustine, Florida. But Bryan’s farm has other unusual features as well. He used military-grade trucks to more effectively transport the produce out of the field because the weather can be rainy.
Jones concentrates on cultivating smaller, rounder potatoes with thinner peel and a more consistent shape to produce the perfect potato chip. These techniques enable him to produce his potatoes from harvest to bag of chips in about 24 hours.
Jones also employs cutting-edge technology, like as devices that monitor rainfall and subsurface irrigation, to cultivate an abundant harvest while using less fertilizer and irrigation. The St. Johns River, which flows next to the farm, is also protected as a result of this.
“We’re trying to irrigate less and keep the water table exactly where it needs to be. We also use a fertilizer technique, where instead of spreading it, we drop it exactly where the plant needs to uptake it. That way, our nutrients don’t leave our soil, and we can protect the river,” he mentioned.
Two small children are part of Bryan’s family, and he wants them to have the choice of living on the farm in the future if they are interested.
“There are always plenty of challenges. That’s why we have to be innovative with our operations so that we preserve this land for generations to come,” Jones shared.
Taylor Grant, Idaho: A Sustainability Advocate Using the Latest Tools to Optimize Operations
Hard labor is nothing new to Taylor Grant. He serves as Grant 4-D Farms’ chief operating officer. The 30,000-acre farm in Rupert, Idaho, raises nine varieties of russet potatoes. His staff works 14 to 15 hour days during harvest to guarantee that customers can purchase their preferred veggie all year.
Grant was born and raised in Idaho, but he and his wife decided to return to their roots and start a farm when they were living in Seattle.
“In 2013, I asked my wife if she wanted to be on the farm or in Seattle, and she said on the farm. A week later, we were on a combine,” Grant declared.
In 1958, Grant 4-D Farms was founded. Sustainability and innovation are two key areas of concern for Taylor as she looks to the future. Grant 4-D Farms also includes solar panels to generate some of its power and employs sensors to monitor the moisture in the soil, in addition to rotating crops like sugar beets to replenish soil quality.
“Sustainability is at the top of our list because we want to make sure this land is growing high-quality crops for years to come. Our tillage practices are constantly evolving,” Taylor mentioned.
Grant 4-D Farms can harvest a lot of potatoes thanks to their creative methods! They have 30 storage bays, each holding 10m pounds of potatoes. That is the equivalent of 4.5 million people’s daily requirement for potassium and 90.6m grams of plant-based protein in just one bay.
September is National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM), a month-long celebration of everyone’s favorite fruits and veggies! The 2023 theme, Every Time You Eat, Have A Plant®, explores all the ways we celebrate fruits and veggies throughout the journey from farms to tables, and the joy they bring us along the way.