Black Gold Farms Kicks Off Red Potato Harvest In Southeast Missouri

American Vegetable Grower magazine’s Top 100 Grower Black Gold Farms kicked off fresh red potato harvest in Southeast Missouri this week. According to a news release from the farm, the first few days of harvest have shown a lot of promise for this year’s red potato crop. With excellent quality in the fields and manageable weather, Black Gold Farms says they anticipate a very successful season.

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“I’m excited about what’s in the field this year. We had some challenges at the beginning of the season due to late planting, but I’m very optimistic about what we’re seeing. The quality is exceptional and the yields are big. Our team has done what they needed to do all year to prepare for this month in the packing facility and in the field,” commented John Halverson, COO of Black Gold Farms.

Planting was delayed in Missouri and Arkansas by about four weeks this spring due to the heavy rain and cold weather. The packing facility has the ability to pack several different sizes of poly, cartons, and sacks. Harvest will continue through the end of July. Black Gold Farms will then transition to Indiana grown red potatoes.

“We’ve been able to learn a lot about growing potatoes in the summertime heat from our chip potato experience. We’re able to transfer those learnings to the fresh market. While there are many differences, the principles are the same: use the right variety, get the timing correct, push them through the wash line and into the cooler as soon as possible, and then ship to our customers while they are still fresh,” Halverson concluded.

Keith Groven, Fresh Sales Manager of Black Gold Farms states, “Our customers really find value pulling fresh reds out of Arbyrd, MO as the quality is consistent. We are geographically centered around many of the major cities which provides locally grown opportunities. Customers recognize that Black Gold Farms is the red potato expert.”

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Source: Black Gold Farms press release

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