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Sustainable Practices Increase Efficiencies

Rosemary Gordon By Rosemary Gordon|September 30, 2011

Sustainable Practices Increase Efficiencies

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“We have a passion for potatoes,” Gregg Halverson, president and CEO of Black Gold Farms, told a crowd of more than 100 at an appreciation luncheon the farm hosted for its land partners and vendors in Sturgis, MI, in August.

“We have a vision for Black Gold,” he continued. “Our vision is to be the premier agricultural production, service, and quality organization in the world. Are we there yet? Probably not. Are we working to be there? Absolutely.”

Securing the No. 3 spot on AVG’s Top 100 Growers list in the North, Black Gold Farms, a supplier of potatoes with its headquarters in Grand Forks, ND, has made great strides to meet its vision. One of Frito-Lay’s largest suppliers, the farm combines its passion for potatoes with being good stewards of the land and fostering positive relationships with personnel, customers, and with the people in the communities in which they live and work.
With humble beginnings that date back more than 80 years — when Gregg’s grandfather started the business — Black Gold now produces potatoes in 11 states. Today, Gregg is joined by his two sons — Eric, who is the vice president of technology, and John, vice president of operations — as well as his daughter Leah Brakke, who handles marketing efforts.

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Sustainable Technology

The farm balances economic factors and environmental issues with the social aspects of farming, which is also known as the “three-legged sustainability stool,” explains Eric. To be able to get more from their potatoes with fewer crop inputs — or the environmental and economic aspect of the three-legged stool — involves determining exactly what the potato plant needs.
Black Gold Farms At A Glance
Home Office: Grand Forks, ND
Owners: The Halverson family
Farm locations: Forest River, ND; Arbyrd, MO; Charleston, MO; Columbia, NC; Hawkinsville, GA; Live Oak, FL; Oak Grove, LA; Pearsall, TX; Rhodesdale, MD; Sturgis, MI; and Winamac, IN.
Recent Awards: In August, Gregg Halverson, president and CEO, received the Potato Association of America’s Honorary Life Membership Award. In 2009, Halverson received the World Potato Congress Industry Award. The year before that, Black Gold Farms was the recipient of the National Potato Council’s Environmental Stewardship Award.

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What also takes a lot of energy is keeping track of data, especially when it involves numerous farming locations. To determine if they are on the right path — making the best decisions on fertilizers, water management, etc. — Black Gold Farms tracks, analyzes, and benchmarks data gleaned from plant tissue analysis or soil moisture testing, for example.
“The easiest way to tie these pieces of the puzzle together is with data,” Gregg explains. “Because we have different farms in different locations, we can then have a benchmark for ourselves and determine what worked and what didn’t work.”

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Rosemary Gordon is Editor of Grower Programs and Events for Meister Media Wordwide. See all author stories here.