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This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
From the ground to the mound
Basin farmers are expecting a strong year for potatoes
H&N
photos by Andrew Mariman
Good yields and quality appear to be the norm for the potato harvest around the Klamath Basin, and two farmers believe that will be followed by a strong market for potatoes this year.
Ed Staunton of Tulelake was a week into his harvest and it was going well. He’s growing a variety of russets and organic potatoes and said the quality and yields were a little above average.
No complaints here
“I have nothing to complain about,” he said.
Lon Baley of Malin said the quality of his chip variety of potatoes was a little above average this year with yields about average. While not a major portion of the potato harvest in the Basin, chip potatoes have become a bigger portion of the acreage in the past five years. Baley said he hadn’t heard of any problems or difficulties from other potato growers in the area, which can hamper the ability to make a profit.
“These days, you can’t stub your toe,” he said.
A seller’s market
Staunton also said he thought it would be a good year for selling the potatoes. He said he expected that once everyone had finished harvesting and had their crop in storage, the market would be profitable.
Baley’s crop is already spoken for because he has a contract with potato chip producer Frito-Lay for his potatoes, but he said he also thought it would be a good year for potatoes on the market, which can ultimately affect his future contract prices.
Lon
Baley , who leases 450 acres near Tulelake with his son Rodney,
washes his tractor and potato harvester at one of the many wash
stations in the area.
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