|
World War I
determined the future for the Stauntons. Grandpa Web earned 85
acres in northern
California
for his tour of duty during the
war. “The West was so undeveloped at the time, it was really an
unknown,” says Ed Staunton, Klamath Basin Farmer. Almost a
century later, the
Staunton
farm could sell for an estimated
$2,500 an acre, but the
Staunton
brothers aren’t going anywhere
and they have their father, John, to thank for that. Ed says,
“This is the first spring [Dad] hasn’t been on a tractor. He
is the main reason us three boys came back and became successful.
He gave us the opportunity to learn and then he gave us the
opportunity to take over.” Now the brothers have frost to fight,
flood waters to forge and crops of varying kind to care for. Sid
says, “The most exciting thing to me about farming is
simplicity. It’s just a great example of creation. You put in
seeds, the plants grow and then you have food in three months. It
just marvels me every year.”
Farm Freeze
The
Staunton
brothers, Marshall, Sid and Ed,
are third generation farmers in
Tulelake
,
Calif.
They farm 5,000 acres in the
Klamath
Basin
near the California-Oregon border. “It’s high desert. We can see
Mt. Shasta sticking out like a sore thumb, but it’s absolutely
gorgeous,” says Ed. Marshall grows the onions, Sid and Ed split
the potatoes and they all share in growing peppermint, wheat,
barley, alfalfa and horseradish. Ed says, “Diversification is
important for us. We always try new things.” Diversification is
key in a location that works for and against them. It works
against them weather wise because they farm in a high-risk area
for frost. Pipelines, rather than pivots, snake through the rows
of Russets and specialty varieties. “We’re more frost
sensitive than any region in the continental
United States
. We can get 10-15 frosts a
year,” says Ed. “On cold nights, at about 33 degrees, we’ll
crank on all the irrigation systems and they will protect the
potatoes from freezing. It’s expensive, but it is the only way
you can beat the frost and burn factor. Pivots can’t stay ahead
of the frost.” The expense is worth it because of Klamath’s
claim on rich soil. Sid says, “We get better yields in fewer
days than any other place in the country. It’s pretty remarkable
in this basin. A lot of 600-sack crops come out of this area.”
Location also makes the frost-prone farm prime property. “The
reason potatoes are still in the Klamath basin is quality and
accessibility,” says Sid. The brothers own and pack their
potatoes through Cal-Ore Produce. It is the largest shipper in
California
and ships year-round. “Our
niche is our location. We’re on the top of the most populated
state and we’re the closest Russet shipper. That’s an
advantage.
San Francisco
can call and in seven hours our
load is shipped and there. No one else can do that when it comes
to fresh.”
Farm Flood
A flood on top of all the frost
sounds defeating, but flooding in the
Klamath
Basin
is making waves in a positive way. Walking wetlands, as they are
called, are created when farmland is put under less than a foot of
water for two to three years. “It doesn’t fit every area. You
can’t go to some areas of
Washington
or
Idaho
and flood the sand, but it could
definitely work for other areas,” says Ed. “It is a win-win
situation. The wildlife loves it because there are instant
wetlands rich in food and habitat. Farmers love it because it
rejuvenates the farm ground.” The waterlogged federal lease land
goes out to bid at the end of the flood stage and the highest
bidder plants on the chemical-free ground with the condition of
growing some grain for wildlife. A nematode-infested plot went
under water 10 years ago. The Stauntons won the first bid to farm
it. “We jumped in there. It was a heck of risk, but we said,
‘Lets go for it.’ We planted and didn’t use fumigants and
had no damage at all. It was amazing,” says Sid. Swamping land
for a time is so popular with the Stauntons, they are now trying
it on 90 of their own acres. Ed says, “The highest price for
rent is now on those leased lands and it’s getting so
competitive. We want to continue going [underwater] and not be
shut out so we put the process in place on our private land.
You’re getting around 500 sacks of Russets before flooding, then
you flood and it jumps up to more than 600 sacks. Flooding is
raising yields by about 20 percent so the potential is there.”
Farm Friendly
They’re raising yields, but
only to a certain extent. The Stauntons have been and are still
active with many potato organizations. Ed recently served on the
executive committee for the U.S. Potato Board (USPB). “I am
truly amazed at what the Potato Board does with so little
resources,” says Ed. “The staff is incredible.” Now Ed is
the
California
board representative for the
National Potato Council and Sid is serving on the USPB domestic
marketing committee. They’re also one of the first farming
families from the
Klamath
Basin
to toot the United co-op horn. Ed says, “We’ve learned we’ve got
to balance supply with demand so the prices come up. We can never
take our eye off the ball of matching supply with demand and we
can’t grow more potatoes and hope other growing regions have a
weather disaster.” Ed also says the wave of effort to change
mindsets is working and United Potato Growers is proof of that.
“What we’ve learned from this whole co-op experience is,
working together as an industry is a collective effort,” says
Ed. “All growing regions need to realize the value of United and
join the co-op. With the Capper-Volsted Act, members of the co-op
can legally share information that can help increase returns for
potatoes. Information is knowledge.” Sid echoes his brother’s
sentiment. “It just got to be such a blood bath about a decade
ago. We lost so many neighbors it felt like we were living in a
little ghost town down here. Now this basin, agriculturally, is on
an economic upturn,” says Sid. “The industry is putting away
the hatchet and saying, ‘I hope you do well and I hope you do
well.’ If we all over deliver, we’re all going to pay.” The
co-op idea is refreshing for the Stauntons. They see it as a
source of stability and in farming that’s hard to come by. Ed
says, “We all got to the point of saying, ‘Why is it wrong to
get along with the guys in
Idaho
,
Washington
, or anywhere else?’ Now I’m
excited about the potato industry. I think the next few years will
be profitable. That’s key and that is what we are all working
for.”
(Editor's note: Kris Millgate
is a freelance writer based in
Idaho Falls
,
Idaho
.)
|
