ountry C Saturday, May 7, 2022
Saturday, May 7, 2022 | Country Acres • Page 1
cres A
Volume 9, Edition 38
Focusing on Today’s Rural Environment
’ s n o r t e P toes pota
Long Prairie farm supplies spuds to U.S., Canada, Caribbean BY SARAH COLBURN | STAFF WRITER
ONG PRAIRIE – John Petron’s potatoes are distributed across the United States, into Canada, and as far away as the Caribbean. They’re available in grocery stores and big box, membership-only retail stores across the country, and they’re served in restaurants, schools and even penitentiaries. Petron has spent his whole life working potatoes, outside of a three-year stint with the military. “Potatoes are an enjoyable crop to grow, though it has its challenges, and weather can be especially brutal at times,” he said. He likes the challenge and, while he acknowledges each type of farming has its own unique challenges, potatoes require fast and delicate work. JCP Farms in Long Prai-
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rie employs more than 100 seasonal workers during the potato harvest season. Petron’s year-round crew consists of approximately 15 full-time employees, several part-time employees, and his children. Though some are grown and have left the farm, two of his adult children are actively involved in the farm, and all of his seven children help out on the farm from time to time. The farm is diversified, with 600 to 700 acres of potatoes planted each year and the rest of the more than 4,000 acres are planted in corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, hay or rye. Petron tries to give the soil a longer rotation between potato crops and once every five years, he said, is better than once every two or three years. “Every acre puts a semi of potatoes out, give or take,” he said.
This month in the
The potato varieties planted are diversified as well, and include red, yellow and russet potatoes. Petron has tried growing purple potatoes in the past, but there wasn’t much demand, though he said interest may increase as savvy consumers shop for specialty foods. Depending on the variety, each plant can put out 12 to 15 potatoes; some varieties produce many more. Petron’s land in Long Prairie has held potatoes since his father started growing them in 1967. A portion of his farm, once owned by his grandfather and then his brother, and now owned by him, has been in the family more than 100 years and that soil has given life to potatoes for more than a century.
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Watch for the next edition of Country Acres on May 21, 2022
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Good old potatoes Diane Leukam column
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Raising goats to halal standards Hawick
PHOTO BY GRACE JEURISSEN
(Above) John Petron and his daughter, Janis Petron, stand in front of the JCP Farms main office April 29 in Long Prairie. Janis helps with office work during the year. (Top) PHOTO SUBMITTED Varieties of potatoes are held in large totes until packaged in bags. These potatoes are a red variety and have been washed and sized.
Petron’s parents grew up in Long Prairie, moved to California and then returned back to Long Prairie to buy farmland which they farmed from 1967-79. John and his brother, Tom, took over the farm and worked the land together but, when their uncle died, Tom purchased their uncle’s farm and the brothers each worked their own land. When Tom discontinued
farming about 10 years ago, John purchased that farm and added it to his own. “I just always liked farming, even when I was a kid begging to stay home from school to help with the farm chores, planting, harvesting, irrigating,” he said. “I always liked outdoor stuff.”
11 Revealing wood’s inner beauty St. Cloud
16 Working out Nancy Packard Leasman column
14 W.E. Show pigs Paynesville
Petron page 2
21 Country cooking Kensington