THERE’S A NEW CROP IN TOWN ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY PATINA THOMPSON
W
hen driving through the Sulphur Springs Valley in the summertime, you will see fields of alfalfa, cotton, corn, beans, and more recently, potatoes. The inconspicuous plant has the same green hue of a cotton plant, but real gold is what lies just inches under the soil. Joost and Ingeborg Gijzenberg bring a lifetime of growing experience from the Netherlands, where Joost grew up growing potatoes from a very young age under the MTS Gijzenberg family business name. While Ingeborg didn’t grow up in an agriculture family (her dad was in IT and her mom was a teacher), she is a vital component to the growing operation that’s nestled in the heart of the Sulphur Springs Valley. The original farmland was purchased by the Gijzenberg’s in PG. 30 :: FALL 2020
2009 while they were still in Holland, and managed by a local farmer who continued to raise crops traditional to the area. The Gijzenberg family, including their three daughters, Emma, Noah and Isis, immigrated in 2015, took over management of the farm and started farming corn, rye and alfalfa. Joost gained experience with the soil, climate and elevation and planted 30 acres of potatoes in the spring of 2017 as a trial. By this time, the word of his presence was known by players in the U.S. potato market, and he struck a deal with SunrainPotandon out of Idaho. The contract was for both fresh and seed potatoes, which would be hauled to Eloy after harvest for washing, storage and distribution. The Gijzenbergs were able to capitalize on the climate, location, good soils and great water of
