Potato farming is not for the faint of heart. Once you start, there’s no turning back.
“Potatoes are such a high-input crop. You have to spend lots of money on infrastructure, and irrigation is costly,” says Paul McDonald of WJ Siemens Farming in Winkler, Manitoba. “They’re totally different to grow than other crops. With potatoes, when you’re in it, you’re in it.”
Every farmer respects and fears Mother Nature in equal measure, but potatoes are particularly sensitive. If a potato field gets too wet, the crops might not be harvested at all.
“People don’t understand how four or five inches of rain can affect a farmer,” McDonald says. “There’s been times we’ve had to leave a crop after everything we’d put into it because it was just too wet. We couldn’t even get to it.”
Peak of the Market has helped farmers feel more confident about taking on such a risky venture.
“Peak of the Market has given us an opportunity to grow different varieties of potatoes and sell them in the marketplace,” says McDonald.
His father-in-law, Bill Siemens, acquired the farm from his father in 1959 when he purchased 80 acres from him. Now McDonald’s wife Kelly co-owns the 12,000-acre operation with her sister Bev. McDonald manages the farm with his brother-in-law Ray Friesen. Friesen’s son Jacy and son-in-law Matt are also involved, along with McDonald’s daughter Ravae.
“It’s a family operation. We weren’t 100 percent sure our children would want to get involved, but we were hoping they would,” he says. “My 18-year-old son Lawson is thinking of getting into farming too, but he’s going to continue his education first.”
Even with its challenges, McDonald loves being a potato farmer. Checking out the crops in the morning is the best part of his day.
“I enjoy the outdoor environment with the challenges it brings,” he says. “I’m a morning person. I like to get up and go for a drive and see the progress of the crops.”
Source: MyToba