In the Eyes of the (Potato) Beholder

When you ask Derek Davenport about farming, he paints a picture with so much detail it’s obvious he’s hooked: “There’s nothing like being up before the sun rises on a spring morning. When the sun starts to comes up, you see steam rolling off the freshly turned soil as the ground starts to warm for the day. You just can’t imagine anything more beautiful.”

But the stunning scenery is just part of what Derek loves about farming. It’s the people he works with and the knowledge he’s growing the best quality potatoes that make what he does feel less like a job and more like a hobby.

Growing the Next Generation

Beyond potatoes, you could also say Brian Kirschenmann grows people. We’re into that! A few years back, Brian took his latest apprentice, Thomas Baker, under his wing to teach him everything he’s learned about farming, from tech to taters.

Thomas, formerly a grocery clerk without a background in farming, now has his hand in running a technologically state-of-the-art potato farm equipped with GPS-driven equipment and more, all part of Brian’s vision to carry on his family’s farming legacy.

Meet Brian and Thomas, see what it’s like to plant potatoes and take a look at the next generation of tater makers.