The name Sackett has been synonymous with potatoes in central Michigan for a long time. A five-generation legacy means a lot of potatoes and a lot of Sacketts. In 1987, Alan Sackett, then a partner on the original Sackett home farm with his brothers, struck out on his own, moving 30 miles north to Mecosta, Mich. With his sons Brian and Jeff, Alan leased a farm with 1,200 acres of irrigated land and good storage facilities. That first growing season saw about 400 acres of potatoes harvested.
Since then, the Sacketts have increased their operation to more than 18,000 farmed acres in three states (Michigan, Illinois and North Carolina). They grow seed corn, field corn, soybeans, wheat and, of particular interest to us, some 7,200 acres of chipping potatoes. The original potato storage capacity of 90,000 hundredweight has grown to accommodate more 1.3 million hundredweight across the farm locations.
1st Generation & 2nd Generation
In 1904 Edward Sackett left his Nebraska farm to purchase a 160 acre farm in Michigan. In 1905 he planted his first crop which consisted of 20 acres of potatoes and the Sackett family has grown potatoes every year since. Edward farmed with his sons until his death in 1917. Edward’s middle son Hiram, continued farming along with his 3 sons, Keith, Nathan and Derwin.
3rd Generation
Keith Sackett farmed with his father and brothers until the end of 1955, when his father retired. Keith continued farming with his 3 sons, Alan, Bruce and Larry until his retirement in 1982. The business continued to grow and by the end of 1986, Keith’s oldest son Alan was ready to begin a new farming operation with his 2 sons, Jeff and Brian.
4th Generation
Sackett Potatoes was formed in 1987 when Alan discontinued farming with his brothers to begin a new farming operation with his 2 sons Jeff and Brian. Alan took his 25 years of farming experience and moved 30 miles north, where he leased a 1,200 acre irrigated farm with 90,000 cwt of potato storage located in Mecosta County Michigan. This farm was later purchased and is the base from which Sackett Potatoes is built. The first crop consisted of 400 acres of potatoes.
5th Generation
Representing the 5th generation of Sackett’s in the farming operation, Jeff joined Sackett Potatoes in 1988 and Brian in 1991. They continue to farm with their father Alan and the business continues to grow. A second storage facility was added 30 miles south in Montcalm County, that will store 435,000 cwt and also has a modern loading facility with the capability of loading up to 20 semi loads per day. This provides full season quality to allow us to ship potatoes 11 months of the year, starting in August out of the field continuing through June out of storage.
6th Generation
In 2020 we will be planting our 34th crop and have grown to a total of 16,700 acres. Brian’s son Tyler graduated from Michigan State University in 2014 and is the 6th generation of Sackett’s to join in the farming operation. He is currently taking charge of our newest venture in Illinois. Our total storage capacity has grown to 1,100,000 cwt. The original 90,000 cwt of potato storage in Mecosta, has grown to 680,000 cwt, with a modern loading facility which has the capability of loading up to 20 semi loads of potatoes per day.
Having farming operations in such disparate environments as the Upper Midwest and coastal North Carolina keeps the Sacketts on their toes. North Carolina planting begins in early March with harvest in June and July; the Michigan/Illinois growing season runs from the beginning of May through October, and storage shipments run all the way up through the next May. “So we ship potatoes basically every week of the year,” says Brian.
That growth has been a lot of work, and it hasn’t always been easy. There have been obstacles. But hard work has never scared the Sacketts away. The whole family takes pride — even comfort — in a steadfast belief that hard, smart work always pays off. When those obstacles have come, they’ve carefully assessed each situation, come up with a plan, then put their heads down and charged forward.
Growing Careers
The employees at Sackett Potatoes are a valuable asset. Without their dedication and hard work, it would be impossible to harvest a quality crop. Accepting applications year round, we offer both full time and seasonal employment. We are always looking to hire employees with a great work ethic, who are willing to work hard and grow within our business.
