The growing operation of this organization is separated into two entities, conventional and organic; we did this to provide separation. Chin Farms owns 1,400 acres of land and rents 3,500 acres in Oregon and California.
Chin Farms grows about 2,400 acres of conventional potatoes, wheat, alfalfa hay, and dehydrated onions. Chin Family Farms Organic, LLC grows about 2,500 acres of organic potatoes, wheat, and alfalfa hay. We take pride in producing the best quality ag products around and work to insure it is the safest food source you can buy. All organic products are certified by Oregon Tilth.
With sandy loam soils on the Oregon side and highly organic peat soils on the California side, we can produce crops to maximize their potential. The high desert climate of the Klamath Basin is the best for growing high quality, great tasting potatoes. In 2012 we entered six different varieties of potatoes into a judging contest for Terrior (French term-From the Soil) Sponsored by the Oregon Potato Commission.
These varieties are judged by 6 Chefs from the Culinary Society of America chapter in Portland, Oregon, for taste, texture, appearance, and aroma. Chin Farms won two categories, one for Specialty Potatoes and one for Red Potatoes. In 2013 we submitted 7 different varieties to the same type of program and won two of the four category. This shows that soil, air, water, and environment make a difference in flavor and appearance of a potato.
The Klamath Basin has a annual rainfall of less than 10″ and the potential for frost every month of the year. Given this we use overhead irrigation systems to keep plants healthy throughout the growing season. Using soil monitors and field experience to apply the correct amounts of water the potato plants need and protect them from the frosts Mother Nature sends our way. Using the high technology of today, we map fields and make rows with Global Position Systems (GPS) on our tractors.
With organic production we have learned improved soil health is key to producing quality potatoes, this takes time and planning over several years. Utilizing crop rotations and soil sampling we can apply just what the potato plant needs for healthy production. There is a lot of work that goes into producing a pound of quality potatoes and we have that crew that works hard to get this done. Producing quality crops is the goal of Chin Farms and anything less is not acceptable. We take pride in every acre we produce and strive to make it better each year.
Recruiting grocery stores to work with growers
A strong relationship Chin Farms with grocery stores is vital. Not just for promotional purposes, but also to protect your crop.
Chin worries all of this campaigning can be overturned if customers get to the store and find green potatoes. Green potato skin, caused by UV light exposure, not only looks unattractive, it changes the flavor and can potentially be dangerous. It can indicate a toxin, solanine. So Chin has a passion for preventing his crops from turning green on grocery store shelves.
“I’ve always been an advocate to help reduce (green skins), and we’ve worked with retailers. We’ve made our packaging where it’s UV-light protected,” he says.
He’s worked with his customers extensively, coming up with different schemes to keep the potatoes looking and tasting their best. One is to package them in a bag that screens UV lights with a black backing on it as opposed to having them in a simple poly bag.
He’s also added screens over store bins to cut down light exposure. One of the easiest ways to prevent greening is to keep the number of potatoes out on the retail floor limited so they sell through quickly and are replenished with properly stored potatoes from the store’s warehouse. Naturally, there are limits to what he can do. He does not have any control over retailers, and so he’s left with educating buyers with varying success.
Take a grocery store chain he works with. After having one buyer for years, Chin Farms now works with a revolving door of buyers new to produce. So he starts from scratch each time. But it’s a battle worth fighting, he says.
