CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Two Island potato farmers, John Phillips of Arlington’s WestCountry Farms, and Terry Curley, of Monaghan Farms in Norboro, have been named among Canada’s top 50 agricultural leaders.
he veteran farmers were nominated to the Top 50 in Canadian Agriculture campaign, organized by the Canadian Western Agribition, and made the cut for the final list. The campaign recognized 10 individuals across Canada in each of the following categories: upstarts, mentors, innovators, deal makers and designed hitters.
Phillips was noted as one of these mentors. He farmed for nearly 40 years alongside his brothers, Barrie and Sherwin.
For 12 years, Phillips was involved with the Potato Processing Committee and the Potato Producers organization. He has also opened his farm for tours, spoke to classrooms and hosted events like Open Farm Day. In 2019, WestCountry Farms was named producer of the year at the O’Leary Potato Blossom Festival; that year, it was a runner-up for Cavendish Producer of the year.
Phillips recently sold the farm to his neighbours, Bryan and Kyle Maynard. Rather than be content with retirement, Phillips has dedicated his time to working with and mentoring the farm’s new owners. Curley, meanwhile, was one of 10 in the deal-maker category. He got his start at the farm working with his father, Pat.
In the early 1980s they focused on processing potatoes for french fries and chips; by 1988, the farm began growing potatoes for Frito Lay, and his work with them further expanded in 2001. By 2002, Monaghan Farms was one of the largest international suppliers for Frito Lay. Recently, Curley and his son, Derrick, have also expanded the acreage of chip potato seed in P.E.I.
Over the years, Curley and his farm have won awards, including top supplier awards from McCain Foods and Frito Lay and a 2011 recognition award from the P.E.I. Potato Board.
