Skyline on steady program for organics and conventionals
Skyline on steady program for organics and conventionals
Center, CO — Noting a great growing season, Skyline Potato Co. General Manager Les Alderete spoke optimistically about the 2015 San Luis Valley potato crop in mid-August, just as the operation was wrapping up its shipments of 2014 spuds.
“They held up really good,” Alderete said, adding that 2015’s conventional russets and certified-organic reds and russets had sized up well and were of excellent quality.
“Everything looks good. We had very good weather and plenty of moisture during the season, and our yield and sizing is in line with normal or above,” he said. “We’ve been killing vines, and we’ll start right on Sept. 8 with our conventionals.”
The conventional russets are packed at Skyline and Horizon sheds, and all the organics are run through Purely Organic shed in Center.
“Our acreage has stayed consistent,” Alderete continued. “We’ll have 1.6 million cwt between the two conventional sheds, and we’ll have 150,000 cwt of organics. It’s the same formula we’ve followed for a number of years for the organics, and we have a window on that category that fits.”
Skyline Potato Co. General Manager Les Alderete says 2015’s San Luis Valley potato crop has sized up nicely with excellent quality.
Organics will start in early October, he added.
Upgrades this year include a new Volm bagger at the Horizon facility, and Alderete said additional automation is being looked at.
“Labor is really tight,” he said. “We’re always looking for equipment in all areas [of production], and because of the labor situation, we’re looking at more automation like new graders and stackers.”
Alderete said photo graders and automated stackers that stack bales and cartons could eliminate those positions for hired labor.
“We’re not any different than anyone else,” he said. “It’s hard finding people, or we find ourselves training people too frequently.”
He said it’s possible by the 2016-17 season more automation will be in place in a couple of Skyline’s sheds. Purely Organic could automate “down the road,” Alderete added.
Markets have not changed dramatically, with most of Skyline’s product going direct to retail.
“Mexico is still good for us,” Alderete said. “As long as we can keep that 26-kilometer buffer zone, we will have markets.”
Working the export desk for is Angela Diera, longtime Skyline sales agent. Glenn Stewart continues to handle domestic and carton sales, and Bob Noffsinger works the bulk sales. New to the team this year is Kelly Roberts, who assists in both sales and transportation.
Alderete said the operation’s food-safety program is “all good with superior ratings” with Primus GFSI-certification, and the organics are certified through California Certified Organic Farmers and USDA-certified.
Traceability at the facility program uses a system that follows product from field to pack to store, allowing tracing both forward and backward.
