J.C. Watson shipping ‘best quality crop of Spanish Sweets seen in a long time’
J.C. Watson shipping ‘best quality crop of Spanish Sweets seen in a long time’
Citing cutting-edge farming methods that include total drip irrigation and precise input management, Jon Watson, president of J.C. Watson Packing Co. in Parma, ID, said the 2014 season has “the best-quality crop of Spanish Sweets I’ve seen in a long time.”
Watson, third generation in a family operation that celebrated its century mark in 2012, said challenges presented themselves, but “we actually have a very good crop, not a small crop, and best quality I’ve seen across the board.”
Jon and Margie Watson, owners of J.C. Watson Packing Co. in Parma, ID.He continued, “What we’re doing [on the farms and in the packing facility] allows that to happen. We’re all drip now, and we have the knowledge to manage all our inputs. That allows us to manage everything that’s thrown at us. This year it was a lot of heat and water issues, but we’ve produced a crop that can go to any market segment. We’re increasing our retail and have all the package options our customers request.”
Earlier in the season, J.C. Watson converted what had been apple storage to refrigerated onion storage, thus extending the season on the tail end. The company relies on the expertise of two of its younger managers.
Bradley Watson, generation four, oversees the packing facility, and Jon and Margie Watson’s son-in-law, Colbie Libsak, is crop manager.
Harvest is done mechanically, and Jon Watson said what once took six weeks now takes slightly more than half that time. The tractors are programmed, and water can be adjusted through smartphone maneuvers. Additionally, storage is both heated and cooled.
“It is really a pleasure to put our quality in places we’ve not been previously,” Watson said about emerging markets. “The challenge is in transportation, and we are using more rail.”
Located on the Union Pacific line and shipping to partners on direct rail, Watson utilizes UP’s refrigerated cars.
“We’re putting our best well-cured onions in rail cars,” he said. “We are focused on putting the right onions in those cars to get the best product to our customers.”
The operation also adheres to strict food-safety protocol, with the packing shed GlobalGAP-compliant.
“All our farms are GFS and ready-to-go,” he added. “There are no food-safety hurdles we haven’t gone above. We’ve found the more you have, the better you have to be.”
“We are onions with wheels,” Watson continued. “We’re not just selling onions; we’re selling service, and we’re really excited about what we’ve done.”
Alluding to what’s ahead, Watson said, “And we’re in the bulb-testing process at our company. Stay tuned.”
