Aspen sees brisk spud movement, good holiday rush
Aspen sees brisk spud movement, good holiday rush
Citing all the necessary factors for a good spud shipping season, Jed Ellithorpe, operations manager for Aspen Produce in Center, CO, said the 2015 crop size profile is good for all market segments, and he added, “We’re very excited about how good the potatoes look coming out of storage.”
The third-generation farmer said much of the crop’s success can be attributed to the seed, noting, “If you’re going to have a good crop, you have to start off with good seed.”
In mid-November Ellithorpe told The Produce News that “the Thanksgiving rush has officially hit, and demand is definitely here.” He added, “Our crop size profile is very good for retail.”
Mexico continues to be a strong market for the operation, and Ellithorpe said the trade “needs to recognize it is a premium market for potatoes. The U.S. used to use Mexico as a ‘pressure relief valve,’ but today the demand from there is for higher quality, and our input costs are higher to produce potatoes that qualify. Mexico has increased the price of produce it imports, and it’s still a premium market with good demand. Colorado is in a great position for it.”
At Aspen this season, the percentage of yellows increased, and Ellithorpe said the San Luis Valley as a whole is trending toward specialty and organics to answer increasing demand.
“The conventional russet supply in the valley has gone down, with some acreage shifting to yellows, specialties and organics in a big way. That’s where the market is going, and Colorado is shifting its supplies in that direction. We anticipate valley organic acreage will come close to doubling,” he said.
Going into the 2015 harvest, Ellithorpe had referenced the farm’s intention to make use of ground that will be certified for organics in 2016, and the operation also had good success with its onion test plot, bringing in good size and quality and selling them locally.
“We’re working on a label,” he said, explaining that Farm Manager Jake Burris will be conducting a larger test in 2016.
“If we can make that pan out, in 2017 we might have commercial onions,” Ellithorpe said. “We are breaking through the learning curve.”
Burris said the Highlander hybrids sized up well, “mostly jumbos,” and while he put in transplants for the 2015 test, he plans to go with direct seed, drilling in April 2016 if equipment comes in as planned. Burris said he will try Graneros in 2016.
