Wilcox Fresh expecting high-quality potato crop for both russets and fingerlings
Wilcox Fresh, a leading grower-shipper of Idaho russet potatoes, is expecting a solid crop this year with volume on par with last season.
Derek Peterson, vice president of sales and operations for the Rexburg, ID-based company, told The Produce News on Aug. 28 that favorable growing conditions this summer are at the root of his optimism for this season’s crop. “The summer growing conditions were ideal,” he said. “It got a little warm in July, but we experienced no significant setbacks.”
Peterson said there will be “very promotable volumes,” and that the Norkotahs will stand out this year.
“The Norkotah crop is looking exceptional this year, with wonderful quality and a good range of sizes,” he said. “The Burbanks are also looking good, but we may not get the sizing on those. We should be finishing up with Burbanks in less than a week. Barring any surprises, we are looking at an outstanding crop for both of those varieties.”
Peterson added that this marks the first full season of Wilcox harvesting fingerlings, following its acquisition of Southwind Farms last October.
“We’ve been shipping the fingerlings out of the Magic Valley for a couple of weeks now, and the quality has been phenomenal, with really bright coloring on the reds and purples,” he said. “We should be 100 percent harvested on the fingerlings by the end of September.”
He added that the Southwind team of Robert and Jerry Tominaga and Rod Lake have been instrumental in integration into Wilcox Fresh.
“They have been fantastic to work with, and they basically walked us through everything,” said Peterson. “And it is exciting to have added fingerlings to the Wilcox lineup the same year we are celebrating our 75th anniversary in business.”
To help celebrate both developments, Peterson said Wilcox is using new boxes this year related to each. On fingerling shipments, the company unveiled a new box at the recent IFPA Foodservice Conference in Monterey that highlights the Southwind Farms by Wilcox branding, while russets will be packed in special 75th anniversary boxes.
“We’re still very excited about this being our 75th anniversary in business,” he said. “It’s an incredible milestone that deserves to be recognized.”
John Groh
About John Groh | 
John Groh graduated from the University of San Diego in 1989 with a bachelors of arts degree in English. Following a brief stint as a sportswriter covering the New York Giants football team, he joined The Produce News in 1995 as an assistant editor and worked his way up the ranks, becoming publisher in 2006. He and his wife, Mary Anne, live in northern New Jersey in the suburbs of New York City.
