May/June 2020 - 31

When the marketer
met the farmer
David awoke one
UNITED POTATO
GROWERS OF
AMERICA
Buzz Shahan
Chief Operating
Officer
day to learn that
he'd just inherited
his grandfather's
Idaho farm. David's
mother was raised on
that farm but left it
a generation ago to
attend college. She
met David's father,
a Chicago boy, while
in college and David,
the inheritor, was
the result.
Since his father was a city boy, David
was raised a city boy. His mother never
spoke badly of the farm; it was a dairy farm
and she grew up performing chores that
go along with milking cows. While those
memories didn't exactly excite young David
as she recounted them, learning about her
father and knowing him did excite David.
Where David's father and the fathers of his
neighborhood friends wore suits and ties to
work and had pale complexions and small,
well-manicured hands,
Grandpa - his mother's father - had
large, strong hands, seemingly made of
leather and with a face to match. Grandpa's
voice was strong, too, and offered strong
opinions, opinions that did not change
with the audience.
Grandpa was impressive and memorable.
So were his horses, dogs, shotguns, hunting
rifles, Jeep and pickup truck. So were his boat
and tractors and the mounted elk's head with
antlers that spanned the wall of the room that
contained his shotguns and hunting rifles, the
same room where young David and Grandpa
watched rodeos and football on TV.
Life for David has been a glide: He was
a boy in the example of his parents; good
grades, Eagle Scout, University of Chicago
economics major, Harvard master's degree
in business with a career in marketing -
actually as a marketing consultant for large
firms such as IBM, Toyota, General Mills, etc.
A great life, but not Grandpa's life.
Rather than sell Grandpa's farm or lease
it out, David considers farming it himself.
Dairy farming is out. Researching other
crop-mix possibilities, he quickly discards
commodity crops like wheat and corn that
are government-controlled with no upside.
" What do you mean, how
do I market my potatoes? "
Looking around, almost all neighboring
farms grow potatoes. Looking into potatoes,
David discovers that potatoes are America's
favorite vegetable, and his farm sits right in the
middle of potato country. How lucky is that?
At church David inquires whom among
the congregation is a farmer, especially a
potato farmer. Harold is pointed out as the
largest potato producer in the area. David
approaches him, introduces himself, briefly
describes his situation and sets a date to
stop by Harold's farm for a visit.
With David's superb marketing
background, upon visiting Harold his first
question is, " Tell me, Harold, how do you
market your potatoes? "
" What do you mean, how do I market
my potatoes? "
" What I mean is, with so many potato
suppliers there must be a mechanism, an
organization, a system of monitoring supply
such that markets receive a coordinated
supply. This is the way everyone that is part
of a supply chain runs their business. This is
fundamental stuff. Without it, your farm is a
crapshoot, not a business. "
" No, we don't do supply-chain stuff,
whatever that is. Every man just does what
he can. "
" That doesn't make sense. You're
providing consumers their favorite
vegetable, their favorite dish, surely you
get together to monitor and measure supply
and demand values such that you can
protect your business investment at the
same time assuring that your customers
have a secure supply? "
" No, we don't do that, " Harold responded,
scratching his chin, " but if we did, how would
something like that work? "
Spudman * May/June 2020
31
AC Chaleur
Adirondack Red
All Blue
Andover
Atlantic
B2727-2
Belmonda
Bora Valley
Brodie (NY140)
Caribou Russet
Dark Red Norland
Elba
Envol
French Fingerling
Genesse
German Butterball
Huron Chipper
Innovator
Katahdin
Kennebec
Kueka Gold
Lamoka
Lehigh
Natascha
Norwis
(Crystal Strain)
Ontario
Peter Wilcox
Pike
Prada
Purple Majesty
Reba
Red LaSoda
Red Maria
Red Pontiac
Red Thumb Fingerling
Russet Burbank
(ID Strain)
Satina
Sebec
Shepody
Snowden
Strawberry Paw
Superior
Toscana
Waneta
Yukon Gem
Yukon Gold
May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2020
