Spudman March 2023 - 39

Eavesdropping
Below is a
conversation I
overheard between
two producers at
a recent potato
industry conference:
Producer from
UNITED POTATO
GROWERS OF
AMERICA
Buzz Shahan
Chief Operating
Officer
region A said, " Looks
like you guys finally
figured out the
potato business. "
" What do you
mean, 'figured
out the potato
business?' We are the potato business, "
said the producer from region B.
" What makes you the potato business? "
" Well, we grow the most potatoes. We
make the market. "
" Make the market? What does that
mean? "
" Well, everybody in the market follows
our lead. "
" I don't follow your lead. If I did, I'd be
broke, " said the producer from region
A. " Other regions don't follow your lead
either, or they'd be broke. They run their
businesses as businesses. They do every
year what you did this year, they adjust
supply to fit demand. "
" Let me ask another question. Do you
drive a new pickup truck? "
" Yes, I do. Why do you ask? "
" Did you pay for it out of your operating
line, or did you write a check for it? "
" What business is it of yours? "
" No matter. I haven't financed a pickup,
tractor, harvester or any other piece of
equipment for the past seven years. I pay
cash, and I have new equipment. I have
to buy new stuff because I need a big
depreciation schedule. Sometimes I don't
even wait until something is off the books
before it's gone. "
" You're kidding, right? "
" Not at all. Want to know how I do it? "
" Go ahead. Shoot. "
" My region balances supply with
demand, like what your region did this past
year for the first time. Feels good, doesn't
it? Keep doing it, and it will grow on you.
Now, when you pull up to the Quick Stop in
your old pickup that you wrote a check for,
you'll be able to buy a Coke for your friends
and know that you've got enough cash left
over to pay for that new tractor when they
get around to delivering it. You'll love the
feeling. It's addictive. "
" Sounds fun, but guess what I'm doing
this year for the first time? "
" What's that? "
" I'm taking my wife to the Super Bowl.
Tickets are pricey! "
" Yeah, I know. My wife and I are taking
our sons and daughters and their spouses.
Done it for the past five years. You'll love
it. Sort of grows on you. If you take one
of your buyers and their spouse, you can
write it off. At least that's what I'm told. "
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Spudman.com 39

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Spudman March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman March 2023

Spudman March 2023 - 1
Spudman March 2023 - 1A
Spudman March 2023 - 2A
Spudman March 2023 - 2
Spudman March 2023 - 3
Spudman March 2023 - 4
Spudman March 2023 - 5
Spudman March 2023 - 6
Spudman March 2023 - 7
Spudman March 2023 - 8
Spudman March 2023 - 9
Spudman March 2023 - 10
Spudman March 2023 - 11
Spudman March 2023 - 12
Spudman March 2023 - 13
Spudman March 2023 - 14
Spudman March 2023 - 15
Spudman March 2023 - 16
Spudman March 2023 - 17
Spudman March 2023 - 18
Spudman March 2023 - 19
Spudman March 2023 - 20
Spudman March 2023 - 21
Spudman March 2023 - 22
Spudman March 2023 - 23
Spudman March 2023 - 24
Spudman March 2023 - 25
Spudman March 2023 - 26
Spudman March 2023 - 27
Spudman March 2023 - 28
Spudman March 2023 - 29
Spudman March 2023 - 30
Spudman March 2023 - 31
Spudman March 2023 - 32
Spudman March 2023 - 33
Spudman March 2023 - 34
Spudman March 2023 - 35
Spudman March 2023 - 36
Spudman March 2023 - 37
Spudman March 2023 - 38
Spudman March 2023 - 39
Spudman March 2023 - 40
Spudman March 2023 - 41
Spudman March 2023 - 42
Spudman March 2023 - 43
Spudman March 2023 - 44
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/spudman-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/november-december-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/september-october-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/july-august-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/may-june-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/april-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/march-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/february-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/basf-2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/SPUD/january-2019
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com