Southwest Florida Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations

50 million pounds of locally-grown spuds making their way to market

(Lehigh Acres – Feb. 25, 2010) – What do potatoes and tourists have in common? During the months of February through April, they’re both plentiful in Southwest Florida as their “seasons” are underway. For proof, look no further than the Troyer Brothers’ potato fields in Lehigh Acres.  Over the next few months, the Troyer Brothers, with the help of approximately 100 workers, expect to harvest, sort and ship nearly 50 million pounds of potatoes from the three locations they farm in Southwest Florida. That’s the same weight as 14 Boeing 747s

A potato’s trip from the field to your table isn’t quite as simple as you may think. Only the most perfect potatoes make it to market, according to Aaron Troyer, who oversees his family farm’s day-to-day operations.

• Troyer potatoes, fresh from the field, are washed and sorted.

“We use an optical scanner in our sorting process,” Troyer says. “After potatoes have been off-loaded from our trucks and washed, then the scanner examines each one to grade and sort it, based on pre-programmed criteria.” Those that pass the grade will be sold to potato distributors or under the Troyer’s private Sun King label. Some nearby residents even come to buy potatoes directly from the Troyer’s packing house when they see the machines out harvesting. 

The Troyers harvest their crop mechanically, instead of sending workers out to pick potatoes. Computers track each potato to the field it came from. Troyer says using technology like the scanner and harvesting machinery makes them more productive and shortens  the trip of the potatoes from field to table.

The Troyer harvest will likely last through the end of April. Workers will then begin preparing fields for next year’s crop.

About Troyer Brothers

• After sorting, potatoes will be packed and sold to distributors or under Troyer’s private Sun King label.

Troyer Brothers is one of the most successful potato farm companies in the U.S., with approximately 3,500 acres under management in Lee County, Florida.  The Troyers raise white, red and yellow potatoes which are sold locally, nationally and in Canada. They have been farming in Pennsylvania since 1943 and in Florida since 1983. It is a family operation, owned by brothers Don, Vern and David Troyer. Aaron is the son of David. The company is respected throughout the industry for the quality of its product and its efficient operations utilizing high-tech techniques to manage its fields. The company employs 22 full-time and 75 seasonal employees. Harvesting begins in February and continues to April.

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Local potato farmers planting fields now for spring harvest

(Lehigh Acres, Fla. – November 18, 2009) — What’s the first state you think of when you’re shopping for potatoes? Chances are, it’s not Florida despite the fact that thousands of acres in southeast Lee County produce millions of pounds of potatoes each year. In fact, if you bite into a white, red, or yellow potato between February and April, it may have come from one of the Troyer Brothers farms in Lehigh Acres

The spuds’ journey from seed stock to countertop gets underway this month as planting begins at Troyer Brothers’ Lehigh farm site. The planting process isn’t what you might expect. There’s a lot more to it than digging a hole and dropping in a “seed.” At the Troyer Brothers’ operation, there’s a lot of technology involved that mingles with the family’s more than 50 years of potato farming experience

The Troyer family hails from Pennsylvania, where they have grown potatoes since 1943. In 1983, brothers Vern, Don and David started farms in Florida as well. Today, the brothers along with Dave’s son, Aaron, manage an up to 125-person operation producing approximately 50 million pounds of potatoes annually that are sold locally, nationally and in Canada under the Sun King or private labels.

Locals and potato aficionados agree that Troyer produces some of the “hottest” potatoes around come spring, but it takes several months of hard work to make them grow in Florida’s climate.

“Growing potatoes in Florida is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole,” says Aaron Troyer. “Potatoes like to start out in cool temperatures, grow in warmth and get harvested when it’s cool again. We do the opposite.”

Before any potatoes are planted, fields must be leveled flat using lasers. Water levels are stabilized using water tables and ditches. Fields are fertilized and treated with pesticides. “Seed potatoes” – often potatoes harvested at Troyer Brothers’ farm in Pennsylvania – are chopped into seeds, or chunks containing at least one eye.

When this is done, seeds are loaded into tractors that dig a ridge in the dirt, drop in a seed, and re-cover the opening in a single pass. The space between seeds can be adjusted electronically from the tractor. Over the next few months, weather and other conditions are monitored carefully to ensure water levels are adjusted to stay just right. Potatoes planted today should be ready to harvest between February and April 2010.

Troyer Brothers welcomes members of the media to visit the Lehigh Farm for interviews and photograph or video the planting process. To arrange a visit, contact Mary Briggs at 239-278-3900 (office), 239-851-0136 (cell) or maryb@briggsrogers.com.

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