HEGINS, Pa. — To a random passerby, this might look like empty farmland, but you have to dig to get to the gold on these acres in Schuylkill County.
"So we grow up to 10 varieties commercially, and we're trialing as many as 200 varieties. So we're always trying something to see what really works in our environment and our conditions. So that happens every year," said Dave Masser, President of Masser Potato Farm.
The farm sits on 600 acres in Hegins Township and the surrounding area for the Masser Family, who have been growing potatoes in this part of Central Pennsylvania for eight generations.
"Our mission is to feed and nourish people one potato at a time. So it's something that we really enjoy doing. It's a passion of ours. And so having that experience and being able to provide people food is really where our passion is. And so we thank everybody for eating potatoes," said Dave.
When it all started, harvesting was done by hand. Now, things have changed a bit, "That tractor is 335 horsepower. That's what it takes to drive that machine," said Dave. That digs into the mounds of potatoes that grow underground and works to separate the potatoes from the dirt and rocks that are in the soil.
"That big, loud noise you're hearing is an air system. So we actually separate the rocks with air. So it's going across that separator belt, and it's actually lifting the potatoes up," and sets them on the surface, then another big rig scoops them up.
The soil presents its challenges, but farmers like Dave say it's worth it, "All of the type of soil we have and the rocks we have, it's really challenging to grow potatoes in these conditions, but we're able to do it. And you know, we can get a really, a really clean potato out of these soils. And the biggest thing that the biggest advantage that we have here is the taste. Potatoes out of our soils in Central Pennsylvania, they just taste better because we don't grow them in sand. We're growing them in red shale soil, mineral soils. So Pennsylvania potatoes have a unique flavor. And that's what's, you know, really important about what we're doing here."
Once the potatoes are gathered up and loaded into the truck, they are taken to processing nearby in Sacramento, where they are put through three more rounds of trying to separate the rocks and dirt from the crop.
After careful examination, they are loaded into crates and kept in a climate-controlled storage area.
"These potatoes can be stored for as long as eight to 10 months, depending on conditions that they're going to storage in. So, we'll store those potatoes, and then we'll provide those potatoes throughout the year to retail customers, to retail customers, and to our processing customers," added Dave.
To learn more about potatoes grown at the Masser Farm in Schuylkill County, click here.
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