Meet the Mitchell Family
Who better to learn more about growing potatoes than a potato grower ? We asked Tyler Mitchell from Monte Vista , Colorado to help us with this question and answer profile .
Q . Tell us about you and your family .
My name is Tyler Mitchell and I have been back on the family farm for 14 years . I am married to my wife Melissa and together we have two children , Madeline who is 13 years old and Sophia who is 11 .
How long has your family been growing potatoes ?
My family has been growing potatoes in the San Luis Valley for over 80 years . I am a third generation farmer . My grandfather and his brother began growing potatoes together in the late 1930s . My dad Mike recently retired and turned the reins over to my brother Clay and I .
What do you like best about growing potatoes ?
Potatoes are a lot of fun to grow . My favorite part is seeing the change in the size of the potatoes underground week to week . We dig up a plant out of the soil so we can check on their progress .
What makes the San Luis Valley a unique region for growing potatoes ?
Potatoes grow well in the San Luis Valley because we have moderate temperatures in the day time and cool nights . Potatoes really like those climate conditions . Also , we have abundant sunshine in the San Luis Valley that really helps them grow .
What does sustainability mean to you as a potato grower ?
Sustainability to me is taking care of the soil , being as input efficient as possible , and being involved in the local community as well as the national potato producing community . Doing all of these things will allow the farm to continue on for many more generations .
What is your favorite way to eat potatoes ?
Roasted with olive oil , salt , and pepper .
Colorado Potato Fun Facts !
There are over 70 unique varieties of Colorado potatoes !
50,000 to 65,000 acres of potatoes are planted in Colorado each year ! That ’ s around 78 square miles , or enough to cover all of Washington D . C . ( 68 mi 2 ) in potato fields , and then some !
Potatoes have been farmed in Colorado since 1875 . In that year , Ulysses S . Grant was president , and the very first recorded hockey game and Kentucky Derby happened .
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