Our family farm began in 1928 as a diversified farm, including livestock, wheat, barley and a few potatoes. In time we found ourselves attracted to the opportunities provided by the challenges of Irish potatoes. The opportunities include working directly with the consumer or processor, building a talented-specialized-focused employee group, improved usage of equipment, diversification through potato types, and of course financial return. Today we find about 70% of our field production acres are in Irish or sweet potatoes.

Note: Irish potatoes refer to potatoes that are not sweet potatoes. They can be reds, yellows, russets, chip potatoes, etc.

Our business model is built upon customer service and being the very best in our industry. The better we know our customers and their needs, the better we are at meeting their needs. Each of our farms is strategically placed to meet customer logistical and quality needs. Black Gold Farms was one of the earliest adopters of “suitcase farming”, aka developing farms in areas across the Eastern US that specifically met the requirements of a customer. We travel from our home base in North Dakota to grow in logistically strategic areas rather than growing in only one area.

The very first planter being hauled from Forest River, ND to Charleston, MO in 1985. Truck was driven by Gregg Halverson.

We evolved over time to focus on Irish and sweet potatoes, via specialization in the potato industry, we know our suppliers very well. An example is our well known just-in-time seasonal needs for trucks. Our transportation team of five can get trucks even in times of tight supply. Our goal is to load the best trucks on a very timely basis so trucking companies and drivers prefer loading at Black Gold Farms over other suppliers.

Black Gold Farms employees make this work for our customers. As we have grown in size and services, we have been able to graduate from generalist employees to very specialized, focused, talented employees. Their talents and enthusiasm are on display every day as we grow, load and deliver our produce. Most customers see the faces of Farm Managers, account specialists or Quality Control. Behind each of these visible faces are the equally important IT support, equipment specialist, agronomy, transportation, accounting, etc. Each person is specialized in providing service to our customer.

Just as our employees are specialized, our focus on efficient, cost effective equipment is preeminent. We design and build equipment and systems that are efficient for each farm. In addition, some of our equipment is moved among farms so that we get maximum usage annually.

The 30% “non-potato” acres are corn or soybeans. We raise these where we own land or have long term leases. Yes, we have 3-4 year rotations on every farm, but we rely heavily on trading or leasing land from our neighbors. We added red fresh potatoes in 2008 and sweet potatoes in 2011 as a means of diversification. Both market types demand higher intensity and passion than our Irish chipping potatoes. The focus required has forced all of us to grow.

In summary, Black Gold Farms wants to be your specialist, your champion for potato produce and services. We invest all of our energies in potatoes via specialist employees, strategic farm locations, customer-centric equipment and services. Our world is fresh potatoes, chipping potatoes and sweet potatoes.