2018 Office Growing Competition
It’s that time of year again! Our 2018 potato growing contest is officially underway! Every spring staff members at the Washington State Potato Commission participate in a competition of who can grow the best potato crop. Planting begins in April, and staff members decide how they want to grow their plant. In the past we’ve had all sorts of creative methods, one year a staff member used Mountain Dew to fertilize his spuds! This contest is a great team bonding activity and also provides participants with some insight on the challenges that real Washington potato growers face. (On a much smaller scale)
On our planting day, participants must decide what to name their farm and how they are going to market their crop. The staff has many options to choose from including a fresh contract, a dehydrated contract, or they can play the open market based on the grower return price at the time of harvest. Each contract has its pros and cons. Some contracts require higher quality standards and pay more, while others have lower standards and pay less. Once growing season is over the potatoes are harvested, graded, and weighed. The staff member who brings home the biggest return wins.
Everyone has an equal opportunity to take home the gold, the winner of the contest receives a year of bragging rights and gets their name displayed on a plaque in the Washington State Potato Commission office. Matt is the reigning champion from last year, who do you think will bring home the win this year? Stay tuned to see which staff member is our 2018 potato growing champion!
Staff Farm Names:
Katy- Lazy K Farms
Trish- GotPotatoes.com
Tressa- Almosta Farm
Angie- Angie’s Acres
Brandy- Tucker’s Tots
Matt- Hbomb
Matthew- Blua’s Fabulous Potatoes
Chris- Tater Town Farms