Dan Moss ni Idahoan, kupitia na kupitia

Dan Moss hakuzaliwa huko Idaho. Hakukua huko Idaho. Hata hakuanza kazi yake ya kilimo huko Idaho. Lakini hakikisha, Dan Moss ni Idahoan, kupitia na kupitia.

Moss alizaliwa na kukulia kwenye shamba la familia kaskazini mwa Utah. Lakini wakati sehemu ndogo zilipoteleza zaidi na mbali zaidi na safu ya Wasatch, ilizidi kuwa wazi kuwa kuendelea kulima katika mkoa huo kungekuwa ngumu zaidi. Kwa hivyo mnamo 1980, Moss na mkewe Jann walifunga familia na kuelekea kaskazini mwa I-84, ambapo mchanga wenye rutuba, ambao hauna watu wengi wa Bonde la Uchawi uliashiria.

The move, to put it mildly, has paid off. Today, Moss Farms comprises five management areas in three counties: two in the Burley-Rupert area on either side of the Snake River; the west farm in Bliss; the east farm in Raft River; and a seed farm in Sublett. In 2007, they purchased Arrowhead Potato Company, through which all their table-stock potatoes (about one-third of the Mosses’ total potato production) are packed and shipped. The rest — excluding seed — are contracted to McCain, Simplot and Gem State Processing.

Dan and Jann’s son Ryan is the primary day-to-day operator of the farm these days, but Dan keeps plenty busy. He remains intimately involved with the farm and packing shed, and he’s neck-deep in helping promote the potato industry and Idaho brand through his involvement in industry trade organizations. He served as Potatoes USA’s chairman of the board in 2018 and has always been a proponent of industry involvement and its positive impact on his own operation.

"Nadhani sababu kubwa ya mashamba kudumu kupitia mabadiliko ya kizazi," Moss anasema, "ni kiburi cha kweli na kuipenda ardhi. Mara tu unapotupa mikono yako chini kwenye uchafu na spuds hizo zinatoka nje, au tazama lori la sukari likijaza kwa dakika, ni ngumu kupata hiyo. "

Mosses wameona maendeleo mengi kwa miaka - kwenye shamba lao, katika familia zao, na kwenye tasnia. Watu wengi wangesema Mosses wamefanya zaidi ya sehemu yao nzuri ili kuona maendeleo hayo. Wangekuwa sawa.

Moss anapenda kile yeye na familia yake wamejenga kusini mwa Idaho. Alasiri ya jua mnamo Septemba kwenye shamba la Mto Raft, anaonekana kujivunia wakati lori nyingi za viazi zinakuja kupitia tovuti ya kupakia. Mtoto wa kwanza wa Ryan, Deven, amerudi shambani wakati wote na yuko busy kuhakikisha kuwa kila kipande cha mashine kinaendesha vizuri wakati viazi vipya vilivyochimbwa vinapita kwenye vifurushi vingi.

Yadi mia mbili mbali, kaka ya Deven Austin ndiye anayefanya kazi ya kuvuna. Ndugu mdogo zaidi Alex, mwandamizi huko Declo High, bado yuko shuleni, lakini unaweza kubeti atakwenda hivi mara tu kengele ya mwisho itakapolia. Kupitia haze ya vumbi, unaweza kuona kwenye nyuso za familia ya Moss jinsi wanavyofurahi, sio tu kuvuna viazi, bali kuifanya pamoja.

"Nadhani sababu kubwa ya mashamba kudumu kupitia mabadiliko ya kizazi," Moss anasema, "ni kiburi cha kweli na kuipenda ardhi. Mara tu unapoweka mikono yako chini kwenye uchafu na spuds hizo zinatoka nje, au angalia lori la sukari ya sukari ikijaza kwa dakika, ni ngumu kupata hiyo.

"Unaweza kuangalia shamba lako na kuna theluji juu yake, na jambo linalofuata unajua unafanya kazi chini na unapanda mbegu yako," anaendelea. “Hiyo mimea ni watoto wako wachanga wakati wote wa kiangazi; unawajali na unawaona wakikua. Kisha wakati wa mavuno unakuja. Msimu mzima ni mzuri kwa sababu unaanza bila chochote, ndipo unapoona mambo yanaendelea. ”

Nakala hii inaonekana katika Toleo la Juni 2021 la Mkulima wa Viazi.

/ historia ya kampuni /