Potato harvest is in full swing across the region, including at P&K Vander Zaag Farms in Alliston, where potato harvest is 92 per cent complete. Millions of potatoes are currently sitting ready for distribution, a welcome sign for the manager of operations, Jessica Vander Zaag, who compared it with last year’s harvest. “Last summer was incredibly hot and incredibly dry, and that was really challenging on the crop,” said Vander Zaag. “Potatoes are mostly water, so if they don’t have water, they don’t grow, which means less to put on the table for consumers.” From there they head to the shelves at your local grocery store. “The potatoes that we grow are for the chipping industry for the process industry, so that’s your everyday marketplace brands (like) PC Complements and Franks, what you see at the store,” said Vander Zaag. “We also provide for Frito-Lay.” Despite the successful crop, farmers continue to battle surging fuel prices. “I spoke to our drivers and said, hey, you don’t need to idle a truck; just turn it off,” said Vander Zaag. And she’s not alone. Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture said the cost of fuel continues to pinch farmers around the country. “The cost of diesel has skyrocketed for farmers; the cost has got incredibly expensive. We’re in the middle of harvest season right now, and the average combine is using somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 to 70 litres an hour,” said Currie. “When you have extensive days of harvest and you’re looking at something that ranges from $2,500 per fill-up.” From diesel to steel and aluminum, farmers continue to battle costs. “That’s becoming another burden on farmers. Again we can’t pass our costs on to the consumer. So we have to find ways within our margins to absorb those costs,” added Currie. Third generation farmers like the Vander Zaags remain committed to providing what they can at the price they can; supporting local is one way. “When you’re buying potato chips at the grocery store, they do come from your local farmer,” said Vander Zaag. “It’s not somebody in the states; it’s not even somebody out in a different province. Alliston is a potato-growing hub, and you are supporting your neighbours.”
