b'PARTNER CONTENTPutting Potatoes First to Make Our Farm Profitable Long-termBY: ADEN CULBERSON, RICHARD CULBERSON AND SONS IN ROSEDALE, N.B.A t our farm, potatoes are our focus. Yes, we have 250 head of cattle, and we grow barley, winter wheat, red clover, Timothy and corn, but thats all to help our spud crop at the end of the day.Everything that we do on the farm is potato oriented. Thats what drives us, thats where our money comes from. I think that the cattle play into that. When you have another reason to do that three-year rotation, and it comes with manure, and the benefits that you get, yes, its a little more work, but youre saving money in the long run.My family has been growing potatoes for generations on our farm Richard Culberson and Sons in Rosedale, N.B. Im the third generation working the land now with my father, Charles, Grandpa Richard and Uncle Ray. The four of us work together to grow the best potato crops we can.About seven years ago we really started taking a closer look at our soil. Our soil is what makes us money. We dont like to see our soil washing away into the woods because then were losing money. We like to see our soil have structure to it and be viable and(L-R) Richard, Charles, Aden and Oliver Culberson (in the tractor). PHOTO: ADEN CULBERSONable to produce a good crop. Without our soil, we dont have anything. Taking care of it is just something thatcrop, which is under seeded with redgo through with a rock picker to pick comes with the job, if you want to beclover and Timothy. Once our cerealthem all up. This tramps the soil down successful for years to come. crop is harvested, live roots are thenso badly that it needs to be worked We had always spread the livestockestablished before winter. The forageagain to fluff it up. With the karat, now manure on our fields, but besides thatcrop is cut in the spring and thenwere able to do one pass in the spring, we hadnt done much that could beregrows before its tilled ahead ofsaving us time and fuel.called regenerative ag. We first startedpotato planting. All these practices are making our by moving away from using a plowA huge change we made on our farmsoil structure way better for potato and purchased a Lemken karatawas moving to a single pass before weproduction. Were not just pulverizing chisel plow. Our fields have a lot of hillsplant potatoes. When I was growingour soil to death now when were in them and its crazy the amount ofup, we used to do three passes. Wemaking the seed bed. It hasnt always erosion that we save by using it. have so many rocks in our soil thatbeen easy making these changes but We do a three-year rotation mainly.wed do a pass and then itd dig up soat the end of the day its making our We plant potatoes and then a cerealmany rocks that wed have to havefarm more profitable for the long-term.SPUDSMART.COM Spring 202329'