b'The Potato GrowersAdam Anderson and his business partner Lukas Doman received a 176-acre parcel at Deadwater Brook in northwestern Newfoundland, of which 100 acres is arable, cleared and at least somewhat ready to plant, he says. I think (the lease system) is a really great concept. The fact that government has given us this opportunity, were going to work incredibly hard to make it successful, he says.This year, Anderson and Doman spent significant time investing in ground prep and site analysis, including taking high resolution aerial imagery and creating digital elevation models for the site, in order to best understand the land theyll be working. They also trialled the land, planting about 25,000 vegetable plants including potato, cabbage, broccoli, leaks, onions and more. One hundred acres is definitely going to keep us busy for a number of years, says Anderson. Were also looking at greenhouses to maximize opportunities on the non-arable land. We have a multi-year plan to get this whole thing into production. Due east of Andersons new land, farmer Louis MacDonald of M&M Farming Company Ltd. received 500 cleared acres in a 1,300-acre block at Junction Brook near Deer Lake, N.L. The large plot changes everything about his operation. Until this spring, we were dependent on other land-owners. The lease gives us the opportunity to have our own land for the long-term. The benefits of that are obvious in terms of security and stability so we can invest in the land and develop our business, says MacDonald.Further east still, farmer Gordon Peddle received 70 cleared acres in a 369-acre plot at a former seed potato farm at Glenwood(L-R) Lukas Doman and Adam Anderson on a tractor in a field at their in northeastern Newfoundland. new farm at Deadwater Brook in northwestern Newfoundland. Im not 100 per cent sure if theres growth potential in the whole 369 acres or not just yet. The government says theres not,I basically had a calling to go farming. I figured that, before I but Im personally looking at it, explains Peddle. Ive boughtget too old, I might as well give it a shot, he says. some equipment in anticipation. While Peddle may not have much farming experience, he This year, Peddle planted 20 of the acres to potatoes andbrings strong business expertise from building and operating seeded the rest to cover crops. He hopes to plant 50 acres toseveral successful trucking enterprises. He has a clear marketing potatoes next year. plan for his future crops, has invested in operating equipment to produce and move those crops, and has an appetite for New to the Farming Game opportunity. The winning applications were chosen based on a variety ofIn addition to the newly acquired leased land, hes struck priorities: commercial viability, the applicants need for moreagreements with dairy farmers in the area to rotate their crops land, the degree by which additional land would improve thefor them on a regular basis, and he currently has applications viability of the farmland, the applicants management and use ofpending for additional leases. both their existing land and the proposed land, and the markets/ From where I sit today, I need more acreage to get to that quota available to the farm. Notably absent from the list wasmagic, optimum number that I feel will generate profitability. experience. In fact, all three of the successful applicants areThe long and short of it is, Im going to need more land, he says. relatively new farmers. While access to land is a huge factor in farming success, Peddle This is Peddles second year of farming. Last year, his firstreminds that its just one component to running a successful farming, he planted 24 acres; in 2021, he planted 34.farming business. SPUDSMART.COM Fall 202125'