b'GROWER SPOTLIGHT | SUPPORTED BY: Only Growing PotatoesAt Eagle Farms they exclusively grow potatoes and contracttheir grain production out.BY: ASHLEY ROBINSONOVER THE YEARS, generational family farm Eagle Farms in Saint-Andre, NB, has had livestock raised on it and other crops grown. These days though, there is only crop the Godbout family is interested inpotatoes.My dad always said that if you want to be good at something you just concentrate on the one thing, and ever since its pretty much what were doing, Mathieu Godbout says in a phone interview.Godbout and his father, Gilles, farm together on the 850-acre non-irrigated potato farm. They grow processing potatoes on contract for McCain Foods and Cavendish Farms. There is also 850 acres of grains grown on a two-year rotation with the potatoes, that the Godbouts contract out.The family decided to focus on potatoes as they are a high price selling crop. Mathieus uncle used to grow their grain crops, but after he retired, Mathieu and Gilles tried growing clover and rye grass for a few years before deciding to contract the grain production out. Through the partnership the land also receives extra fertilizing. The farmer(L-R) Gilles and Mathieu Godbout run Eagle Farms in Saint-Andre, NB, a potato farm. currently growing the grain has a digesterPHOTO: MATHIEU GODBOUTwhich he puts waste from the McCain processing plant into. The mixture is thenAccording to the 2020 Farm Credit Canadaprocessing company will be grown by spread across the fields as a fertilizer inFarmland Values Report, farmland in Newregenerative agriculture practices by 2030.the fall and spring.Brunswick sold for anywhere from $1,800Its something we always trying to Since weve been doing it, our organicto $4,800 per acre on average, with somefigure out how to do better on our farms, matter starting to creep up slowly, butareas selling for higher. The Godboutshow can I be more sustainable? And thats surely. And if we can get bigger yields onwere able to expand Eagle Farmspretty much what Im thinking right now, less acres, well we wont have to grow asland base a few years ago by buying aMathieu says about the announcementmuch potato acres and still have the sameneighbouring farm. The Godbouts have also been focusing amount of volume, Mathieu explains. Using green manure to increase soilon soil compaction by using a sub tiller to Land is scarce and expensive to comeorganic matter is also becoming importantdecompact the ground for 20 years now. by in New Brunswick, so any way towith the processors they grow for.They have also upgraded their harvesting increase production without increasingEarlier this year, McCain announced allmachinery to be more efficient from both a land is important, Mathieu adds.of the potatoes used by the global foodsustainability standpoint and for labour. 56SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2021'