b'GROWERSPOTLIGHT Davison FarmsRick and Jackie Davison (second and third from left), pictured with Jon Davison (far left) and (fourth from left to right) Peyton, Kirk and Cheryl Davison and Geoffrey Davison. PHOTO: KIM ADRIAANSENManitoba Potato Farmer Nearing40 Years in the BizRICK DAVISON, a successful potato producer instake as well. Davisons son Kirk and Brads sonpressures, says Davison. Theyll also do weekly Carberry, Man., didnt shy away from makingJon are also involved with the farm. petiole tests [and] help calibrate the planters to some big decisions as a young farmer.The younger generation will be taking over themake sure theyre operating properly.Davison was only 18 when he purchased hisreins in the near future, says Davison, who is 65.Davison credits modern technology with first quarter section, which was then added to theIm getting to the age where I feel Ive done thishaving a lot to do with the increase in productivity family farm. Four years later, he convinced his fa- long enough were working on a successionas well.ther George they should try their hand at growingplan right now. Potato farming is certainly more technolog-potatoes on their 1,000-acre farm. ical. For instance, we do variable rate with our I had to coax my dad along because he wasREMARKABLE CHANGES fertilizer, says Davison. Kirk and Jon are now getting to the age where he didnt want to get intoNow entering his fifth decade as a potato pro- running the irrigation systems with their phones. starting another project, Davison says. That wasducer, Davison has witnessed some impressiveTheyll know right away if something goes down back in 1981, when interest rates were doublechanges in the industry. For one, potato crops areor if its not working and they can check on it. Its digits. It was a tough go at first. much more productive than they used to be.the same thing with potato storage. There are so The family persevered, and today DavisonWhen I started, I think the average yield wasmany more tools now.Farms is a prosperous 4,800-acre operation whichsomething like 147 hundredweight of potatoes perIt used to be an art to plant your potatoes grows 1,400 acres of Russet Burbank and Rangeracre. Now, thats gone up to where you can growstraight. Now, we have GPS that takes care of Russet potatoes. The farms potatoes, which are330 hundredweight, Davison says. that, he adds. There are also programs that grown in a three-year rotation with grain andDavison believes there are many reasons formonitor the disease severity risk which takes into oilseed crops, are delivered to the McCain Foodsthe substantial hike in yields. Potato farming,account humidity, temperature, the stage of the processing plants in Carberry and Portage lastorage equipment and practices have improvedplant. Prairie, Man. Davison Farms was recently recog- substantially over the years, he says, and agron- That helps us to know whether we need to get nized as one of McCain Foods top 10 growers inomists are available to provide valuable servicesout there and be proactive with the spray, because Manitoba for the 2018 crop year. for growers like himself.one thing about late blight, once you see it, its Davison Farms is still very much a familyWe have agronomists come out nowtoo late. So this is another tool that helps us to business. Davison and his wife Jackie are majoritythat can do everything from soil testing todetermine when we should be spraying and how owners and his cousin Brad has an ownershipweekly scouting to check for disease and insectmuch, Davison says.MARK HALSALL48 SPUDSMART.COM SPRING 2020'