Gold Dust & Walker Farms

  • Home
  • How We Grow
    • Our Partners
    • Our Farms
    • Walker Brothers
    • Gold Dust Potatoes
      • Employees
        • Login
      • Our Sheds
        • Odenberg Titan
  • Watch Us Grow
    • Farm Blog
    • Farm Videos
    • Press Releases
  • What We Grow
    • Buy Chipping Potatoes
      • Chipping Potatoes
      • Potato Info
      • Our Potato Farm
      • Potato Harvest
    • Hay For Sale
  • Why We Grow
    • Sustainable Ag
      • Green Manure
      • Organic Farming
      • Pest Management
      • Preserving Wildlife Habitat
      • Soil Conservation
      • Solar Power Initiative
      • The Walking Wetlands
    • Awards & Recognition
    • Boards & Commissions
    • Certifications
  • Grow With Us
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Western States Trucking
    • Contact Us
    • Farm Equipment Sales
You are here: Home / Gold Dust Potato Processors / Open House Field Day 2018

Open House Field Day 2018

September 6, 2018 By Gold Dust Farms

Gold Dust & Walker Farms' guests at the Reames' Country Club for the 2018 Open House Field Day.
Thanks to everyone who could make it our 18th Annual Open House Field Day!

Another August was almost over. Grain and hay were being cut, and chipping potatoes were already being dug and shipped. Earlier in the month we had a Leadership Meeting and Employee Appreciation Picnic, making this August a touch busier than normal. And as always this time of year, we opened our doors and headed to the fields for Gold Dust & Walker Farms’ 18th Annual Open House Field Day!

This year, the festivities began the night before at Bill and Jan’s house, where Gold Dust and Walker Farms staff mingled with our visitors. Though the past few months in the Klamath Basin were incredibly smokey, the air cleared and everyone was able to enjoy a gorgeous evening outside with cold drinks, great food and good company. A feast of roast, fresh tuna, shrimp and scallops was put together by Jan, Ken Hibbard and Casey Lammers, followed by German chocolate cake and ice cream. Visiting carried on past sunset, and with a touch of smoke still in the air, gave our guests an amazing Klamath Basin sunset. Frankly, we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening.

Jan Walker, Ken Hibberd and Casey Lammers prepping dinner near Malin, Oregon.
Cheers to our chefs – Jan, Ken and Casey!
Bob Gasser, Drew Huffman and Kyle Patterson visiting at Bill and Jan Walker's Malin, OR home.
Bob Gasser is having a pretty serious conversation with Drew Huffman and Kyle Patterson.
Weston Walker and Rob Unruh visiting with Jaap Langenberg at Bill and Jan Walker's house outside Malin, OR.
Weston and Rob Unruh visiting with Jaap Langenberg of Luke’s Organics.
Bill Walker Mike Henard, Jim Boone and Erin Plumb visiting at Bill and Jan Walker's home.
Looks like Bill is telling a pretty good story!
Sanjay Prasad and Gurvinder Johal from Frito Lay visiting with Matt Thompson at Bill and Jan Walker's Malin, Oregon house.
Sanjay, Gurvinder and Matt enjoying a couple of cold ones.
Gold Dust & Walker Farms' guests visiting at Bill and Jan Walker's Malin, Oregon home.
Everyone enjoying the good company and roast beef, tuna and shrimp.

The next morning, everyone met at Mike & Wanda’s restaurant in Tulelake. After a welcoming speech from Bill, Lexi introduced Klamath County Museums Manager, Todd Kepple. At our Open House Field Day breakfast, we usually have a speaker, and this year Mr. Kepple put together a presentation about the history of Klamath Basin agriculture. From the Reclamation Project to drawing homesteads from pickle jars to the Bucket Brigade of 2001, Todd’s presentation gave us and our guests incredible insights to how farming and ranching not only changed over the years, but how it changed the Klamath Basin itself.

Bill Walker and Lexi Crawford welcoming Gold Dust & Walker Farms' guests at Mike and Wanda's Restaurant in Tulelake, CA.
Bill and Lexi warmly welcoming our guests at breakfast.
Klamath County Museum Manager, Todd Kepple, giving a presentation about Klamath Basin agriculture during Gold Dust & Walker Farms' 18th Annual Open House Field Day breakfast.
Todd Kepple, Manager of the Klamath County Museum, gave our group a great historical perspective of Klamath Basin ag.
Gold Dust & Walker Farms' guests boarding a bus used for the 2018 Open House Field Day.
All aboard!

Following breakfast, it was time to head to the potato fields! Like last year, our growers showed off their fields and dug up a few spuds to show our group. If you’ve read past posts about our Open House Field Day, you’ve seen pictures of long trains of cars and pickups parked along the fields. This year, we decided it would be more efficient and effective to rent a bus instead of everyone driving to the fields on their own. With everyone on the bus, on the way to the fields our growers were able to provide their family’s history of farming in the Klamath Basin as well as answer questions about potato varieties, the ins-and-outs of potato farming and anything else that came to mind. Not only was this a more efficient way for us to get everyone on the field tour, it provided a great way for our guests to chat while learning more about us and our growers.

Which growers’ fields did we visit?

We started with Luke Robison’s field of 2137 potatoes located just outside of Tulelake. After that, we headed to the leases where Matt Huffman had some 1867 chipping potatoes dug and ready for inspection. Next, we headed back to Tulelake where we visited Sid Staunton’s field of Waneta potatoes. Though we weren’t able to swing by his field located near Lower Klamath Lake, Kyle Patterson shared a bit about his experiences with growing Dakota Pearls, which was fitting because it was on the way to a sandy field of Dakota Pearl chippers grown by Rob Unruh, just a bit north of Gold Dust’s campus. On the way back the shed, Tricia shared a bit about her and Weston’s Basin farming lineage and what brought her back home to farm.

Sid Staunton, John Walker and Luke Robison discussing chipping potatoes in a potato field outside of Tulelake, CA.
In Luke Robison’s field, John enjoyed a fresh potato
Matt Huffman, John Walker and Danny Lopez talking about chipping potatoes in a field on the Tule Lake Leaselands.
Matt Huffman, John and Lays Modesto plant manager Danny Lopez talking quality in Huffman Farms’ field in the Leases.
John Walker, Ed Staunton, Sid Staunton and Bill Walker in Staunton Farms' chipping potato field outside of Tulelake, CA.
Ed and Sid Staunton shared their grandfather’s desire to make Tulelake look a little more like West Virginia during their field visit.
Rob Unruh digging up Dakota Pearl potatoes in a potato field north of Gold Dust Potatoes' Malin, OR campus.
Those are some pretty good looking potatoes, Rob!

By the time we made it back to the packing shed, the plant had ended shipping for the day and Matt had samples of the chipping potato varieties Gold Dust and Walker Farms can provide laid out on the production floor. To make this visit even more interesting, Frito Lay reps Sanjay Prasad, Gurvinder Johal and Danny Lopez brought along some fresh potato chips from the Lays plant in Modesto. And yes – these were made with our potatoes we dug this week!

Lays potato chips next to a sample of 1867 chipping potatoes in Gold Dust Potatoes' packing shed for the 2018 Open House Field Day.
It’s pretty cool to see fresh potato chips next to a sample of chipping potatoes of the same variety.
Danny Lopez, Bill Walker and Todd Kepple in Gold Dust Potato Processors' packing shed in Malin, Oregon.
Danny Lopez talking chip quality with Bill and Todd Kepple.
Matt Thompson, David Thackery and Mark Thomas talking at Gold Dust Potatoes' 2018 Open House Field Day.
When you get three processing plant guys together, what do you think they’re talking about?
Tricia Hill and Kyle Patterson with an unknown guest at Gold Dust's processing plant during the 2018 Open House Field Day.
Tricia and new grower, Kyle Patterson, checking out the chipping potato samples.

Following the shed tour, our guests made their way to Reames Country Club for a fun golf scramble. Once the ceremonial shots of Crown had been taken, the teams made their way to the golf course for a shotgun start. Around 6:30 pm, the teams began to make their way from the golf course to the club house to enjoy cocktails and a dinner put together by the Reames staff.

Katie Walker and Billy Conrad of Pape' Machinery with a plaque honoring Pape' Machinery for their support of Make-A-Wish Oregon at Gold Dust's 2018 Open House Field Day dinner.
On behalf of Make-A-wish Oregon, Katie gave Billy Conrad of Pape’ Machinery an award for their continued gifting.

The Open House Field Day has presented itself as an opportunity to raise money for our local Make-A-Wish chapter, and this year was no different. Katie Walker, Weston’s wife, took this as an opportunity to recognize some of our guests who have given year after year with a plaque to recognize their company’s generosity. After handing out recognition, it was time to start raising pledges.

Last year, between the generosity of our guests and Gold Dust and Walker Farms’ matching their pledges, we were able to raise $30,490 along with 135,000 airline miles. This year’s goal was to raise $35,000.  After a heartfelt thank you from Make-A-Wish Oregon’s Corporate Alliances Manager, Mallory Tyler, and short video about a Wish recipient, our guests gave generously. When it was all said and done, after Gold Dust matched everyone’s pledges, our crowd raised $45,000 for Make-A-Wish! When we say we work with good people, we don’t just mean they’re good at they do. Their pledges for Make-A-Wish is proof of that.

At the 18th Annual Open House Field Day dinner, Gold Dust and Walker Farms' guests watched a movie about a Make-A-Wish wish recipient.
Before our Make-A-Wish fundraiser, there was a short movie about a wish coming true.
Gold Dust and Walker Farms 18th Annual Open House Field Day guests raising money for Make-A-Wish Oregon.
Lexi and Katie led a great round of fundraising for Make-A-Wish Oregon. Well done to our guests!
Make-A-Wish Oregon’s Corporate Alliances Manager, Mallory Tyler, thanking guests for generosity at Gold Dust & Walker Farms' 18th Annual Open House Field Day.
Mallory Tyler, Make-A-Wish Oregon’s Corporate Alliances Manager, thanking our guests for their generosity.

We also went over which teams won the golf scramble and who took home top honors for their skills with the clubs. This year, we had a tie for first and second place – both teams shot a 64. After going over the cards and comparing the performance of the front nine, the back nine and doing some other fancy golf math, the team of Matt Thompson, Sanjay Prasad, Erin Plumb and Ty Hulse came out on top, which left second place honors for Rob Unruh, Steve Parkinson and Drew Huffman. Destiny Huffman had an amazing day as she took home not only the Ladies Longest Drive, but also the Closest to the Pin! Jared Marshall crushed the ball to take home Men’s Long Drive while Jeff Dahl drove his ball Closest to the Pin to take home the other golf club.

Lexi Crawford with Gold Dust Open House Field Day Longest Drive winner, Jared Marshall.
The Man With The Big Club – Jared Marshall
Lexi Crawford with Gold Dust's 18th Annual Open House Field Day Men's KP winner Jeff Dahl.
Jared Dahl showed all the men what accuracy is about with a KP on his last hole.
Lexi Crawford with Destiney Huffman, who took home Women's KP and Long Drive honors at Gold Dust & Walker Farms' 18th Annual Open House Field Day golf scramble.
The gal with all the gifts – Destiney Huffman!
1st place team for the Gold Dust & Walker Farms' 18th Annual Open House Field Day golf scramble Erin Plumb, Ty Hulse, Sanjay Prasad and Matt Thompson.
Here’s your 1st Place Winners – Erin, Ty, Sanjay and Matt!
2nd place team for Gold Dust and Walker Farms' Open House Field Day golf scramble Drew Huffman, Rob Unruh and Steve Parkinson.
After a heartbreaking first place tie, here’s our second place winners – Drew, Rob and Steve.

Before the night was over, the senior partners passed the mic to thank everyone for coming. Tricia took this opportunity to highlight five folks who have been attending our Open House Field Day since the beginning – Ron Marshall, Jim Boone, Paul Sproule, and Chris Moudry. Weston thanked the crowd for their generosity and Bill thanked everyone who attended for their continued support and attendance to our Open House Field Day. John wrapped it up with a rousing thank you and pep talk that pointed out that what has made our businesses successful isn’t just us – it was everyone in the audience who got up every morning and did what they do best. His mic drop drew loud applause and was a fitting end to the evening.

Bill Walker thanking guests at Gold Dust and Walker Farms' 18th Annual Open House Field Day.
Bill thanking everyone for making our 18th Annual Open House Field Day another success.
Weston Walker thanking guests at Gold Dust & Walker Farms' 2018 Open House Field Day.
Weston thanking our guests for their continued support of Make-A-Wish Oregon.
John Walker thanking guests at Gold Dust's 18th Annual Open House Field Day.
John bringing the house down with a raucous thank you!

We always enjoy this opportunity to get together with the growers, suppliers, financiers and customers who have helped us become successful, and this year was no different. Gold Dust and Walker Farms are successful in no small part due to the people we work with. When we say we work with the best – and most giving – we mean it. We hope everyone had a safe trip home and that we’ll see everyone once again next year. Last, but not least – thank you. Thank you for helping us become the amazing businesses we have grown into and thank you for your continued support.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: customers and clients, Gold Dust Potato Processors, Make-A-Wish Oregon, open house field day, potato chips, potato customers, potato shed, walker brothers

From Our Farm Blog

  • 2021 Employee Picnic & BBQ
  • Here You Go – Weston’s Organic Potato Chips!
  • We Need Some Elves!
  • Looking for a job?
  • Klamath Ag Leaders Meet with Secretary Bernhardt and Commissioner Burman

We’re Hiring!

Looking for a job? Check out our current Employment Opportunities!

Our farm keeps growing – and it’s planting season – which means we have a lot of openings. From jobs on our farm to office positions in Malin, we’re looking for dedicated, diligent folks to join our team.

If you’re a truck driver with a CDL, be sure to check out our updated compensation package!

Stay In Touch!

  • Keep up to date with Gold Dust Potatoes and Walker Farms' blog by subscribing to our feed, follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook or check out our YouTube Channel!

Visit Us On LinkedinVisit Us On FacebookCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Youtube

Copyright © 2022 ·Gold Dust Potato Processors & Walker Brothers | 30203 Micka Road, Malin, OR 97632 | (541) 723-2600 · Log in

 

Loading Comments...