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You are here: Home / Gold Dust Potato Processors / Spring Is . . . Here?

Spring Is . . . Here?

April 13, 2017 By Gold Dust Farms Leave a Comment

A shot of Gold Dust's potato cellars with Turkey Hill in the background.
Yes, that’s snow on the hillside

April showers are supposed to bring May flowers, but here in the Klamath Basin, those showers this April have been snow showers. Though spring has officially sprung, we still have snow in our forecast, and this morning a light, white layer of the stuff coated the Basin floor and fields as well as the surrounding hills. Despite the snow and the moisture (which we’re thankful for!), it’s time to get farming underway. However, the wet weather doesn’t make it easy to get out in the fields. If you’re perused past blog posts, spring is the season of sunk equipment, stuck tractors and the ground pretty much swallowing anything that passes over it. With the nice, white winter we had followed by a nice, wet spring, you can imagine our farm crews aren’t eager to start sacrificing equipment to the dirt gods.

Just because the mud and rain have kept us out of the fields doesn’t mean we’re not getting ready for spring farming. Around the shop, we’ve been getting our equipment prepped for when the fields dry out. We’re also making sure our irrigation equipment is ready, which is incredibly important this year as the Bureau of Reclamation has stated all irrigation districts in our area should expect full water deliveries. And while we’re not ready for our field crews to start laying out pipe in our potato fields, the very important process of hauling in chipping potato seed and cutting it began earlier this week. Once things dry out, we’ll be ready to plant our chipping potatoes and grain crops as well as harrow our alfalfa fields for the growing season.

Employee Joseph Quinowski works on a piece of equipment at Walker Brothers' repair shop outside of Merrill, OR.
Joseph Quinowski is working on a small piece of equipment at our shop
Ramon Sanchez and Robert Wedel install a new irrigation pump at an alfalfa field near Malin, OR.
Ramon Sanchez and Robert Wedel are getting a pump ready at one of our alfalfa fields
Three Walker Brothers employees prepare a piler for potato seed cutting at Gold Dust Potato Processors' Malin, OR campus.
Carlos Chavez, Enrique Medina and Juan Espinoza Chavolla prepare a piler for seed cutting.

The rain and mud doesn’t stop what happens in the shed. Trucks are still lined up to haul chipping potatoes to our customers, which means our potato processing plant is still running at full capacity. Upstairs in the office, budgeting and planning for the upcoming crop year is taking place alongside getting taxes wrapped up. Plus, we’ve been out in the community recruiting for the job opportunities we have open. When you combine what’s happening in the shed and the offices with preparing for spring farming, this is the beginning of one of the busiest times of year!

Trucks with refrigerated vans lare lined up at Gold Dust Potato Processors' Malin, Oregon potato packing shed.
Trucks are lined up to deliver chipping potatoes to our customers
Chipping potatoes on pallets getting prepared to be shipped from Gold Dust Potato Processors in Malin, OR.
That’s a lot of chipping potatoes to ship!
A Walker Brothers farm employee loads chipping potato seed into a potato truck from a rail car outside of Malin, Oregon.
Jose Valdez expertly loads a potato truck with seed chipping potatoes from a rail car
Two employees pile chipping potato seed into a cellar at Gold Dust Potato Processors' Malin, Oregon campus.
Until we start seed cutting, chipping potato seed is stored in one of our cellars
John Walker watches the chipping potato seed cutting crew work in a cellar at Gold Dust Potato Processors' Malin, Oregon campus.
John Walker is watching the seed crew cut chipping potato seed
The potato seed processing line in a potato cellar at Gold Dust Potato Processors.
Once the chipping potato seed is cut, it goes into hopper where it then goes into a spud truck

 

Eventually, we will be able to get out in the fields. But until then, as you can see, we still have plenty to do!

Lexi Crawford and Toby Turner representing Gold Dust and Walker Brothers at the Mazama Career Fair in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Lexi Crawford and Toby Turner at the Mazama High School Career Fair looking for some fresh recruits

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From Our Farm Blog

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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!

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