Community Involvement at Gold Dust & Walker Farms

Gold Dust Adopts A Highway

November 5, 2009 By Gold Dust Farms 2 Comments

Gold Dust Potato Processors and Walker Brothers Farms have adopted a piece of Hwy 50 outside of Malin, Oregon.

If you’ve traveled to Malin lately, you might have noticed a new sign near where Harpold Road intersects Highway 50 (locally known as the Merrill Malin Highway). That’s right – Gold Dust Potatoes and Walker Brothers Farms have joined the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Adopt A Highway program!

On an as-needed basis, Gold Dust will pick up litter along the strip of highway we’ve adopted. In return, ODOT installed a sign featuring our companies’ names on it. While it’s nice we can get our businesses’ names out there, we like that we can show our commitment to the Malin area. Gold Dust and Walker Brothers Farms are fortunate to be located in an area that is not only as scenic as the Klamath Basin, but also fertile and perfect for growing potatoes, grain and alfalfa.

We are very excited to be a part of the Adopt A Highway program and encourage other businesses, community groups and families (even individuals can adopt a section of highway!) to join. You get to advertise your business or group while showing your civic pride and in return Oregon gets cleaner roads to show visitors how beautiful this state is. It’s a program that’s truly a win-win for all.

If you’d like to learn more about ODOT’s Adopt A Highway program, or are ready to sign up and adopt your own stretch of road, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Web site today. And if you happen to be driving into Malin on Highway 50, please watch out for the Gold Dust Litter Crew!

Tater Tots Take Second!

October 29, 2009 By Gold Dust Farms 1 Comment

While we thought the Gold Dust Tater Tots should have taken first place in the 72nd Annual Klamath Basin Potato Festival parade (granted, we’re a bit biased!), we are very proud to announce that our float took second place in the Commercial category. For that honor, the Merrill Lions Club gave us $20 in prize money for our efforts. Congratulations to the Tater Tots Crew!

The float that took home first place in the Commercial category also won the big prize for best overall entry. A big congrats goes out to the Merrill branch of Sterling Savings Bank! Sterling took the theme, “This Spud’s For You”, to heart and featured a lot of local kids in costumes ranging from a baked potato and tater tots to silverware and more. They did a great job and the prize was well awarded.

We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Tricia, Lexi, Jessica, Nayeli and Brita for their help putting the float together. We also owe a special thanks to Matt for his help getting the float on the road the day of the parade. And we have another extra special thanks to the Tater Tot kids – Rory, Walker, Emma, Lindsay, Ashlee and Mari! Without the help of Gold Dust’s employees and the presence of these kids, we wouldn’t have taken second place or had as much fun at the Spud Festival. Finally, we would also like to thank the Merrill Lions Club for awarding us second place. Gold Dust and Walker Bros. Farms look forward to doing it again next year!

Tater Tots Unveiled at 2009 Klamath Basin Potato Festival

October 20, 2009 By Gold Dust Farms Leave a Comment

Last Saturday was a beautiful day for a parade. The crisp October morning provided plenty of sunshine and kept the threat of clouds at bay while folks made their way to Merrill for the 72nd Annual Klamath Basin Potato Festival (also known as the Spud Festival). And it was at the Spud Festival parade that Gold Dust and Walker Bros. Farms released their latest product – Tater Tots!

As with chipping potatoes, Gold Dust’s Tater Tots take a lot of time and care to raise, plus plenty of love. We’re sure this bumper crop will ensure not only the future of potato farming in the Klamath Basin, but for Gold Dust and Walker Brothers Farms as well.

The float was put together by the talented crew of Tricia Hill, Jessica Christensen, Lexi Crawford, Nayeli Pena and Brita Binderup. Gold Dust would like to thank these ladies for not only putting in extra time after the work day was over to build the float, but also for taking time out of their Saturday to ride on it and make sure the Tater Tots stayed on board!

Judging from the people lining the streets for the parade and filling the exhibition hall, it looks like this year’s Potato Festival was a success. There were lots of fun floats that played with the theme “This Spud’s For You!” with local businesses, schools and other organizations showing up to enjoy the sunny morning and show their support. Farmers, workers and folks from inside and outside of the farming community enjoyed free baked potatoes and BBQ for lunch as well as a fun-run, horseshoe tournament and live music from the Old Time Fiddlers and other local bands.

We hope you’ll join us next year for the 73rd Annual Klamath Basin Potato Festival. Until next year, we hope you’ll enjoy a few pictures of our float and the Tater Tots!

Gold Dust Adopts A Highway

Tater Tots Take Second!

Tater Tots Unveiled at 2009 Klamath Basin Potato Festival

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