September 2018

Greetings to our friends in the potato business:

This is the annual Fall update for Norm Nelson, Inc. This past growing season was similar to the past few years in that it was warmer and dryer than normal for Skagit Valley. However, the irrigation system reached all our potato fields (which doesn’t always happen) so we are excited about this year’s potential for yield and quality!

We plan to start the packing operation on Thursday 09/13/18. This year we will start packing white potatoes then reds on Friday. The yellows will be ready early the following week. This year the purples will be ready sooner than past years and be available before the end of September. Our list of potato varieties is nearly the same as last year. Reds are all Chieftains, whites are mostly Harmony and Nadine, and yellows are mostly Agata and Satina. Of course, this year we also have test varieties of reds, whites and yellows that may be added to our crop program in the future. Our normal harvest program is for all varieties of potatoes to be dug and packed directly from the field for September and October. Then by November, the reds, yellows and purples will be coming from our storage system while the whites will be coming fresh from the field until the end of the white season. Whites normally finish sometime around the end of November.

We are happy to report our product line is always led by the “Double N” label for customers needing the best quality on the market. Our “Golden Seal” label is targeted at the customer needing a lower cost US#1 product and our “Pedigree” label is the popular US#2 package. We invite you to logon our website to check all the consumer pack options and the Nelson Family story – check www.doublenpotatoes.com

We like to include a section of the newsletter to highlight changes in the operation. This past Summer we have updated part of the packing line with additional bagging equipment. Looking to the future, we can expect regular changes in packaging requirements and we want to be ready for these changes!

As we are excited about starting another harvest season, we also want to express our appreciation to all the support that contributed to our success. Thank you to all the supporters of our “Double N” program over the years! We are looking forward to visiting with all our friends from past years and making new contacts in the markets. Please call Scott Wharton or Myron Ayers for all your colored potato needs!

Sincerely,

Myron Ayers, Sales Manager