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“In this instance, we had a fall crop of potatoes planted in October that we needed to kill anyway to prepare for the harvest,” Johns said. “The potato vines need to be dead for two to four weeks depending on the variety to get the skin to ‘set,’ which protects the tuber through the harvest and marketing stage.”

Johns explained that the fall crop was an experiment. “The spring planting is our main concern,” he said. “Potatoes are planted from the week before Christmas to some in early March.”

To protect the plants from untimely freezes, Johns and his crew cover the smaller plants with dirt, and then after the threat of cold is gone, they mechanically drag the dirt away from the plants. “This process is hard on the plant, and it’s a difficult decision to make. So you want to have confidence in your weatherman,” he said.

So Johns decided to cover a good portion of his most vulnerable varieties. It worked out well – where the covers stayed put. “You’ll see where we didn’t have enough to cover the entire section,” he said, pointing to an area where green plants abruptly gave way to several rows that had turned brown from cold temperatures.

Protecting the potatoes is an ongoing learning process, Johns says. “We started the process with the Sunlite low-carb variety about five years ago. The covers didn’t really do the job … Every year is different. We’re always trying to find new techniques.” To hedge his bets, he plants red potatoes in case they are damaged at an early age. “You can sell small reds,” he explained.

His assessment after the February cold snap? “Covering the plants wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.” But it saved a whole lot of potatoes.

GREW INTO THE BUSINESS

Danny Johns had an advantage getting into the potato-growing industry. His brother, industry leader Frank Johns, is eight years older and was already established by the time Danny was in high school. “I’d work for Frank after school,” Danny said. “I got my work ethic from him. He showed me the ropes.” Danny and other young men from the area would follow the potato crop from Florida up to the eastern shore of Virginia. When he was 21, he began share-cropping with another grower. “I bought my first tractor and harvester when Carter was in the White House,” he said. “I had an adjustable-rate loan and wound up paying 21 percent interest on the equipment.”

Blue Sky’s first major contract was with Eagle Snacks. Johns grew varieties that went into potato chips in those days. “They were great to do business with; I still keep in contact with the buyers I dealt with then.” After Proctor & Gamble bought the Eagle Snacks trademark and brand name from the Anheuser-Busch Companies in 1996 and quit making potato chips, Johns began diversifying into table potatoes.

As time went on, Johns not only grew his own potatoes, he also re-packed those grown elsewhere. Russets would come to his packinghouse from Wisconsin and Colorado and he’d pack them and send them to Wal-Marts in Florida. Johns also has grown other crops such as St. Augustine onions, eggplant and cabbage. “But now I’m a table potato specialist,” he said. Today, he runs his own potatoes through his packinghouse during the season, and brings potatoes in from South Florida before the season begins and from North Carolina after it ends. “Our customers appreciate us providing product over a longer period of time.”

MAKING IT EASY FOR THE CONSUMER

Johns is not only involved with FFVA, he’s a member of the National Potato Board. “One of the things we’re focusing on is convenience,” he said. “People don’t want to spend a lot of time on the potatoes,” he said. “The Potato Board is always looking at things like steamer bags, microwave packaging, frozen mashed potatoes … that sort of thing.”

Some of the varieties Johns grows are small, gourmet-style potatoes called fingerlings. “It’ll be interesting to see how the fingerling and specialty varieties work out in this economy,” he said. “But I think potatoes in general should do well. They’re a real value for the money.”

Johns also works with the University of Florida growing test plots for up-and-coming varieties. “In Florida, you can’t grow some of the varieties they grow up north. UF has been very progressive developing varieties that do well here. Our test plots grow some of the 4,000 or so varieties the research farm in Hastings runs trials on every year.” Johns also plans to conduct Best Management Practices research that would help provide commercial data on effective fertilization rates.

ENTER THE AMERICAN HERITAGE WATERWAYS BASIN MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN

One of the unique challenges Johns faces as a grower in the northeast part of Florida is that his land is adjacent to the St. Johns River, one of the American Heritage Waterways (add link). Using BMPs developed by UF’s Institute for Agricultural Sciences, he and other local growers have been actively participating in improving the quality of the river. “We’ve always been progressive. Farmers in the area have accumulated a lot of knowledge over the years,” Johns said. “Our challenge is getting that across to some of the experts from the DEP and other agencies.”

Of course, communicating the accomplishments and intricacies of the industry is just one bump in a farmer’s road. The goal is to keep moving forward, and Johns is right there on that path. As an example, he uses GPS tractor technology, which enables him to precisely plant seed potatoes to increase yield.

He also is focusing on traceability initiatives and making the right moves to ensure his customers are doing business with a green-friendly company. “They ask us what we’re doing in that area. They want to know so they can share some good news with the public – their customers.”

“I guess what it all boils down to is you have to be committed and you have to love what you’re doing,” said Johns. “One of the things I enjoy about farming is facing challenges that come your way and resolving them in order to stay in business.”