Potato Grower

July 2010 Potato Grower

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“ USPB I Am The Meet Rob Davis of Connell, Wash. By David Fairbourn | Photos courtesy of Rob Davis AN INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS introduced Rob Davis to farming. Nominated in 2007 to his first term on the United States Potato Board, this first- generation process grower from Connell, Wash., is just now completing his first decade running a potato farm. “I didn’t grow up on a farm. In fact, my father works in auto repair and bodywork,” Davis says. “My best friend growing up lived on a farm, though, and his family grew potatoes along with hay and corn. I helped them on weekends, whenever I had the chance, and I guess you could say I became attached. I liked seeing things grow and being outside.” STARTING OUT As a student attending Columbia Basin College in Washington’s Tri-Cities, Davis 12 Potato Grower | JULY 2010 put in long summer hours working for area growers and continued to develop his affinity with production agriculture. He liked the freedom of putting in as many hours as possible and having the opportunity to earn based on his individual effort, dedication and skill. “I like always having something to do,” Davis says. “I thrive on always being busy, and at the time, this appealed more to me than alternatives like factory work, or holding down a counter—the typical job opportunities available for college students.” After obtaining an Associate of Arts degree, Davis enrolled at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. While completing a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture economics, he continued working on a farm and grass-seed operation. “While at WSU, I planned on seeking a career in something agricultural like banking or sales,” he says. “However, in the spring of 1999, I decided to go to work with Carl Noble—a potato grower here in Connell, Wash.” Davis worked the next four seasons with Noble. Then in May 2003, he was running a dammerdiker on one of the potato fields, when he learned Noble had just been injured in a serious auto accident. This left a good part of the day- to-day operations to Davis, and he helped manage the farm for the rest of the season. Throughout 2004–05, Davis assumed an increasing level of the decision making and management responsibilities. Due to some challenges wrought by his automobile accident, Noble and his family

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