Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1323175
WWW.POTATOGROWER.COM 33 Legacy Harvest at Worley Family Farms on a stormy day in fall 2019. T The San Luis Valley is in south-central Colorado at an elevation of 7,544 feet, making it the largest alpine desert in the world. The area, roughly 60 miles east to west and 120 miles north to south (the state of Connecticut would fit inside it), the Valley is rich in history and culture and averages 350 days of sunshine each year. The average summer temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit with about 7 inches of annual precipitation. July and August are generally the only frost-free months. These conditions make ideal ground for raising seed potatoes. Potatoes were introduced to the Valley around 1875, making it one of the oldest growing regions in the United States. In the 1940s, the first certified seed potato crop was produced starting the legacy of Colorado potato seed. The Worley Family Farms, LLC (formerly Worley Seed) story began in 1919 when Gerald Worley, after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War I, loaded his belongings into a railroad boxcar and moved to the San Luis Valley. Farming was Gerald's life, and he passed that passion down to his son Carl. Carl Worley was born in 1930 and started his own potato-growing career when he was 11 years old. He bought 16 sacks of Red McClure potato seed from his dad and planted one acre of potatoes for his 4-H project. He continued to grow potatoes, winning ribbons at the local county fair and placing well at the state fair. Carl continued to grow seed potatoes throughout his school years. He attended Colorado A&M (now Colorado State University), during which time he joined the ROTC program and earned a degree in animal husbandry. He served in the U.S. Army infantry in Korea and returned home in 1954 to resume farming and raising seed potatoes with