Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/14183
GEORGE MAURICE CRAPO, 70, OF Parker, Idaho, will never retire as long as health permits. He’ll pass on to the other side some day like all of us will, but chances are he won’t be retired when he does. Over the years he’s watched friends and acquaintances retire, and it’s become evident to him that working and keeping busy makes a person happier than retirement. Potatoes have been such a big part of Crapo’s life, outside of his family and trucking, that for many years his license plate on his pickup, a GMC Sierra, reads “Taters.” PARKER MAN George was born and raised in a little farm home just west of Parker, about four miles from where he lives now. As he was growing up, his father, Maurice, and brothers were just getting started in the potato business under Crapo Brothers. The original farm is just east of where the shop and office are. The brothers’ father, also named George, died when the brothers were young. They all took part in the farm, though Crapo’s uncle LaVell, who did the books, later left the farm to teach school before becoming a postmaster, but still owned part of the farm and continued involvement. Crapo graduated from South Fremont High School in 1957, then attended Ricks College for two semesters before transferring to the trade school at ISU, majoring in electronics. However, farming has always been in George’s blood. “I always loved farming,” he says. “I just started following my dad when I was very young and never quit. That was what I always wanted to do.” While he was attending college, some of the full-time employees on the farm quit unexpectedly, leaving openings on the farm. George quit college and returned to the farm. He later married his high-school sweetheart, Linda Kerbs, who grew up in Wilford. George explains how lucky he is because he married someone who could handle the farm life—having grown up helping her parents milking cows and doing other farm chores. “She was a hands-on farm girl,” he says. “She fit right in to the farm lifestyle.” She started helping the Crapo’s during harvest when she was 16 years old, starting out pulling vines before driving truck. She’s never stopped. “She has never missed a harvest since she was about 16 years old,” he says. He says she’s made it easy for him to spend all the time he needs to with grower responsibilities. “Up in our country, time is everything— both planting and harvest. So we have some pretty tense times, particularly in the harvest.” George and Linda have four sons— Ryan, Judd, Conn and Cade—and two daughters, Melissa and Jill. They have 26 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. About a year or so before George got married, his father and uncles offered him 80 acres of rented ground, which he planted, irrigated and harvested. In the meantime, his brothers were attending college, but also eventually came back. This was the beginning of the second generation Crapo Brothers. Over the years, the same thing happened with his sons: they became involved on the farm at a very young age. “As a family, we have been able to expand in order to make it possible,” he says. SUNGLO CEO George is now the CEO of SunGlo- Idaho Inc, located three miles north of Rexburg, in the community of Sugar City. SunGlo was originally established in 1974 by five southeast Idaho growers. According to George, it began as a dehy plant but was only operational for two years until the devastating Teton Flood—when the Teton Dam broke on June 5, 1976. “They had a lot of flake on the floor, and they got about 6–8 feet of water in the building,” he says. The warehouse did not reopen again as a dehy plant. Instead, owners Warren Walters, Dell Raybould, Max Mortenson, Golden Linford and John Raybould traded out dehy equipment for fresh pack equipment from Idaho Supreme. George was eventually asked to come on to take charge of the trucking, and in 1989, John Raybould offered to sell George his stock in the company. “And it’s progressed from there,” he says. SunGlo is a fresh pack operation, though they do also have dehy and frozen contracts. The Crapo family grows about CRAPO BROTHERS. George keeps a portrait on his office wall of the Crapo brothers, George’s father and uncles, who began farming potatoes. From their left, LaVell (father of Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)), Winford, Fred and Maurice, George’s father. He and his boys rode it until it developed mechanical problems. He was afraid someone might get hurt, so it was parked for almost 20 years. His desire for a Harley was still insatiable, so he finally convinced himself in 2002 to purchase one, knowing that if 13 half of the potatoes that go through the warehouse, which includes mostly Russet Burbanks with some Norkotahs, and reds and golds under dehy and frozen contracts. SunGlo’s modern facilities have a capability of processing two and a half million cwt each season. The company employs about 80 workers. BUSY MAN George enjoys keeping busy. Because he’s the CEO of a packing facility—while still managing farm land—he’s never really been much of a fisherman, and he used to go hunting a little, but he’s even gotten over that. However, one thing he’s always enjoyed is motorcycling. He bought his first rode bike in the early 80’s. “I didn’t buy what I really wanted. I wanted a Harley, but I bought something else,” he says. THE NEXT GENERATION. The next generation at Rob Davis Farms. From left, Jake, Trey and Jack.