www.potatogrower.com 9
future would've held, but this is what I
wanted."
If he had done something different, the
Coombs property may never have had a
potato grown on it. Beef cattle had been
the backbone of the operation since Dean
had settle in the area in 1950. Around the
time of Dean's death in 1984, the decision
was made to transition to row crops,
primarily wheat and corn. Then, in 1989,
Mark was visiting with his close friend
Mike Wagner, who farmed just a few miles
away. Neither had ever grown potatoes,
but the crop was booming in western
Idaho, and the two neighbors decided they
could each make a go of it.
"We just said, 'If these other guys can do
it, so can we,'" recalls Coombs. "Mike and
I have been in it together since we started
growing potatoes. We've helped each other
a lot, and he's become a very good friend
to me."
In the mid-'90s, Mark's oldest brother
Brent returned to the farm and has played
an integral role in pushing the family's
success in the potato industry.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Kyle Coombs (right) represents
the third generation of
Coombses to farm the original
farm in Middleton.
NO JOB TOO SMALL
Coombs does every job on
the farm, from picking clods
to driving truck to securing
contracts.
