Agriculture is nothing new for Carl and Betsy Long of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. While both grew up in the dairy industry, it took creativity, tenacity, and flexibility to grow a successful row crop operation of their own.
“It’s a totally different beast when you have a crop farm,” Betsy says. “There were the day-to-day tasks on the dairy, whereas we have different seasons based on planting and harvest.”
Today the couple farm about 2,600 acres in north-central Pennsylvania with their three children, Mark, Emmett, and Colette. Although potatoes are the main crop, they also grow green beans, seed oats, wheat, corn, soybeans, clover, and Timothy hay.
The Path to Potatoes
Betsy was raised on a dairy farm; Carl got his ag start in high school. The son of a single mother, he worked on three separate operations before an FSA loan allowed him to build his own herd.
By graduation he had 23 cows, but he knew running a successful dairy on such a small scale would be difficult. A new opportunity offered the first step into crop production.
“I sold the cows after graduation,” Carl says. “There was a sweet corn processing plant in the state looking for corn acres, so we started growing sweet corn.”
When a neighboring farmer was looking to semi-retire, Carl worked with him to take over his green bean contracts. The partner-ship allowed Carl to finance equipment, lease buildings, and later buy the farm he and Betsy now call home.
When prices were strong, the couple also grew grain corn. When markets fell, they needed to shift. “We had to look at how we were going to survive,” Carl says.
The area had been known for grow-ing potatoes, and Carl and Betsy had old potato storage facilities. With help from the brothers who sold them the farm, the couple planted 42 acres of potatoes that first year.
Today, potatoes are a main crop for Carl and Betsy.
Unique Challenges Drive Success
As for many beginning farmers, finances drive most of the Longs’ decisions.
“We truly have to make business choices,” Betsy says. “We do not make choices based on history or sentimentality. We have to analyze everything.”
Even in good years the couple analyzes each crop to understand how it fits into their operation — and bottom line. In tough years they aren’t afraid to shake up the status quo to reduce risk.
Researching and building new markets also has fostered success. In one instance the couple participated in a USDA block grant trial looking at which potato types could grow in the area.
“There are a lot of russets in the West but not in Pennsylvania,” Betsy says. “But there are a lot of market opportunities in the state.”
While the USDA trial plot was hand planted and harvested, Carl did his own research, buying the same seed and running it through his planter and harvester on a small scale. It was a successful experiment, allowing him to bring a new variety, the Silverton Russet, to the farm beyond the traditional chip varieties they had been growing.
Passion Pays Off
Last year, Outstanding Farmers of America, a prestigious group of young growers from across the nation, named Carl and Betsy National Outstanding Young Farmers. Presented to four winners each year, the award is based on operation growth, agricultural stewardship, and community involvement. Finalists are inducted as members.
“It was a very humbling experience,” Carl says.
“Program leaders told us we would make lifelong friends, and we didn’t really believe them. Then we spent five or six days together and realized they’ve prescreened 10 people that had the exact same interests and ambitions as us.”
The Longs also are involved in local organizations, including the Farm Bureau and the Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Growers. The couple also helps with outreach in local schools, highlighting how bright a future in agriculture can be.
“We have a lot of opportunities to talk to young kids,” Betsy says. “We tell them the average age of the farmer is increasing, but we still need to eat, and there still needs to be food produced in this country. There will be so much opportunity for growth in the future.”