Commissioner Taylor Visits Potato Production on the Wilson Family Farm

24 June 2025
Category: SJC News District 5
Tags: 2025

The Hastings community is the home of the “Potato Capital of Florida”.

The month of June is full of activities – Father’s Day, Juneteenth, Memorial Day, the beginning of summer, and the first month of hurricane season! As these annually occurring life events are going on around us, so are the final days of potato harvesting in St. Johns County!

While we as a community are privileged to be the home of the “Potato Capital of Florida” in Hastings, our farmers are represented throughout the county in Elkton and St. Augustine as well, including the Wilson Family Farm. Nestled just east of the St. Johns River on County Road 214, you can find this multi-generational farm in full swing these days during peak season. Owner and wife, Christine Wilson, stated that the area has historical significance. Their farm on CR 214, “…is the main road into historical downtown St Augustine. This area was how goods were shipped into St. Augustine, by railway and boats on the St Johns River.” The Wilsons also invited St. Johns County Commissioner Ann Taylor to join on a tour of their farm this month and learned about their processing and storage methods of their harvested potatoes.

The potato season begins in January when they start planting their fields, as Florida is the winter hub for specialty crop production. We can grow crops here while northern states are still freezing and limited in their options. It takes weeks to finish planting hundreds of acres of seed potatoes, which come from states such as Maine and Idaho. Then for the next three months, the Wilsons will be monitoring and nurturing their crops. That means soil testing to identify nutrient deficiencies, scouting fields daily to prevent pests like beetles or fungal blights all while ensuring that the utilities and equipment are functioning properly. In order to be a successful farmer, you must be an expert in many fields: irrigation, mechanics, electricity, mathematics, and more. You must be a skilled tradesman or woman. Another reason to be supportive of the technical schools that are much needed in society and especially in the agricultural industry.

This family consists of three generations working on the farm, all members contributing to the operation, ranging from running the office and handling the orders, to equipment maintenance and product packaging. Farming is a team effort, and the Wilson’s are an excellent example of how one family successfully works together for their livelihood and to feed the nation with fresh, table stock potatoes. When we asked Christine why they produce this type of potatoes, she replied, “My father in-law Bill Wilson made the decision in the early 80’s to switch from Chip stock to Table stock. His decision was based on more freedom to grow, and more outlets for his crop.”

What is a table stock potato? Well, it boils (pun intended) down to water content and specific gravity. Table stock potatoes are meant to be baked or boiled, while the chip potatoes are used for frying. Specific gravity is the measurement of an object at a specific temperature when weighed in the air compared to the weight in water. Potatoes are mostly composed of water, followed by starches, cellulose and sugars. The amount of water in the potato determines its ideal purpose: to fry or not to fry. It is fair to say that most home cooks are aware that oil and water do not mix well. That is why the potatoes grown for French fries and chips have less water content, which is ideal for the frying process.

How do you know the difference? By variety or cultivar! Varieties are naturally occurring variations of plants. They were discovered and reproduced in their natural state without tinkering with the genetics. Just as an aside, not all plant breeding is considered genetically modified, or GMOs. Many potatoes on the market were bred the old fashion way – researchers planted thousands of seeds and harvest the best ones for the qualities we are searching for, such as water content, color, flavor, shelf life, etc. That is what our plant breeder at UF/IFAS, Dr. Marcio Resende, does for the Florida potato industry; develop potato varieties that the Wilsons can grow with reduced risk of rot in the field and improved shelf life for the consumers. He works with the farmers to help identify and create breeds that can tolerate our intense heat and disease pressures alongside our potato physiologist, Dr. Lincoln Zotarelli. Cultivars have been cultivated or bred and usually have their names written in single quotes. As an example, the Atlantic potato is ideal for frying, while ‘Natascha’ and ‘Red La Soda’ are great for baking and mashing.

The Wilsons grow the types of potatoes that are sold fresh in bags at the grocery store. The kind that you purchase for your homemade mashed or twice-baked loaded potatoes (yum!). But like most commercial farms, you will not find them at your local farmer’s market. Their production is wholesale, so in order to be a customer, it is expected that you are buying in bulk – by the trailer load. That does not mean that you cannot support them even if you cannot afford or need that volume. Reach out to your farmers and ask where you can find their product and look for produce labels that state “Fresh From Florida.”

Growing produce for society creates a great sense of pride and accomplishment but also personal enjoyment. When Christine was asked what she enjoys most about farming, she shared that “the best part of agriculture is the sense of community. Most people in this community are generationally linked, in some aspect creating a large family of like-minded individuals. We are all stewards of this land and feel an obligation to protect this area. The farming community knows what we go through to keep this part of St. Johns County viable and thriving.”

For more information on the agriculture community in St. Johns County, contact Evelyn “Prissy” Fletcher, Grants and Policy Analyst (Agriculture), Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, at (904) 209-0530 or efletcher@sjcfl.us.