URBANA, Ohio – Think of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and thoughts of turkey, ham and stuffing might come to mind. And, of course, so might potatoes.

It’s during these holidays that Michael Family Farms, of Champaign County, Ohio, is busier than any other time of the year. Potatoes (mashed, roasted, au gratin, you name it) are Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions for most families. America loves its potatoes. The average adult consumed around 44 pounds of potatoes each year.

Michael Family Farms is one of the largest vegetable farms in the state with more than 2,500 acres. And, the potato is the chief vegetable on this farm.

The farm is a year-round supplier for the Great Lakes region. The family stores their round white and red potatoes at the farm in Urbana, but the russets and yellows are grown and stored by their partners in southern Michigan and northern Indiana.

“Our storages hold about 5 million pounds of potatoes,” Kathy Michael Sponheim said. “In comparison, during Thanksgiving time, we’re doing 80 to 100 semi-truck loads a week. Normally we’re doing 40 to 60 loads each week.”

Michael Family Farms is a fourth-generation family potato business, located on 3,000 acres of naturally rich soil in Urbana in the Ohio Central Valley. It grew from a tiny farm in 1958 when Doug and Phyllis Michael began growing white varieties and sold them seasonally. Today, Michael Family Farms sells over 30 different types of potatoes year-round.

Their children (Scott, Kurt, Kyle, Todd and Kathy Michael Sponheim) have taken over various operations at the farm. All have ag-related degrees from Ohio State University. 

Scott and Kurt oversee production of sweet corn, green beans, cabbage and potatoes. Kyle’s mechanical expertise and agronomy background is invaluable on the farm. Todd served as the president of the National Potato Council and Ohio Potato Growers Association. He also held leadership positions with the Potatoes USA Board. Kathy is in charge of tactical sales, dealer development, new product development and manages all marketing duties at the farm.

Sponheim worked for more than a decade in sales and marketing at John Deere after she graduated from Ohio State. At that time, she said she learned a lot of tips and tricks, including working with other people, to bring back to the family business.

“There are some growers who grow potatoes in the state, and they’re in pockets in the northwest and north central part of Ohio, but they’re for chippers for potato chips,” Sponheim said. “There are some soils in this state which is conducive to growing potatoes, where they thrive very well. Soil and drainage capability are so important when growing the potato. Potatoes don’t like heavy soils, like the ones used in growing field corn. There’s simply not as many large potato growers in the state as there used to be.”

Urbana is certainly rural enough to be considered a farm town. But crucial infrastructure and population centers are close enough to make getting products like potatoes to market a relatively simple matter. All of Michaels’ considerable customer base is located within a five-and-a-half-hour driving radius from the farm.

“Our location is great just being close to where our potatoes end up,” Sponheim said. “We value loyalty and longevity in our customers and parters. That has been a lot of work to maintain over the years, but part of what makes it work is excellent customer service.”

The Michaels harvest potatoes from August through October. Sponheim said to store the potatoes, they want it to be 55 degrees or lower so they don’t sweat because moisture isn’t good for them. The location must be dark and have air circulation with forced air and fans to make the “best sleeping environment” until they are needed.

In a region where the agricultural landscape is dominated by corn and soybeans, the Michaels’ success in the potato industry has always depended largely on their taking advantage of unique market efficiencies. During Todd’s early days in the business, the family grew only round whites focused on seasonal marketing. The industry has changed considerably in the ensuring years, and the Michaels have evolved accordingly.

As a potato advocate, Sponheim serves on the National Potato Council as the delegate for Ohio, and on the board and nutrition committee for Potatoes USA, to give them a voice when Washington, D.C., is making decisions that can impact the farm so they can give them good information.

And this family is in love with the vegetable they grow.

“My family’s always on the go. But we eat potatoes at least four to five times a week,” Sponheim said. “Potatoes have complex carbohydrates, which give you energy over time. And they don’t spike your blood sugar. You eat a baked potato, you’re going to have energy, the carbohydrates your body needs to work out and so it’s kind of fueling.”

Sponheim said her family takes seriously the stewardship of the land, including responsible water use and reducing the distance their crops must travel after harvest.

“As multigenerational farmers, if we weren’t stewards of the land, we wouldn’t have land to come back to,” she said. “Cover crops, erosion control, land management – they’re table stakes to ensure we have a crop to plant next year. We’re also looking at new practices we haven’t thought of before, like packaging that’s fully compostable and recyclable.”