A new chapter in a family business

Northern Potato Company was founded in 1978 in the fertile lands of the Portage la Prairie area and later in the vegetable growing soils of the Assiniboine River Valley.

Henry Kuhl grew up in Winkler, Man., and started the farm growing potatoes and cereal crops. Through his relationships in the agriculture community, Kuhl soon realized that the soils of the valley were also prime for producing beautiful crops of asparagus. His crop was unique to the area, and the asparagus component of the farm grew exponentially over the years.

Henry’s son James  was a farm boy through and through. He spent numerous hours in the tractors on the fields, so it wasn’t a surprise he acquired a diploma in agriculture from the University of Manitoba and then returned to the farm.

By contrast, Kristen (Henry’s daughter) wanted to be a city girl. She moved away, attended university, and started working. After she got married and her first child was born, she began overseeing the books of the family business and hasn’t  left the farm since.

The brother-sister duo purchased part of the family farm and, in 2016, River Valley Specialty Farms Inc. was established. They acquired the acreage with the asparagus fields and have additional acreage dedicated to organic farming.

James is the chief operating officer is responsible for crop production, asparagus processing and quality control. Kristen is the chief administrative officer, overseeing the finances, asparagus sales and the organic program. Kristen said they work well together because they bring different strengths and passions to the business.

Admittedly, venturing into organic farming has been quite a learning curve.  Both James and Kristen are committed to replenishing the lands with life-giving nutrients and are grateful to move away from harsh chemicals and fertilizers.  

"Community" is what sets this family farm apart from others. Every year, River Valley Specialty Farms hires over 60 seasonal workers from Mexico. James and Kristen acknowledge the deep sacrifices the employees make when they come here to work (leaving their families, the language barrier, a new country, and so on).

Therefore, a true community is cultivated and the workers feel privileged to have the opportunity to earn money to support family back home. In addition to the seasonal agriculture and food safety programs, the company promotes a culture of fun.

"This is a wonderful opportunity we have from our parents to do this and we are excited for the future,"  Kristen said.

If you would like to learn more about River Valley Specialty Farms, visit www.rivervalleyfarms.ca

Deb Martens is a community correspondent for Cartier. Please email her with questions or concerns at debsmartens@gmail.com