Under the Hill Farms diversify with creamers for Little Potato Company

For more than three decades, Chad Berry of Under the Hill Farms (UTHF) has been chasing big yields and large potatoes. This year, however, the longtime grower is aiming small and on purpose. Last spring, the farm diversified into growing creamer potatoes for The Little Potato Company, another family-run business that got its start in Alberta.

The Little Potato Company specializes in pint-sized spuds, which have become increasingly popular with consumers looking for quick, easy-to-cook options. For Berry, the partnership opens a new door and proves that sometimes the best way to grow is to shrink your expectations, literally.

The difference isn’t just in size; it’s in the entire process. Creamer potatoes are harvested differently and much slower than those destined for fry production. Once harvested, they’re stored in wooden crates and kept in sheds until shipping.

Presently the creamers are being stored in sheds rented from Cypress River Potato Growers until ready to be shipped. They will then be taken back to Under the Hill where they will be graded for size. A requirement that led the UTHF team to design and build a belt sizer capable of sorting out any that are too large.

“The size profile is under 41 mm. They’re a low-yield, high-value potato, so we don’t have to irrigate them after July,” Berry explained. He added that grading only happens right before shipping because of water loss: “They shrink while stored.”

Because these are a table potato, Chad explains that they have to be perfect! The longer they sit, the stronger they become which is why the handling of them is left as close to shipping time as possible.

The new crop fits well into the operation. Because creamers require less attention during the farm’s busiest season, they free up time in the summer. The extra labour needed in the winter months also provides year-round work for employees. “This works out really well – no one can live on part-time wages, so this guarantees staff full-time hours year-round,” Berry said.

As for where the potatoes will end up, that’s still undecided. “Whether they’re shipped to Wisconsin or Alberta remains to be seen. We’re about halfway between the two, so the company will let us know when they’re coming, and we’ll have them ready.”

Under the Hill Farms has built its reputation over the past 30 years on consistency and innovation. Adding creamer potatoes is just the latest example of how the operation evolves to meet demand while staying rooted in family values and community connection. This move wasn’t taken lightly, Berry had been researching it for a few years. Previously there were some restrictions for Manitoba growers that have since been lifted.

“I talked to a number of producers who’ve worked with The Little Potato Company and they all had very positive reviews,” he said.

And now that UTHF has first hand experience working with the company they feel the same. “They (Little Potato Company) have a very hands-on approach. They have sent an agronomist from PEI out here a few times this summer to check on the crop. The company supplied us with a list, so hopefully by following that list everything will be successful,” Berry said with a grin.

Even though they are growing small potatoes, it is big business and UTHF started with planting 50 acres. “We picked the field with the most forgiving soil that would be easy to work with,” he explained.
“Big or small, potatoes are still our business,” he added. “At the end of the day, it’s about producing quality and keeping things moving forward. We are trying different markets, trying to diversify, and it seems like the closer to the consumer, the better it is long term.”

The relationship between UTHF and The Little Potato Company makes sense. The Alberta-based company began with a humble start; its first crop planted in 1996 with nothing more than a couple of shovels and founder Jacob Van Der Schaaf’s dream of recreating the delicious little potatoes he remembered from his childhood in Holland. Two years later, the company officially launched, employing 30 people and selling in supermarkets across Canada. By 2000, they had built their own plant and were named Alberta’s Fastest Growing Company by Alberta Venture magazine.

For both operations, it comes back to the same foundation: family roots, hard work, and the willingness to evolve. That shared outlook makes the partnership between UTHF and The Little Potato Company a natural fit.

So while the spuds coming out of the field this season may be smaller in size, the opportunity they represent for Under the Hill Farms is anything but. Sometimes, thinking big means going small.

PHOTO CAPTION: The newest product produced by Under the Hill Farms are valued for their small size, contradicting the normal business model of growing the biggest potato possible. These Creamer potatoes are stored in wooden crates right after harvest, then stored for a few months before being sorted and shipped.