Toevs Farm

About our Farm

Bridging the Moisture Gap with Sustainable Water Management

What’s the secret to sustainably growing potatoes in an area that receives only a quarter of the annual rainfall the high-value crop needs to thrive?

For farmer Ritchey Toevs, the solution is logic, not magic.

Progressive adoption of water management practices efficiently bridges the gap between the six to eight inches of rain that typically fall on the Aberdeen, Idaho, operation, and the 25 inches of moisture required to support 1,000 acres of potatoes throughout the growing season.

“Water is the most important part of crop production,” Toevs says. “We can do everything else right, but if we do water wrong, we won’t be successful.”

The second-generation farmer is accustomed to drawing from local supplies, including the Snake River Plains aquifer. But he’s also conscious of how many other entities in the region rely on those same water sources.

“There are a lot of straws in the glass,” Toevs says. “Water is a shared resource, so it’s important to understand the impact our water management practices have on the entire community. I view farming as a privilege, not a right.”

While the aquifer is a renewable resource, he understands that use without recharge is irresponsible management and will strain supply, jeopardizing their long-term ability to raise a productive, profitable crop.

To protect the future of their potato production and strengthen the local ecosystem, the farm has integrated irrigation technology and soil health practices to make smart, strategic water management decisions.

Resilient Agriculture

All the potatoes grown on the farm are for frozen production, including Clearwater Russet — an approved variety for McDonald’s French fries — and Russet Burbank. Barley, wheat, mustard, sugarbeets and alfalfa have also been part of Toevs’ crop rotation.

He prefers to grow potatoes on a four-year rotation. Crop diversity helps retain soil structure and keeps the ground covered as much as possible to minimize wind erosion and solar oxidation while catching snowfall that preserves valuable moisture.

“The natural benefits of crop rotation sometimes get lost in an age of herbicides and chemical crop protection,” Toevs says. “It’s important to remember how resilient agriculture can be.”

Once potatoes have been harvested in the fall, Toevs typically plants winter wheat and won’t touch the ground again until it’s harvested the following August. While deep tillage is necessary for potatoes, he tries to maintain or increase soil organic matter (SOM) content to improve water infiltration and holding capacity.

After small grain harvest, the farm applies compost to reestablish a volunteer cover crop and keep it alive as long as possible. While the farm’s SOM is improving, Toevs wants to sustain that progress. 

“I’m always looking for a better rotation,” Toevs says. “One percent of organic matter holds about 20,000 gallons of water per acre which is about three-quarters of an inch of plant-available water. That water can supply crop needs for as much as two days during hot, windy periods.”

Allocating Resources

Farming a combination of primarily sandy loam, silt and clay soils, Toevs says maximizing water infiltration is essential. The farm has about 25 ZimmaticTM and ValleyTM center pivot irrigation systems and more than 100 wheel line units patrolling potato fields.

Soil moisture probes help prevent over saturating soils that don’t have the water holding capacity or under applying areas that are prone to drying out during the growing season. Overwatering early can lead to drown out, while underwatering late can make potatoes more susceptible to bruising.

“Over application on our clay loam fields can turn them into cinder blocks, while our sandier soils can absorb any amount of water,” Toevs says. “It’s important for us to match our water application decisions to plant needs and soil types for good infiltration, fertilizer efficiency and plant health.”

The farm has half a dozen moisture probes placed in potato fields that provide real-time readings. The gathered data helps Toevs break down applied water usage by growing stage. This prevents over watering potatoes in August and reduces the risk of moisture-related problems during storage. 

Toevs also has more than 100 additional moisture probes that crop consultants manually check three times per week throughout the growing season.

“The real-time probes allow us to track application history and see how much applied water actually infiltrates the soil,” he says. “We try to account for every drop that we apply. Not so much to reduce our water usage, but to better understand how much we are using it and how use relates to growing the best crops.”

The farm also uses flowmeters to track deep well water applications in season, and canal water is delivered through metered headgates to track surface water use. 

Aerial imagery has also been an asset, Toevs says, especially to evaluate and adjust water application uniformity through the center pivots. Partially plugged or malfunctioning pivot nozzles and defective pressure regulators can be hard to pick out at ground level, but are easily diagnosed with aerial imagery.

“We could have one that’s 90% plugged and never know it just looking at the water spray,” Toevs says. “We can pick out the problem right away with an aerial image and solve that over- or under-application problem before it impacts the health of our potatoes.”

Active Advocate

As modern technology and regenerative soil health practices continue to improve water sustainability on their farm, Toevs is working to increase broader awareness and adoption.

He is on the Potato Sustainability Alliance’s Executive Committee, serving a two-year term as treasurer, and also a member of the Water Sustainability Board. Toevs is also active in the National Potato Council, Potatoes USA and Idaho Potato Commission.

Collaboration among partners in potato production will drive progress, Toevs says. One area he sees opportunity to develop is conservation and sustainability credits for farmers who meet water stewardship thresholds.

“There are efforts being made, but there’s more to be done,” he says.