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Southwind Farms gets federal producer grant
Company one of five in Idaho to receive grant
By Joshua Palmer
Times-News (Idaho)
November 14, 2008
Southwind Farms, a specialty potato farm and marketing company, will receive a nearly $300,000 grant on Thursday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The company, which is located at 450 21st Street in Heyburn, produces and sells specialty potatoes to high-end restaurants and retailers throughout the United States.
The grant is part of the USDAs Value-added Agricultural Producer Grant program, which is designed to encourage independent producers of agricultural commodities to process their products into marketable goods - thereby increasing farm income.
USDA officials will present a check in the amount of $298,068 to Southwind Farms to assist in the marketing efforts for their specialty fingerling potatoes.
Randy Wheatley, business program specialist for Idaho Department of Agriculture, said the state issued five such grants in Idaho, which are backed by USDA Rural Development and financed through regional banks.
Jerry Tominaga, one of three owners of Southwind, said the company applied for the grant about a year ago.
"We want to be able to go out and attract new customers," he said. "I think the grant money will help us do that by helping us market our products to other retailers and food services."
The company, which is also owned by Rod Lake and Robert Tominaga, has operated in Heyburn for about nine years. It produces, processes and markets specialty potatoes from south-central Idaho.
Joshua Palmer may be reached at 208-735-3231 or at jpalmer@magicvalley.com.
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