At Easterday Farms we like to say, “we pack family pride in every package.”
In 1958, Ervin Easterday moved his family and farming operation from Nampa, Idaho, to southeastern Washington State.
From the early stages of planting to the final phase of packaging and shipping, you will find the Easterday family actively involved in all aspects of delivering you high quality produce you can trust. We are a family-owned and operated farming business. We believe that the size of our business is a unique balance between the economy and efficiency of scale and the attention to detail necessary for customer satisfaction. We are a proud grower and packer of conventionally raised onions and potatoes.
The combination of sun, water and mineral rich alluvial soil in the Columbia Basin makes ideal conditions for growing potatoes and onions. The land and weather patterns in our region allow us to carefully control water and nutrients to the plants for greater sustainable yields, reflected in the affordable produce we offer our customers. We use the latest technology in farming and post-harvest operations to produce onions and potatoes that are high quality, safe, sustainable, and affordable.
History
The Easterday family’s roots run deep in agriculture and the Washington State onion and potato industry. In 1958, Ervin Easterday moved his family and farming operation from Nampa, Idaho, to southeastern Washington, where he purchased 300 acres of undeveloped land in the new Columbia Basin Reclamation Irrigation project. With a meagre annual rainfall of 7 inches per year, the new supply of water from Grand Coulee Dam changed this land forever. As a young man, Ervin’s son, Gale Easterday, said he worked what seemed like endless hours on a Caterpillar leveling and clearing this new ground so water had access to run down the furrows.
The allure of “fresh dirt” was powerful and it compensated for the hard work and resilience necessary to make a successful farm. The tenacity of the Easterday women involved in the development of the farm is what really made it all work. Prior to the introduction of pivot irrigation or also referred to as ‘circles’, the early years were hard on those trying to keep tidy houses and clean kitchens and make this new area their home. The responsibilities of our grandmother, aunts and mother went beyond the house as they were the tractor and truck drivers, cattle-herders and water-changers when a spare hand was needed.
By 1979, Gale and Karen were the sole owners of Easterday Farms, with their five children helping work on the farm. In 1989, their son, Cody, became a partner and Easterday Farms was once again a father-son enterprise. Easterday Farms has now grown to more than 18,000 acres of potatoes, onions, corn and wheat. The grain products are used to feed cattle in the Easterday Ranches feedlots. The farm and feedlots are under the direction of Cody, while his brother, Cully Easterday, is the farm Agronomist. The fresh onions and potatoes are packed by Easterday Farms Produce Company, and sold to customers on both the domestic and international markets. The packing houses are managed and operated by Jody Easterday and her husband, Andrew Wills. Gale continues to be very involved in all aspects of the farms, ranches and packing houses, and remains our resident expert when it comes to anything involving “iron” – farm equipment in
layman’s terms.
We have also partnered with our cousins - the Weyns family of Royal City, Washington. They grow all of the red and white onions and red and yellow potatoes. Ko and Kees Weyns carry on the tradition of Ervin Easterday with their passion for farming.