Charles Higgins: A Legendary Career in the Potato Industry Comes to a Close

Agronomist, plant breeder, farmer. writer, philanthropist, mentor, potato ambassador, leader, Dr. Charles Higgins has been doing all those things for the better part of the past 50 years. He’s become so well-known through the industry, simply saying, "Charlie," during a conversation is usually enough to establish Higgins as the person being referenced. 

While Higgins’ contributions to the potato industry aren’t done yet, his time farming potatoes and running businesses is just about over. That included overseeing Higgins Farms Inc. in the San Luis Valley, and Norika America LLC, a North American-based distributor of German potato breeder Norika’s varieties. 

Charles Higgins:

"I sold my property; I’m just farming grandkids now."

He is looking forward to spending more time with family and working on Ethiopian Food Project he founded with his wife and grower friends. 

 

Dr. Charlie Higgins, right, stands with his grandson, Tell Chapman

John Lundeen, Director of Research at Potatoes USA:

"He’s an unassuming treasure trove of knowledge. When you pick up the phone and call Charlie, you’re going to learn something."

As a longtime consultant to Potatoes USA on potato variety trials, Higgins has worked closely with Lundeen on numerous projects over the years. In fact, Lundeen said one of his first road trips on the job when he joined Potatoes USA five years ago was to Navajo Mesa Farms near the Colorado-New Mexico border. No matter the subject, Lundeen knows he can call Charlie.

John Lundeen:

"I mean, he’s just Charlie. He doesn’t brag about himself or his knowledge base. But if you go to him and say, Charlie, tell me how seed multiplication works. Charlie, tell me about this disease. Charlie, tell me about the defects in this potato. Charlie, tells me who the players are in the industry? Charlie, what’s the history of the chip trial system? He’s always been a go-to (resource) about everything in the industry."

Higgins’ story is too grand to give all aspects their due justice. In addition to owning and operating Higgins Farms with his daughter and son-in-law, some other key roles and accomplishments include:

• Higgins earned a Ph.D. in plant breeding and seed production from Colorado State University in 1981.
• From 1969 to 1971, Charlie and his wife, Judy, served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Ethiopia. It was there Higgins saw firsthand the famine and struggle to procure food that became a global story during the 1980s, resulting in the pop music phenomenon, “We Are the World.” Higgins’ Peace Corps experience laid the foundation for his later work in helping to establish and manage the Ethiopian Sustainable Food Project in the early 2000s. This continues to supply Ethiopian farmers with disease free potato seed of improved varieties.
• He has served as technical consultant and advocate for the National Chip Program (NCP) since 2007. Higgins has been instrumental in growing the NCP, said Alyssa Green, who works with Lundeen at Potatoes USA. His efforts include presenting at multiple conferences every year, traveling to visit growers, and making countless calls and connections to get varieties into production. "He’s a logistics whiz," Green said.
• Early in his career, Higgins served as an agronomist for the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico for 11 years. He worked with a team to develop the 70,000-acre irrigation project.
• Higgins has done extensive agronomic consulting work during his career, including for Frito Lay International in Mexico, Thailand, China, Australia, and Venezuela. He has also consulted with many potato chip growers, including Heartland Farms and Walther Farms.
• Charlie served as agent for Norika, a German potato breeding company, and for Irish Potato Breeders. When Higgins began managing Norika varieties in 1994, it was a $4,000-a-year endeavor. Under Higgins’ watch, sales grew over the years, and he and Norika created a co-owned LLC called Norika America in 2007. By 2023, it had grown into a more than $750,000-a-year business.

While Higgins’ home base was the San Luis Valley of Colorado, his work with Norika and Potatoes USA’s chip trials allowed him to work closely with seed growers throughout North America, from Maine's Aroostook County to Washington state. Some of those farms are now being run by grandchildren of his original partners.

Jason Walther, leader of Walther Farms, a multi-state operation based in Michigan:

"I see Charlie as like the grandfather of the potato industry."

Walther Farms is a major producer of chip and table stock potatoes that Higgins has served in consultation.

Jason Walther:

"I see Charlie as like the grandfather of the potato industry. Charlie’s knowledge of every facet of the industry is incredible – agronomy, physiology, pathology, logistics, equipment, storage, handling, economics, and even the human leadership aspect of it."

Charles Higgins:

"No one is an independent expert in all thing’s potato. I have been privileged to work with the best potato pathologists, potato breeders and physiologists in the world."

As philanthropic as Higgins is with his time and resources, he balances it with a keen business sense. Disease pressure continues to drive breeding efforts, but Higgins knew decades ago that better virus-resistant varieties would also be a necessity, which is why he saw Norika as a good opportunity. Also, German consumers demand excellent flavor in potatoes. Norika varieties have the best flavor and texture in the business.

Charles Higgins:

"When we started, yellow varieties were 1% of the market, maybe less. Now, it’s probably 10%. The Norika varieties have claimed a big part of that. Yellow flesh varieties are the fastest-growing category in the fresh potato market."

Higgins said trying out new varieties is a risk, and he quickly credits all the seed growers who went out on a limb. 

 

Chris Long, the longtime head of the Potato Outreach Program in Michigan, is the new manager of Norika’s potato varieties for North America.

Charles Higgins:

"I think many of them have been rewarded with profitability. The whole spectrum of seed growers is especially valuable. They’re friends and customers. All the seed growers are really important to us."

Taking over Higgins’ role for Norika America LLC will be Chris Long, the longtime head of the Potato Outreach Program at Michigan State University. The potato industry has benefited greatly by Charie Higgins’ leadership, passion, and hard work, Long said.

Chris Long:

"Charlie will still be plenty involved in consulting. I’ve always valued partnerships and relationships with the growers. Ultimately, my goal has always been and will continue to be to make them more profitable."

Among Long’s goals will be to elevate the Norika brand, as well as add to its digital assets, like online databases and website development.