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By Ramona Frances

Jacob Mendrin examines onions for quality at his Madera farm.

Photo by: Wendy Alexander

Like family members before them, two Mendrin brothers help fill a niche market, growing potatoes and onions from soil in Madera County.

"Our great-grandfather, grandfather and father all grew potatoes here," Jacob Mendrin said. He and his brother Dave are growing potatoes, onions and specialty grass used for dairy feed.

Several decades ago, commercial potato sheds could be seen along the edge of the city of Madera, not far from The Madera Tribune office.

"My grandfather grew a few thousand acres in central and south Madera County," Mendrin said.

The Mendrins began onion harvest in mid July this season andthe potato harvest began shortly after and has not ended yet.

"We stagger our planting so we have a continuous harvest into fall," Mendrin said.

Asked about types of onions, Mendrin said, "There are a ton of onion seed varieties. We grow what we call 'old workhorse varieties,' yellows and reds."

The varieties grown by the Mendrins have adapted somewhat to the heat of the San Joaquin Valley, but they are not grown without challenges.

Experimenting last year with transplants, planting onion "plugs," the brothers determined it was too costly to plant that way.

"We do all direct seed planting now," he said.

Planting the potato root crop is different.

"We have a seed cutter that sizes (pieces of cut potato) and cuts them. We use a organic fungicide on them and plant them the same day."

Even though potato growing is new to the brothers, potato production is not new to their father, Jack Mendrin, whose father Dave and grandfather, J.K. grew potatoes.

"To top it off, we are organic (growers) and are faced with different challenges every year," he said.

As an organic grower, the Mendrin's cannot use synthetic fertilizers or treat for pests using non-organic products.

"We use compost tea. It has fish (meal) and a lot of different things in it, but it's mainly compost. Thank God, we have not had much of a pest problem at all. The biggest thing we do (as a safeguard) is rotate crops." Winter forage crops can be left in the same field year after year, but onions and potatoes are rotated every year, a practice used to help maintain the health of the crop.

"My dad remembers how but he has to brush up on stuff (growing practices). He grew potatoes in the 1960s and 70s."

When asked why he does what he does, he laughed and said, "We grow, we pack, we ship and we work outdoors. I don't think our family can be cooped up in an office. We have four generations of farming in our blood."

Jacob Mendrin is married to Manya and has two daughters, Tonya and Suzanne. Dave is married to Sharon; they are expecting their first baby.

Ramona Frances Ramona Frances is a staff columnist, writer and photographer for the Madera Tribune. You may contact Ramona at 674.8134 ext. 222 or by e-mail ramona (at) maderatribune.net The Madera Tribune online subscription To subscribe or log on, CLICK HERE. For more information first, CLICK HERE.