Fields To Forks: N.B. potato farm supplies the Maritimes with 'Eco Spuds'

TIMBER RIVER, N.B. -

For Pirmin Kummer, farming has always been a way of life.

“I was always involved in farming, I got an education in farming and worked on farms, but always had that dream of having my own farm and we just jumped on an opportunity and came here,” said Kummer, standing in front of a large tractor on a rural New Brunswick field.

In 1993, Kummer, his wife, and their three-month-old son Jonathan packed up their home in northern Germany and moved to Timber River, N.B. to turn that dream into a reality.

“It was tough the first 10 years...but it really worked out. We really like living in New Brunswick and we became Canadians, we are Canadians now and we think New Brunswick is a really great place to raise a family,” said Kummer.

The family now runs Timber River Eco Farm, an 800 acre potato farm with an environmentally friendly focus when it comes to planting and packaging

Kummer’s oldest son, Jonathan Kummer, says 40 per cent of the farm runs on solar power.

“We’re using compostable bags now, which we introduced this year and is going really well, we use solar power so it's not just the potato growing itself but how the whole farm is run. We try and incorporate and be as good environmental stewards as we can,” said Jonathan.

During the pandemic, Jonathan, who was living in Halifax, N.S. at the time, decided to change careers and move back to New Brunswick to help his parents on the farm full-time. His father was very appreciative of the idea.

“I was getting ready to give up, I’m getting older, you can only do so much work for so long,” laughed Kummer.

“Dad and I really click almost on every level, so it's seamless working together and it's fun and he teaches me something new every day.”

Those working on the farm have also become like family to the Kummers. Most of the crew have been there since the beginning, nearly three decades ago.

“They’ve seen me grow up from a little kid running around the farmyard to now and so we all work together, we like what we do, and it’s great showing up every morning with everyone,” said Jonathan.

Timber River Eco Farm’s signature line of “Eco Spuds” is sold exclusively in Sobeys stores across the Maritimes and Newfoundland and Labrador.

“It always varies year to year but maybe around 400,000 10-pound bags eaten by Atlantic Canadians each year of our Eco Spuds.”