Potato reps return from Mexico trade mission

French fries promoted, new contacts made for industry

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — In the Mecca of mariachi, Gov. Chris Gregoire heard some of the popular Mexican music.

But it was a Columbia Basin potato farmer who helped serenade her.

Longtime area farmer Frank Martinez was one of several members of the Washington State Potato Commission to accompany Gregoire to Mexico City and Guadalajara as part of a trade mission.

"Guadalajara is the Mecca of mariachi music, so of course they had a mariachi show up and they were singing for us and playing," Martinez said.

Martinez decided to get up on stage and sing several popular songs, as the mariachis accompanied him.

"I've done it before — I used to be a musician when I was young and I love mariachi music," he said. "They accompanied me like we were pros. And I dedicated the songs to the governor. She got up from her table and came to my table and congratulated me and my wife. So it was a pretty neat deal."

Accompanying commissioner Martinez from the commission were Director of Trade Matt Harris and Skagit Valley fresh potato grower Roger Knutzen.

"The purpose of the trade mission was to promote our great french fries from Washington and also discuss with Mexican officials the opening of our fresh potato market access into Mexico," Harris explained. "Currently we have access as the United States to the first 26 kilometers of the U.S.-Mexican border. Through this trade mission, we were able to meet with those officials to discuss furthering access for our state fresh potatoes."

The five-day trade mission had a delegation of more than 50, including representatives of agriculture, higher education, wood products, packaging, engineering, ports and government agencies.

The potato group toured the Guadalajara central market and met with Mexican fresh potato buyers, distributors and federal and state government officials.

Fry promotions were hosted at Wings family restaurant in Mexico City and El Pollo Pepe in Guadalajara. Gregoire went around the tables serving Washington french fries, while Martinez served as her personal guide and interpreter in Guadalajara.

"She did real good," Martinez said. "She asked me to tell them in Spanish who she was, what she was doing there and who I was … I was one of the growers who grew those potatoes. I'm from Mexico, so it's a thrill for me to go down and promote a product we produce here, which is in my view the best in the country and the world."

The potato commission has participated in several trade missions. Martinez was in Mexico accompanying then-Gov. Gary Locke in 2004.

"Mexico is the second-largest importer of frozen french fries, so it's a big market for us," Martinez said.

The group made new contacts within the state of Jallisco in Mexico, Martinez added.

"So hopefully we'll be following up on that," he said.

The commission is coordinating a reverse trade mission to bring some of the people in Mexico back to the Columbia Basin. Harris said the commission is in the initial stages of planning the reverse mission.

Plans are for representatives and distributors to tour the Basin industry and see how they are grown and processed to be made into such products as frozen mashed potatoes and french fries, Harris said.

Although he was a little nervous about his interpreter and guide duties, Martinez found Gregoire to be very people-friendly.

"You know, we always complain governors forget we exist on the other side of the mountains; it's like we're another state over here, the East Side," he said. "But Gov. Gregoire surprised me, to be honest with you. She was very kind and cordial with the people and with us, friendly. We talked several times on a one-to-one basis. She was just a great person to be with, and she did a great job for us — not only for the potato industry, but for the rest of the state of Washington."

Mexican-born Basin grower started small, staying manageable

COLUMBIA BASIN — Frank Martinez has worked with potatoes since he was 12 years old.

Originally born in the small town of Los Angeles, located in northeast Mexico in the state of Nuevo Leon near Monterey, Martinez's family moved to Warden in 1963. Several years later, the family moved to Royal City.

Today, Martinez resides in Royal City, and bases his operation, Saddle View Farms, in Warden. The majority of his potatoes are grown between Odessa and Ritzville.

Martinez and his wife of 34 years, Diana, have two children. Juan lives with wife Adala next to the Warden farm and daughter Adriana is a chef in Moses Lake.

Martinez began working as a regular farmhand, and was made a foreman at the age of 17.

"That's when I started being more responsible with the actual growing, as far as fertilizer, water and taking care of the crop," he said. "That's how I grew into it."

Martinez could see how potatoes could be profitable if possible to grow a good crop. He spent 25 years working at the Warden-based Skone and Connors, where he learned the process of growing potatoes.

He has been growing his own potatoes since 1981.

"Started real small, of course," he said, estimating he began with about 35 acres. "It's just kind of been growing."

To the best of his knowledge, Martinez is the only Mexico-born potato grower in the state and even now, one of very few in the United States.

"Maybe some somewhere, but I've never met them," he said. "In the state of Washington, I'm the only one."

Martinez wishes there were more, but acknowledges potatoes is a tough and very risky industry to be in.

"We live in a great country, and it's a country where anybody can achieve anything if they want to, if they put their mind, heart and soul to it," he said. "I really believe that, because it certainly happened to me. I have been working my way to where I'm at right now. It didn't come easy."

He also wishes the immigration reform bill had passed, because he hopes for there to be some way to get the workers needed for growing and harvesting crops, or to make it easier for a good guest worker program.

Martinez said he got a chance to speak with Gov. Chris Gregoire during the Mexico trade mission. The bill was the number one question Gregoire was asked about during the mission, he noted.

"That seemed to be the most pressing question from the Mexican press," he said. "We need something. We can't just keep doing what we're doing, because we're not solving anything."

This year, Martinez is growing 900 acres of potatoes, and said he tries to keep his acreage to roughly 1,000.

"I don't want to grow it any more," he said. "I am very comfortable with the size of it, because it's very manageable and gives me time to be a commissioner and to help the industry. It also gives me a lot of time to serve my church."

Martinez is a deacon for St. Michael's Catholic Church in Royal City.

"One year I grew 2,000 acres and I found out that's not what I want to do," he said. "You can get too big."

He is going into his fourth year as a commissioner for the Washington State Potato Commission.

"Frank has been very involved since the initial discussions with the Mexican fresh potato industry as far as market access," Washington State Potato Commission Director of Trade Matt Harris said. "Mr. Martinez has been very key in keeping positive communications amongst the growers of the state and the growers of Mexico together."