Harvest, Honey Butter, and the Community Behind Grace, Idaho

This episode is a lively interview with Jeremy Stoddard of Stoddard Farms, centered on potato harvest, farm operations, and the community culture that surrounds both in Grace, Idaho. Tracy, Kaid, and Casey dig into how the farm works, why the farmers market has become a local event, and what it takes to keep a multi generation operation running.  Jeremy shares the practical side of seed potatoes, crop planning, machinery, weather risk, and the role of family members across the business. The conversation also highlights the small town values, school schedules, and local traditions that make harvest season such a big deal.Key topicsJeremy explains how Stoddard Farms turns potato harvest into a community event, not just a farm operation.The family’s honey butter has built its own following, originally tied to seed canola, bees, and the farm’s farmers market.The farmers market started on a flatbed truck decades ago and gradually grew into the larger operation it is today.Jeremy breaks down what seed potatoes are and why it can take around eight years for a potato variety to make it from early generations to consumers.The Stoddard brothers split responsibilities across the business, including production, HR, contracts, and administration.Harvest season relies heavily on high school students, and the school district even adjusts its calendar around potato harvest.Water, weather, and crop contracts shape year to year planning, often forcing major changes in planting strategy.Jeremy explains why tractors are the most universal and essential piece of equipment across the farm.Grace, Idaho is described as a place with strong soils, good water, volcanic history, and a surprising amount of international influence through agriculture.The conversation closes on local values, community help, rodeo, and what Jeremy hopes future generations preserve.Timestamps00:00 - Opening banter, hats, and patchouli soap 05:11 - Stoddard Farms and the community harvest experience 06:36 - How honey butter became a signature product 08:26 - From a flatbed truck to a full farmers market 10:21 - School lets out for potato harvest 14:22 - How the Stoddard brothers divide the business 18:18 - Harvest roles and running the cellars 20:37 - High school athletes working long harvest days 21:35 - The family’s origin story and the original home place 24:30 - What seed potatoes are and why the process takes years 26:48 - The right potato for the right job 29:44 - The secret to good French fries at home 31:14 - Why free fries became part of the tradition 33:05 - Johnny’s Salt, canola oil, and fry prep 35:03 - Why the free fries matter to the atmosphere 37:42 - Grain, malt barley, and tours for industry buyers 39:41 - The most important piece of equipment on the farm 45:54 - Planning fields years ahead and changing with water conditions 49:55 - Why Grace grows such good seed potatoes 52:06 - Farming as weather forecasting, banking, and paperwork 53:35 - Spraying, vine killing, and protecting seed quality 55:24 - Worst years: frost, hail, drought, and too much rain 57:13 - Weather stations and tracking storms across fields 59:08 - What Grace looks like to newcomers 61:07 - International markets, tariffs, and agriculture’s reach 63:50 - How Caribou County has changed and what should not change 65:40 - What one thing they’d fix with more money 66:18 - Rodeo history and the next generation 68:35 - Rapid fire: ketchup, fry sauce, potatoes, podcasts, and more 73:31 - What future farmers should remember about the ground 74:36 - Harvest start dates and farmers market timing 76:34 - Food trucks, ice cream, and the harvest lineup 78:57 - Final thoughts on why harvest is the best time to visit Grace