Spud Seller

Monte Vista, Colorado

Fourth generation farmer Jeffery McCullough’s family has been growing potatoes and other crops in Colorado’s San Luis Valley since the 1930s. His father, Lynn, ran the family farm from 1987 until about three years ago when Jeffery assumed the role of farm General Manager.

In taking over Spud Seller day to day operations, Jeff McCullough said he benefits greatly from still having his parents around. His mom, Shirley, “does the books,” while Lynn stays connected to the family business in a variety of ways — lending expertise, for example, by reviewing monthly high-level financials, or driving a potato truck during harvest.

When Jeff moved into the Farm GM role, he recruited Ben Segar, who has an agribusiness background, and Michael Curtis, an engineer, to round out his senior leadership team. Both are Colorado State University graduates with young families and ties to the San Luis Valley. “We communicate a lot and go to great lengths to stay on the same page,” Jeff said. “It helps that we’re
strategically aligned on our goals and what we want to accomplish.”

Spud Seller farms 3,200 total acres and 1,600 of their crop are potatoes. They have also dedicated 1,600 acres to
pollinator-friendly sorghum, radish or mustard cover crop acres.