Varley-Johnson Farms

The Challenge: Balancing Seasonal Needs & High Demand

For Nick Johnson, owner of Varley-Johnson Farms, the primary challenge was managing the high-pressure, short-term nature of seed potato harvesting and shipping. Because the work is intensive but only lasts about six weeks, it is often di cult to find local workers who can commit to such a brief window. Nick found that most local people seek year-round roles, making it hard to staff the cellar for only a month and a half.

To fill this need, the farm utilizes a temporary worker program to bring in dedicated teams. However, this comes at high hourly cost and adds significant administrative work for the farm.

Meeting Customer Needs

Beyond logistics, Nick needed to keep up with his customers. During the spring planting season, buyers require their seed potatoes delivered on a very tight schedule. With the old manual sorting system, it was a struggle to move enough product to keep up with sudden rushes of orders. "Sometimes it can be difficult to meet their demands from a capacity perspective."

Weather Constraints

The Idaho climate also played a role. Working in the cold and dust for long shifts is physically demanding, and it is natural for manual sorters to lose focus over time. "The human body just can’t do that... you start losing focus." Johnson shared this when reflecting on the 12-hour days often required during the peak season.

Increased Daily Capacity

The integration immediately changed the farm's daily output. Before the TOMRA 3A, the farm would have to slow down shipping and sorting in di cult digging conditions, such as heavy morning soil. Now, the operation maintains a steady capacity of 100 tons per hour (approximately 2,100 sacks).

For Nick, this efficiency meant a significant change in his own schedule—instead of a standard 8-hour day of sorting, he is often finished in 6 hours. This extra time allows the farm to accommodate more semi-trucks in a single day or simply finish the workload earlier.

A Partnership in Support

Speaking about the process of getting the technology running, Nick said: "Honestly, it was amazing. We were surprised and appreciative of how good the support was because this was such a daunting game-changer for us. You guys were so supportive step-by-step; we had many questions while preparing the machinery the TOMRA would mount on, and every time we asked, you were always there  with the answers."

Nick continues to use the machine’s connectivity to maintain this high performance: "The support has been excellent; they’ll log in via remote support and adjust settings right then. They’ve always been so patient."

The Results: Precision and Reliability

• Exact Sizing: The machine’s accuracy made it easy to remove undersized potatoes (under 1.5 oz), which is essential for seed-cutting.
• Advanced Sorting: Using high-tech "fingers," the system clears away heavy stones and dirt clods easily, even in difficult conditions.
• Steady Work: "It works just as hard at 7:30 in the morning as it does at 9:00 or 10:00 at night. It doesn’t get tired... it gives me a lot of peace of mind."

The Impact: A Smoother, More Independent Operation

1. Better Use of Labor

Automating the sorting process helped reduce the number of people needed in the cellar from eight workers to just three. This allowed Nick to move his team to where they were most helpful.

"I can send them to the field to plant grain... they don’t have to be tied down to the cellar."

Nick also noticed that his own day became much more manageable—his hours went from 8 to 6 a day, giving him more time to focus on logistical tasks like loading trucks.

2. Consistent Quality for Long-term Customers

With customers they have served for over 50 years, keeping quality high is non-negotiable. The 3A’s technology ensures a great result every time, delivering the texture, size and color expected while finding and removing small defects or "knobs" that might be missed by hand.

3. Working with Independence

The machine is so reliable that Nick can now handle urgent tasks on his own. He remembers a time he loaded a full truck that arrived unexpectedly after hours all by himself:

"I could not believe it...this could never happen before. I'd need to have seven or eight people here working."