Mickelsen Farms in Idaho: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Mickelsen Farms is a multi-generation family potato operation in Rigby, Idaho, growing fresh-market Russet Burbank and Norkotah potatoes, seed potatoes and wheat. Trade press such as Spudman has covered it for connecting farmers with consumers, and the family describes six or more generations in Idaho potato farming.
| Location | Rigby, Jefferson County, southeastern Idaho |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 for the current business, by brothers Lynn and Dale Mickelsen and Lynn's son Mark |
| Sectors | fresh potatoes; seed potatoes; wheat |
| Scale | Acreage and volume not published in sources reviewed |
| Why it is elite | Spudman and PotatoPro coverage of a sixth-generation Idaho potato grower with fresh, seed and marketing arms |
| Ownership | Family owned; Andrew Mickelsen is a public face of the business |
| Official website | Mickelsen Farms official site (About Us) |
History of Mickelsen Farms
Spudman reports that Mickelsen Farms was founded in 1988 by brothers Lynn and Dale Mickelsen together with Lynn's son Mark. The family's potato farming in the Upper Snake region goes back much further; Andrew Mickelsen describes himself as a sixth- or seventh-generation Idaho potato farmer.
The business is tied to Rigby Produce, Inc., the family company through which its fresh potatoes are marketed, and to Yellowstone Seed, LLC, its seed potato label. The family has also taken a visible role in telling the story of Idaho potato growers to the public.
What Mickelsen Farms Grows and Raises
Mickelsen Farms grows mostly fresh-market russets, including Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah selections, plus some red potatoes for processing. It also grows winter and spring wheat in rotation, which supports soil health and spreads field work across the season.
Seed potatoes are produced under the Yellowstone Seed label, serving growers who need certified planting stock. Fresh potatoes are marketed through the family's Rigby Produce business.
How Mickelsen Farms Makes Money
Fresh potato sales
Fresh-market russets sold through the family's marketing company are the core product, moving through the same fresh channels that make Idaho potatoes a national brand.
Seed potato production
Under the Yellowstone Seed name the farm sells seed potatoes. Seed is a specialty line where quality control, disease management and grower relationships matter more than raw volume.
Wheat and rotation crops
Winter and spring wheat provide a second income stream and a rotation that helps manage disease pressure in potato ground.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Mickelsen Farms
Mickelsen Farms shows how a grower can control more of the chain: farm, marketing company and seed label all sit under one family umbrella, which gives choices when one market is weak.
It also shows that storytelling is part of modern farm strategy. Time spent explaining production to consumers and the trade builds goodwill that supports buyer relationships and, indirectly, prices.
Rigby is the self-declared birthplace of television, so it feels fair that a Rigby potato family has become fluent at telling its story to an audience. Here at farm.FM we keep a steady shelf of farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, and a russet in front of a camera is a fine start. Mickelsen Farms obviously knows its angles, and the potatoes are always photogenic from the good side.
farm.FM got there first as the nation's first satirical farm site, and it backs the writing with Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Here is one contributor's collection of farm satire to start with.
How to Contact Mickelsen Farms
Website: https://mickelsenfarms.com/about-us/
Website as listed in industry directories, November 2026. Business contact details were not independently verified on the official site here; use the site for current phone and email before contacting the farm.
Mickelsen Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Mickelsen Farms About Us - The farm's own site describing the family and operation
- Spudman: Mickelsen Farms shares farmers' story - Trade magazine profile of the farm and its outreach
- PotatoPro listing for Mickelsen Farms - Industry directory entry with crops and varieties
- The Culture of Agriculture podcast episode - Interview with Andrew Mickelsen
- Idaho Potato Commission newsletter - State potato commission material on Idaho growers
Mickelsen Farms FAQ
Where is Mickelsen Farms?
The farm is based in Rigby, Idaho, in the Upper Snake River region of southeastern Idaho.
What does Mickelsen Farms grow?
Fresh-market russet potatoes, some reds, seed potatoes under Yellowstone Seed, and winter and spring wheat.
When was it founded?
Spudman reports the business was founded in 1988, building on a much longer family history of Idaho potato farming.
How is the farm's fresh crop sold?
Through the family's marketing company, Rigby Produce, Inc.
Mickelsen Farms is a good example of an Idaho potato family that pairs fresh, seed and rotation crops with active public storytelling. For more on the state's crops and markets, see the Idaho farms guide and the other operations profiled here.