Wingard Farms in Minnesota: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Wingard Farms near Elk River in Sherburne County, Minnesota, is a family potato grower and packer that celebrated 100 years in 2018. The farm works about 900 acres, grows potatoes on roughly 350 to 400 of them and washes and packs its own crop in a 30,580-square-foot warehouse, according to Elk River city and Potato Grower coverage.
| Location | Between Elk River and Big Lake, Sherburne County, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1918, by Arthur Wingard; moved to Sherburne County in 1956 |
| Sectors | Potatoes (mostly russets, plus reds and yellows); seed corn, sweet corn and soybeans in rotation |
| Scale | About 900 acres; potatoes on 350 to 400 acres a year; 30,580-square-foot packing warehouse |
| Why it is notable | A century of continuous family farming celebrated by the City of Elk River; grower, shipper and wholesaler listed with a Minnesota Grown profile |
| Ownership | Family-owned by descendants of Arthur Wingard and partner Dan Ward |
| Official website | Wingard Farms official site (listed on its Minnesota Grown profile) |
History of Wingard Farms
Arthur Wingard started the farm in 1918 after trading a hotel near Mille Lacs Lake for land in Brooklyn Center, where he grew potatoes and other vegetables. After World War II a housing boom reached the farm, and the family moved in 1956 to Sherburne County, looking for sandy, irrigated soil and good water.
Arthur's sons John and Art were partners after him. Today the owners are Tom Wingard, his sons Mark and David, Art's son Art, and Dan Ward, five people who each handle particular pivots and fields, according to Potato Grower. David oversees food safety. The Elk River city feature on the 100-year milestone quoted Tom Wingard crediting some very good customers for the farm's success.
What Wingard Farms Grows and Raises
Potatoes are grown on 350 to 400 acres each year and rotated with seed corn and soybeans, per Potato Grower. The crop is roughly 80 percent russets, mainly Gold Rush, about 15 percent reds and the rest yellows. Produce Market Guide also lists sweet corn among the rotation crops and describes Wingard as a grower, shipper and wholesaler.
The farm runs its own wash plant and fresh-pack shed, and every potato is washed and packaged there. Because all fields lie within a few miles of the warehouse, Potato Grower reports orders can be filled about an hour after they are placed. The Minnesota Grown listing describes a fresh-market season from mid-July through mid-October.
How Wingard Farms Makes Money
Fresh potato sales
The core revenue line is washed, packed fresh potatoes. The family says it tries to keep its customer base local, with a few large local retail accounts, while some potatoes ship to the East Coast and Canada. Prices and volumes are not published.
Packing and shipping
Owning the wash plant and pack shed lets Wingard control quality, branding and timing instead of selling raw potatoes. Produce Market Guide lists the business as a grower, shipper and wholesaler.
Rotation crops
Seed corn, sweet corn and soybeans fill out the acreage and support the potato rotation. The sources do not publish how these crops are sold.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Wingard Farms
First, control the pack shed. Wingard grows within a short radius of its warehouse, which makes fast fulfilment possible and gives a local customer base a reason to stay.
Second, a long-lived farm moves when conditions change. Leaving Brooklyn Center for sandy, irrigated ground in 1956 kept the business growing, and sharing ownership among several family members spreads management duties across fields and food safety.
A potato farm that can fill an order about an hour after it is placed has turned the short drive from field to warehouse into a marketing slogan. After the last russet is packed, visit farm.FM for farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes, including affectionate teasing about potatoes that insist they were not the ones that got dirty.
If the name is new to you, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site, with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers on the side. One of its regular writers keeps a whole archive of stories like that.
How to Contact Wingard Farms
Website: http://www.wingardfarms.com
The official site was identified through the Minnesota Grown member profile, November 2026. Phone and address appear on third-party listings but were not confirmed on the official site, so check the site for current business contact details.
Wingard Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Wingard Farms official site - Farm information and ordering
- Minnesota Grown member page - State directory profile of the potato farm
- City of Elk River: farm celebrates 100 years - History and ownership of Wingard Farms
- Potato Grower: the home place - Acreage, varieties and packing at Wingard Farms
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture profile - State agriculture facts and figures
Wingard Farms FAQ
Where is Wingard Farms?
It is between Elk River and Big Lake in Sherburne County, Minnesota.
When did it start?
Arthur Wingard started the farm in 1918, and the family moved to Sherburne County in 1956.
What does it grow?
Potatoes, mostly russets, rotated with seed corn, sweet corn and soybeans.
How do I contact the farm?
Use the official site linked above and confirm current business contact details there.
Wingard Farms shows how a century-old Minnesota potato family keeps growth tied to its own pack shed and local customers. To compare it with other leading operations, read the Minnesota farms guide.