How we grow

Responsibly efficient.
Efficiently responsible.

Iott Seed Farms takes its role as a steward of the land and other resources very seriously and believes the vast majority of farmers across the state of Michigan and the United States do the same. Here are just a few of the systems, techniques and equipment we have in place to ensure that we are using land, water, fertilizer and more responsibly and efficiently.

  • Iott Seed Farms has voluntarily installed three monitoring wells on our property to ensure that we are using water responsibly and are not having an adverse effect on our environment and our neighbors. Farmers across the state of Michigan take their roles as stewards of our land and resources seriously and have done the same. There are more than 250 test wells currently in place on farms in Michigan.

  • Iott Seed Farms samples soil across our farm in 2.5-acre grids and applies fertilizer at a variable rate according to the results of those grid samples. This allows us to use fertilizer efficiently and responsibly and not distribute it across our farmland in a “one dose fits all” manner. Efficiency is green.


  • Iott Seed Farms purchased a bed planter in 2021 to increase the amount of seed potatoes we use and, therefore, our yield in pounds per acre. This allows us to use our resources – land, water, fertilizer – efficiently and responsibly.



  • Both the tractor and the bed planter that Iott Seed Farms uses to plant potatoes are equipped with auto steer. Even a 1- or 2-inch margin of error between passes would add up over the hundreds of trips up and down our fields we make each spring. Eliminating that margin of error by having our rows spaced efficiently prevents us from watering and fertilizing ground that isn’t being used to grow potatoes.

  • Iott Seed Farms utilizes its irrigation system to “spoon feed” nitrogen and calcium nitrate onto our fields. This allows us to fertilize our potato plants with the right amount of fertilizer at the right times and avoid applying excess nitrogen, which can leach during a major rain event.



  • Iott Seed Farms tests petioles, a portion of the leaf on a potato plant, to see how they are doing as far as nutrition goes. That allows us to know how much fertilizer they need, which prevents overfertilization.





  • Iott Seed Farms digs, measures and weighs potato samples throughout the growing season, which allows us to know, field by field, precisely how much water and fertilizer our potato plants need to reach full maturation.




  • Iott Seed Farms utilizes a three-year rotation for potatoes and plants cover crops in the seasons in between to ensure our soil remains healthy. The first year after we grow potatoes, we use wheat or rye as a cover crop. In the second year, we use an oats-radish mix to maximize nutrients in the soil.


  • Irrigation has come a long way since Iott Seed Farms installed its first center pivot system in 1976. Properly calibrated pivots, low pressure drop nozzles and variable frequency drives on pumps are just a few of the things we use to ensure maximum irrigation efficiency.



  • Iott Seed Farms utilizes a vertical tillage tool to shallowly till the soil when planting cover crops. This saves us time and fuel while also allowing the soil to better retain moisture and nutrients.