Family farm operation, Eric C. Robinson Inc., getting out of potato business

A P.E.I. family-owned farm operation, Eric C. Robinson Inc., is closing the potato growing and packaging portion of its farming division to focus on the soybeans, forage and barleyit already produces.

The company, in Albany, also owns Island Lime, P.E.I.Agromart and Garden Isle Farms, whichwill not be affected.

Thedecision was difficultbut movingon from potatoes made sense, said farm manager Lori Robinson.

"This is not a forced decision, it's a family decision to move our200-year-old business forward," she said.

"We saw opportunities in the P.E.I. agricultural sector down the line that we had to move on.It was a good time to move on them."

Some staff to move to other parts of company

Three-quarters of the company's 2,200 acres will continue to grow soybeans, forage and barley, butthe company is looking for someone to lease the remaining acres,as well as the storage and packaging facilities to continue growing potatoes.

The company employees 15 people at the farming and packaging facilities. Fiveof thoseareseasonal, working mainly in the potato operation.

Robinson saidshe has work for the next four or five months to finish off packing last year's crop. After that, the seasonal workers will belaid off as they normally would.

Then, half of the full-time staff will carry on with the farming division, and she says she expects to find opportunities in the other arms of the company for the remaining workers.

Any staff that domove to a different part of the company won't be doing so until at leastthe fall of 2019.

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