Sklarczyk Seed Farm

04/15/2026

This is hometown pride! Johannesburg and Lewiston are very small towns, but I love that our community doesn’t hold back when it comes to supporting youth programs. Students athletes are hardworking, coachable kids. They have to keep their grades up, work together as a team toward a shared goal, and pick themselves back up after a loss. We’re happy to support our JL athletics and student clubs, and we’ll be ready to cheer for our Cardinals on Football Friday Nights this fall! ❤️🤍🖤🏈

Several shout outs for their donation to the football program:
Lewiston Sand and Gravel
A Plus Heating and Cooling LLC
Jim Wernig GMC
Bourbon Creek Gun Dogs
Hutson Inc.
Northern Michigan Crawl Spaces
Ashlie’s Auto Detailing
Design One
Paul’s Pub
Mr. B Heating and Cooling
Totten’s Body Shop Inc
Kathy Heinz CPA, PC
M&D Services
Maverick Oil Field Supply LLC
Starky’s
Hometown Barbershop
Affordable Property Solutions
Tesa Cozy Creations
Blis Caviar LLC
The Old Depot
Skylarczyk Seed Farm LLC
H2 Move
HB Carbide
Cutting Edge Computers
Bill and Liz Forreider
Northern Michigan Trimlight
Genesee Land & Tree LLC
Dead Bear Brewing Co
Auto Doctors
JP Heating of Northern Michigan
Lewiston Hotel
Morehouse Muffler Inc
Jim’s Alpine Auto Value
Signature by Susie
Kent Property Services
E3 Events

03/29/2026

On Friday, Ben was given the distinct honor of representing agriculture at the largest gathering of American farmers in the history of the White House on behalf of his leadership with the National Potato Council. He was joined by several others from the NPC, as well as many from Michigan ag industries. If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu…. but we’d like to be both a part of the conversation and on your plate! We’re grateful he was given this incredible opportunity to help shape the future for us to provide a safe, environmentally conscious, stable food supply for all of you. 🥔🇺🇸

03/25/2026

Yesterday was National Agriculture Day! We celebrated our home state’s diverse and impactful ag presence with a staff lunch featuring lots of Michigan commodities and wrapped up the evening learning about agriculture with our local Cub Scout den, where each boy got to plant their own mini tubers to take home. Did you know Michigan is the second most diverse ag state in the US? The Mitten State is second only to California! 🥔🫘🍷🌰🥩🥓🥚🫜🥒🌽🍒🥭🍎🍐🫐🍇🥬

03/19/2026

🫣🫣 We missed National Potato Chip Day over the weekend! In our defense, we were in full prep mode for a large winter storm that pummeled northern Michigan. ❄️ Moving snow, fueling up the industrial generators (just in case!), and keeping the greenhouses going took all of our time! While we did receive a considerable amount of snow and sleet, we are very thankful that this storm was not as intense as last spring’s ice storm! Don’t worry though, the plants didn’t know how nasty it was outside- it’s warm and cozy under the grow lights even when the glass roof was covered in snow! They were busy producing potatoes that you’ll eat in a bag of chips in 4 years! 🌱🥔

03/09/2026

Working in agriculture often means we each hold many different roles within the operation and also within the industry. No day is ever the same! We’re proud of Melissa, our COO, for her commitment to serving a different part of the potato world! Read a little bit about her perspective as a board member of the USDA’s PVP board below! 🥔❤️🌎

News Category: National News After a series of logistical challenges in recent years, the USDA’s Plant Variety Protection Board was able to meet in-person recently for the first time since 2020. The meeting took place in San Diego on Feb. 16-17, 2026. The 14-person board exists to advise the USD.....

03/05/2026

🥔✋🏻

While we're talking chips, did you know Michigan leads the nation in growing potatoes for the potato chip industry? One in every four bags in the U.S. in filled with Michigan potatoes.

02/24/2026

We are proud of you, Ben! 🥔❤️👨🏻‍⚖️🏛️ Thank you to the entire executive committee and staff of the NPC for their work on behalf of this industry!

Ben Sklarczyk of Johannesburg, Michigan, has been named the National Potato Council President for 2026! Ben co-owns and operates Sklarczyk Seed Farm with his wife, Alison. He is the second member of his family to serve at the National Potato Council (NPC) President, joining his father, Don Sklarczyk, who served in that role in 2007.

Ben Sklarczyk is a third-generation grower and owner of Sklarczyk Seed Farm, a hydroponic seed potato operation. Sklarczyk assumed full ownership of the family business 10 years ago.

Sklarczyk’s path to the family business was not immediate. Although he grew up working on the farm’s row crop side, he initially pursued a degree in mechanical engineering at Western Michigan University. However, a realization during his first semester led him to transfer to Michigan State University, where he graduated in December 2003 with a degree focused on agriculture.

A long-time advocate for the industry, Sklarczyk has been involved with NPC since the early 2000s and joined the NPC Board of Directors in 2010. Before being elected President for 2026, he served nearly a decade on the Executive Committee, holding various leadership roles, including First Vice President, Vice President of Grower Outreach and Industry Research, Vice President of Environmental Affairs, and Vice President of Finance.

As President, Sklarczyk is committed to bringing strength and resilience to the potato industry. “Our 2026 agenda will focus on capitalizing on new federal dietary guidelines to promote potatoes as a staple of good health, ensuring fair trade practices for U.S. potatoes globally, and removing non-tariff trade barriers,” said Sklarczyk. “I also want to emphasize the importance of grower engagement with state and federal representatives to ensure the industry's voice is heard in policy-making.”

Sklarczyk and his wife, Alison – who serves on the Potatoes USA Board of Directors – reside in Michigan with their two children, Morgan and Dane.

02/23/2026

Do these bitter cold and windy winter days make you long for the beautiful days of Northern Michigan summers? The greenhouses are already fully planted, lush green and a balmy 70°! While natural sun is best, these auto-dimming grow lights brighten when the clouds roll in, and the shade curtain helps keep the warmth in before it escapes through the glass paneled roof.

We’ll start picking potatoes in the next couple of weeks, and if this looks like your ideal work environment, stop by for an application! We’re interested in adding a few full-time harvest technicians to our team! 🌱🥔❤️

02/14/2026

Thank you National Potato Council for sharing! This press release also holds the stories and videos for the winners for the Conservation Legacy and Newcomer Awards . 🤎🌱

Michigan farmers honored for implementing regenerative practices and other sustainability efforts at their successful operations

02/12/2026

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Women represent about 30% of the workforce in STEM fields, but at Sklarczyk Seed Farm, women make up more than half of our team! Today (and every day!) we’re grateful for the women we work alongside and meet along the way!