The Small Town Ruckus: Three Voices, One Small Town, Endless Stories | Harvest, Honey Butter, and the Community Behind Grace, Idaho

This episode is a lively interview with Jeremy Stoddard of Stoddard Farms, centered on potato harvest, farm operations, and the community culture that surrounds both in Grace, Idaho. Tracy, Kaid, and Casey dig into how the farm works, why the farmers market has become a local event, and what it takes to keep a multi generation operation running.  Jeremy shares the practical side of seed potatoes, crop planning, machinery, weather risk, and the role of family members across the business. The conversation also highlights the small town values, school schedules, and local traditions that make harvest season such a big deal.

Key topics

• Jeremy explains how Stoddard Farms turns potato harvest into a community event, not just a farm operation.
• The family’s honey butter has built its own following, originally tied to seed canola, bees, and the farm’s farmers market.
• The farmers market started on a flatbed truck decades ago and gradually grew into the larger operation it is today.
• Jeremy breaks down what seed potatoes are and why it can take around eight years for a potato variety to make it from early generations to consumers.
• The Stoddard brothers split responsibilities across the business, including production, HR, contracts, and administration.
• Harvest season relies heavily on high school students, and the school district even adjusts its calendar around potato harvest.
• Water, weather, and crop contracts shape year to year planning, often forcing major changes in planting strategy.
• Jeremy explains why tractors are the most universal and essential piece of equipment across the farm.
• Grace, Idaho is described as a place with strong soils, good water, volcanic history, and a surprising amount of international influence through agriculture.
• The conversation closes on local values, community help, rodeo, and what Jeremy hopes future generations preserve.

Timestamps

00:00 - Opening banter, hats, and patchouli soap
 05:11 - Stoddard Farms and the community harvest experience
 06:36 - How honey butter became a signature product
 08:26 - From a flatbed truck to a full farmers market
 10:21 - School lets out for potato harvest
 14:22 - How the Stoddard brothers divide the business
 18:18 - Harvest roles and running the cellars
 20:37 - High school athletes working long harvest days
 21:35 - The family’s origin story and the original home place
 24:30 - What seed potatoes are and why the process takes years
 26:48 - The right potato for the right job
 29:44 - The secret to good French fries at home
 31:14 - Why free fries became part of the tradition
 33:05 - Johnny’s Salt, canola oil, and fry prep
 35:03 - Why the free fries matter to the atmosphere
 37:42 - Grain, malt barley, and tours for industry buyers
 39:41 - The most important piece of equipment on the farm
 45:54 - Planning fields years ahead and changing with water conditions
 49:55 - Why Grace grows such good seed potatoes
 52:06 - Farming as weather forecasting, banking, and paperwork
 53:35 - Spraying, vine killing, and protecting seed quality
 55:24 - Worst years: frost, hail, drought, and too much rain
 57:13 - Weather stations and tracking storms across fields
 59:08 - What Grace looks like to newcomers
 61:07 - International markets, tariffs, and agriculture’s reach
 63:50 - How Caribou County has changed and what should not change
 65:40 - What one thing they’d fix with more money
 66:18 - Rodeo history and the next generation
 68:35 - Rapid fire: ketchup, fry sauce, potatoes, podcasts, and more
 73:31 - What future farmers should remember about the ground
 74:36 - Harvest start dates and farmers market timing
 76:34 - Food trucks, ice cream, and the harvest lineup
 78:57 - Final thoughts on why harvest is the best time to visit Grace

What is The Small Town Ruckus: Three Voices, One Small Town, Endless Stories ?

"The Small Town Ruckus" is a vibrant, funny podcast hosted by three gentlemen currently residing in Caribou County, each bringing their unique perspectives and stories. They delve into local culture, share personal anecdotes, and discuss the quirky happenings in their small town. With a blend of humor and heartfelt conversation, the hosts connect listeners to the charm and complexities of rural life, creating a lively platform that celebrates community, friendship, the the everyday ruckus that makes small towns special.