Dan Chin

Dan Chin is a third generation potato farmer in the Klamath Falls, an area which spans the  California-Oregon border. His grandfather, Sam Wong, immigrated to the United States from mainland China in 1914. “He always said the U.S. was the land of opportunity.  He had it in his mind that he was going to come over and raise potatoes.”

Wong pursued his dream, despite the failure of his two farming ventures, first in California and then in Nevada.  He finally was in the right place at the right time in 1930 after purchasing farmland in the Klamath Falls where he and his son, George, began growing potatoes.  In 1999 Dan bought the operation from his father and changed the name to Wong Potatoes, and today, they continue growing, sorting, packing, and shipping potatoes. His dad, now 85, oversees the trucking operation.

Dan and his wife, Dee Dee, farm 4000 acres of land with 1200 acres dedicated to cultivating 20 different varieties of potatoes, from reds, yellows, purples, whites, and fingerlings. His operation has increased its organic potato production from 10 percent in 2003 to nearly 75 percent presently.  They also grow onions, dairy-quality hay, red and white wheat.  Under the name of Wong Potatoes, they operate a fresh-pack potato facility and sell throughout the US and Pacific Rim countries.