By Joe Kertzman, managing editor, Badger Common’Tater
Wysocki Family Farms of Bancroft, Wisconsin, is an example of successfully navigating the succession process of passing down a burgeoning business to the next generation, including setting up the new owners for success and allowing them to make informed decisions.
It’s one of the most difficult transitions a family-owned business faces, especially one that has been in business for 70 years and has grown into one of the nation’s premier potato and vegetable operations.
The story began when brothers Louis, Francis and Greg Wysocki partnered with their father on his small dairy farm and converted the operation into a potato growing business. At that moment in the late 1950s, the Wysocki farming operation was born.
The farm began to expand its Central Wisconsin operation when it started taking shipments of potatoes to market in Chicago. There, the brothers learned new and innovative ways to store and pack potatoes.
Crucial partnerships were formed over the years with Nick and Dianne Somers of Plover River Farms and Jeff Sommers, who worked alongside the owners to propel the farm into a nationally renowned operation.
Now the third and fourth generations are following in the footsteps of their forefathers. The farm’s operations have expanded to include growing regions across the country, and yet, the core principles that guided the company seven decades ago still drive it today.
How and when were you brought into the fold of the multi-generational Wysocki Family Farms, John, and in what position? I didn’t grow up in agriculture, so I was fortunate enough to learn about the industry from my wife, Emily, and her extended family.
After years of discussions, I joined the company in 2018 to work in potato storage. I had worked in specialized thermal systems for the past decade, which is essentially what a potato storage is, so there was a surprising fit.
