The story of Bushman’s Inc., is a story of twentieth-century, rural America—four generations tilling and replenishing the soils, weathering both markets and nature, and expanding from regional farmers to become a leading grower, packager and marketer of potatoes nationwide.
From seed.
As cliché as it may sound, it all began in 1909 when Joseph L. Bushman decided to pursue the American dream. A son of Polish immigrants, Joseph wasn’t one to shrink from hard work. Inspired by the bounty the dark Wisconsin soils could provide and sure of his marketing skills, Joseph established what is today the longest continuing potato growing operation in Wisconsin.
To soil.
Joseph was a creative grower and marketer who sought the latest technologies to improve his soils and potatoes, and used a mix of charm and perseverance to sell his product. During a season that was particularly rough—he loaded a train car with his tubers, then his wife locked him inside with liquids and a lunchbox, and he arrived in Chicago to sell his wares. Upon emptying the car of every last spud, he hitchhiked home. Talk about perseverance.
And then talk about preservation. For Joseph, as are all his descendants, was passionate about conservation of the soils. Stewardship of the land was impressed upon everyone, especially the children who were to continue his legacy.
As his family grew, so did his enterprise, to become Joseph L. Bushman and Sons. There were certainly lean times—droughts, floods, late or early frosts, the Depression and two world wars—but the Bushman family kept their feet firmly planted in the soil. In 1953, Joseph’s sons took charge and a name change was in order—Bushman Brothers—to represent the expansion of the family business and its product.
No longer were Russets, Cobblers and Pontiacs the sole wares—in response to customer demand, the brothers began to purchase and market a wide variety of potatoes from farmers in different regions of the United States.
To store.
In 1960, Jerry Bushman, who had left college after his first year to assist his father in the business—realized a vital link in the chain was missing. People wanted every potato at any time of year. In response, he established Bushman’s Inc., to facilitate creative national distribution, packing and marketing efforts on behalf of regional farmers. His goal? To put the potato and the person together.
To plate.
And how do you match the person to the potato? With creativity. Creative planting, growing, buying, conserving, packaging, and distributing.
At Bushman’s, we’ve preserved the best of our traditions. We’ve also improved upon them with advanced technologies and value-add lines of onions, tomatoes and watermelon.
From seed, to soil, to store, to plate—we offer produce of exceptional quality, 365 days a year, from every corner of the United States.
