Explore how Pioneer Potatoes cut labor by 50% and boosted throughput to 16 tons/hour.

As a sixth-generation family farm in Washington’s Skagit Valley, Pioneer Potatoes may be smaller in acreage than many neighbours. Still, their focus has always been on delivering premium A-size potatoes to top supermarkets and restaurants.

Manual grading made the mission harder each season, due to labour shortages, rising costs, and inconsistent quality. Competing against larger growers using advanced technology was becoming nearly impossible. 

That’s why Pioneer Potatoes invested in an Elisam optical grader powered by Ellips AI technology.

The result?

Monumental labor savings, more consistent quality, and greater control. Proving that grading technology delivers big impact regardless of scale. In this short video, Wylie Thulen shares what changed and why optical grading became a game-changer for Pioneer. 

Wylie Thulen, Owner of Pioneer Potatoes:

"We cut labor by 50%, boosted throughput to 16 tons per hour, and even eliminated Saturday shifts. All thanks to AI grading."

Curious to see how Pioneer Potatoes' results were achieved?

The Ellips – Elisam AI potato grader is being showcased live at:

• Fruit Attraction in Madrid – Stand 10D27, Hall 10
• Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim, California – Booth 3423

Discover how AI is changing the game for potato growers and packers such as, Folson Farm, Hughes Farms, Wallace Farms, Pioneer Potatoes, Maple Wood Farm, OC Schulz and Sons, Agroteam, Stular, Dutkiewicz, Phoenix Farms, Wild, Wilhelm Weyers, Zerella Fresh, and many more already in the running.

Before switching to optical grading, Pioneer Potatoes faced the following challenges:

• Difficulty finding and retaining workers — seasonal labor shortages made it difficult to maintain an efficient operation throughout the year.
• Rising labor costs — wages and overtime payments kept climbing while competitors invested in automation.
• Quality inconsistency with manual grading — human sorters were inconsistent across long days and seasons, and couldn’t reliably detect complex defects.
• Potatoes ending up in the wrong grades — manual misclassification meant good potatoes were wasted or placed in lower-value grades, reducing overall crop value.
• Slow adjustments to customer demands — manual processes made it hard to adapt grading standards to dynamic market and customer needs quickly.

The results speak for themselves:

• Monumental cost savings by reducing the workforce by 50%.
• Improved product quality through powerful defect detection and consistent grading.
• Accurate classification across all grades optimizes crop value and minimizes waste.