TUCKER FARMS, Inc. is a family-owned and operated potato farm on the north slope of the Adirondack Mountains twenty miles north of Lake Placid. This relative isolation and high elevation is ideal for growing vigorous, top-quality, disease-free seed potatoes. In season, we also offer hand-picked, farm-fresh vegetables to those who want the highest quality produce possible, a wide variety of squash, pumpkins and gourds for those who know their cucurbits and TuckerTaters™ tablestock potatoes for those who know their potatoes. The general public is invited to our farm to explore the Great Adirondack Corn Maze™ and to learn more about us on a farm tour.

In 2002, Tucker Farms was honored to be recognized as a "Century Farm" by the NYS Agricultural Society for more than 100 years of continuous family farming in Franklin County, Town of Brighton. Actually, our father's great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Hobart started the farm at the present location during the 1870s, before the hamlet of Gabriels was called Gabriels, before it was even called Paul Smith's Station (the railroad did not come until 1892). Back then, it was simply called Brighton. While we do not know exactly, B.F. Hobart's father, William Hobart would seem to have started farming in Brighton during the late 1850s when it was still part of the Town of Duane. It would seem that William and his son, B.F. 'Frank' Hobart, perhaps separately, were farming and raising potatoes in Brighton when the Civil War broke out.

We do know positively that B.F. 'Frank' Hobart and Oren Otis together bought land where Tucker Farms is presently located in November of 1875 and where Benjamin Franklin 'Frank' Hobart subsequently built a log cabin.  Not only were B.F. 'Frank' Hobart and Oren Otis friends and fellow guides under the employ of Paul Smith, but they were furthermore connected by having married sisters from Keese's Mills.  Some years later, in 1888, B.F. 'Frank' Hobart's son, Henry, built a 'proper' frame house across the road from the log cabin where he raised two children: Franklin Benjamin and Flora.  Henry became the caretaker of the Penfold Camp on St. Regis Lake when he was not farming.

Our farm really got going under Franklin B. Hobart, our father's uncle, during the nineteen teens. He took to growing potatoes as a serious business while a young man because his father, Henry, seemed to have more interest in guiding and drinking than the farm work which he had been neglecting.  By 1915, Frank Hobart was growing high-quality NYS certified potatoes, one of the first in Franklin County to do so.  At this time, in Franklin County, only E.C.G. Gagnier and E.C. Gleason were his equals.  All were growing Green Mountain potatoes—the Franklin County specialty.  By 1920, Frank Hobart had established his reputation.

This was back before nuclear (foundation) seed was available from any source and when seed growers were responsible for developing their own seed through diligent seed tuber selection at planting time and rigorous rogueing of their fields to remove all diseased plants during the growing season.

Starting around 1913 or so, state inspectors came around to inspect seed growers' potato fields and either passed or failed their crops as 'certified' seed or not.  In 1919-21, Frank Hobart built a 'modern' underground potato storage building which allowed him to become one of the largest potato growers in Franklin County, at some 30 acres, specializing in growing the highest quality Green Mountain seed potatoes. Before that time, he stored his potatoes in the cellar of his house which is what most potato growers did at that time.

At the New York State Potato Show between 1930 and 1934 he was four times awarded Grand Champion of Show for his Green Mountain potatoes.  Altogether, Frank Hobart won Grand Champion of Show for his Green Mountain potatoes six times. 

Frank Hobart died in 1966 and having no closer heirs, his farm came to his nephews, the sons of his sister, Flora, who had married Joseph James Tucker in 1924, and who had worked a potato farm next door to his. 

Thusly, the Tucker name came to continue the Hobart reputation for high-quality seed potatoes.  Donald and Mark Tucker kept the farm going by updating and modernizing its operations.  A new above-ground potato storage was built in the early 1970s.  During this time period, harvesting equipment was upgraded, wind-rowing was instituted as de derigueur.  It was a time of expansion.  We adopted the newly proposed IPM standards to minimize use of agri-chemicals to the minimum necessary to do the job.  Over the years hence, we have continued to evolve to meet market conditions and customer demands.

Currently, Steve and Tom Tucker continue to duplicate the high quality potatoes of their predecessors.

They were awarded the Empire State Potato Growers/NYS Agriculture & Markets' Eastern Region Grand Champion prize for potato packaging three times between 2004 and 2007 when Empire State Potato Growers (ESPG) discontinued the contest.

We currently offer thirteen varieties of NYS certified seed potatoes.  Always looking forward, we are seeking new potato varieties to widen our offerings.  Next year (2021), we hope to offer fifteen varieties of NYS certified seed potatoes.