“What do potato chips, land ownership, and the Homestead Act have in common? Quite a lot, as it turns out!”
What do potato chips, land ownership, and the Homestead Act have in common? Quite a lot, as it turns out!
By the early 1900s, homesteading had become a major part of Idaho’s land history. Under the Homestead Act, settlers could claim federal land by living on it, working it and making the required improvements. More than 60,000 successful claims eventually covered nearly 9.7 million acres, or about 18 percent of the state.
Besides a significant portion of Idaho’s property history ultimately tracing back to these homestead patents, there was another result from the abundance of homesteading.
When first settled, Idaho was very dry. As more settlers cultivated their land, the need for irrigation grew. Canals, dams and irrigation systems helped turn large stretches of Idaho into productive farmland. Today, Idaho is an agricultural powerhouse and the nation’s leading producer of potatoes, along with being a major producer of crops such as barley, sugarbeets and alfalfa. Actually, one of the largest potato farms in the U.S. is a fifth-generation family farm that started with one of these Idaho homesteads.
One family that illustrates this history is the Christensens of BKR Farms in Grace, Idaho. In 1889, Ferdinand Christensen established a homestead after moving to Grace, Idaho to start a life with his wife and 11 children, clearing sagebrush with a horse and a single plow. More than 130 years later, his descendants are still farming that land! In 1975, fourth-generation farmer Bart Christensen introduced seed potatoes, starting with just 80 acres. Today, his sons Kyle and Ryan represent the fifth generation, growing multiple potato varieties, including potatoes destined for chips.
It’s a remarkable chain of ownership—from an original homestead to a modern agricultural operation—all within one family.
From a title perspective, it’s an interesting chain to follow. A modern property record may be the latest chapter in a story that started with someone claiming a piece of land and trying to make a life on it. Or, you might know who to thank for your potato chips!
Angela Sharp
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