Charleston, Missouri

The community:
Charleston is located in the Heartland, about 150 miles from St. Louis and just a few miles from the Mississippi River. Home to about 5,000 people, it is known for its beautiful Victorian era homes, which have been lovingly maintained over the years. The city celebrates the glorious display of dogwoods and azaleas each spring by hosting an annual festival featuring arts, crafts, tours, parades and lots of other entertainment.

Operations:
Southeast Missouri is known for an abundance of farmland, made especially rich for agriculture by centuries of flooding from the Mississippi River. The area is excellent for raising corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans, and of course, potatoes. Black Gold planted its first potato crop here in 1986, and today is the largest potato grower in the state. This was Black Gold's first farm outside of North Dakota. Acquired in 1987, it was established to supply potatoes for the big Fourth of July push.

Employees:
Black Gold at Charleston has almost 10 full-time employees and adds approximately 35 seasonal employees during the harvest season.