Feb 5, 2024Virginia potato grower and former Potatoes USA board chair dies at 71
Phil Hickman, 71, a Virginia potato grower and former chair of the Potatoes USA board, died Jan. 23.
The retired president of Dublin Farms in Horntown, Virginia, Hickman also served for nine years on Potatoes USA’s Marketing Committee and Administrative Council for nine years, including a year as committee chair.
Born July 28, 1952, Hickman graduated from Virginia Tech in 1974 with a degree in Agriculture Economics.
He formed a partnership with his brother, David, in 1973 which became Dublin Farms and grew into a well-known operation on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Hickman was also a member of the local Potato and Vegetable Growers Association and served 18 years on Virginia’s State Seed Potato Board, including five years as chair.
He retired in 2022 and assumed a consulting role with Dublin Farms.
A celebration of Hickman’s life was held Jan. 30 at the Pocomoke Elks Lodge.
