HADLEY – Members of the UMass men’s basketball team were anything but couch potatoes when they toured Barnwood Valley Farms on Wednesday afternoon.

The Minutemen got an up-close, personal look at the day-to-day operations of the potato farm, which supplies spuds to retailers all around the Northeast region of the United States, including grocery stores like Stop & Shop and Market Basket.

Vice president of the farm, Colin Szawlowski – whose family has been in the potato-farming business for more than a century – led the team on a tour of the facility, showing the players each step of the process, before the product is ultimately shipped out.

“They came, they asked a lot of questions, which was awesome because our industry is a small industry,” Szawlowski said. “So them coming in and asking questions and seeing what our day-to-day life is, is awesome. I hope the best for them for a great season.”

Barnwood Valley Farms grows several different types of potatoes on its farmland, such as red, white, russet and yellow table stock potatoes, before workers package them, sort them by weight, then send them out the door. The facility also has automated machines that assist in the packaging process, speeding up the outbound process.

As one of the first stops of their offseason community outreach schedule (that is jam-packed until next week), several Minutemen players enjoyed learning more about one of the most consumed vegetables, yes, vegetables in the country.

“I learned that their approach changes because it’s very time sensitive when they plant them because it has to be in-season, obviously,” rising UMass junior Jayden Ndjigue said. “Also, how if you have a bad potato, you can use a bad potato that you might not eat, you can replant it and grow more potatoes that are actually healthy.”

“We [also] learned about how different sizes of potatoes are going to get you certain levels of money for each of the packaging,” rising junior Rollie Castineyra added.

Because Barnwood Valley Farms’ farmland is so close to the Connecticut River, it provides ideal growing conditions for the potatoes. The soil can go long stretches without water, on occasion, which can save money on irrigation costs.

Szawlowski also mentioned that peak season is just around the corner for potato-growing in Massachusetts, as mid-to-late July is when conditions are best. That’ll last until October when temperatures begin to drop.

Wednesday’s tour also offered a chance for the new-look hoops team to get more comfortable around each other in a non-basketball centered environment.

“I feel like the community service events, for sure, help bring us closer,” rising senior Daniel Hankins-Sanford said. “Seeing how everybody is off the court, before we get to the basketball. It’s good to see each other’s tendencies, how everybody moves and interact with other people that aren’t UMass basketball players.”

Much of last season’s team that went 12-20 departed via the transfer portal so veterans like Hankins-Sanford, Ndjigue and Castineyra understand their role in guiding the new players.

“Us returners have made different decisions than we did last year just to make sure that our team has a lot of connection,” Castineyra said. “Every day it’s like, OK, try and sit with a new guy that you wouldn’t have been able to talk to as much in the practice the day before, or try to encourage someone a little bit more when they’re on the court that you wouldn’t be talking to as much. Just trying to get all of us getting along as all 15 of us instead of little groups of three or four.”

While the play on the court is ultimately what these UMass players are focused on this upcoming season, it’s experiences like Wednesday’s that’ll help shape each individuals character in the long run.

“I feel like doing these events, at least for me, it gives us a broader perspective on life,” Ndjigue said. “It really gets you outside of your bubble, outside of your comfort zone and gives you better insight on what’s really going on around you. I feel like, if I weren’t doing these community service events, I’d probably have tunnel vision. I probably wouldn’t assume things operate how way they do, so very grateful.”