WATERFORD — The Troyer family’s plans for an organic frozen fry business now have a name.
The family, one of the state’s largest potato growers and owners of the Troyer Farms snack company from 1967 to 2008, has named its new venture Folkland Foods.
More importantly, they now have financing to complete construction of a new $7 million manufacturing facility, which could be operational in January.
Governor Josh Shapiro and Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding were in Waterford Township Wednesday afternoon to announce a $3 million grant through the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, also known as RACP. The grant will help pay for an 8,100-square-foot expansion and new equipment, as well as a 3,600-square-foot expansion for a freezer warehouse and a 16,000-square-foot potato warehouse.
Shapiro, who sampled some fries, toured a potato warehouse and viewed a high-speed potato sorting machine, said he was impressed with the company, now run by brothers Colton and Zachary Troyer, who are members of the fourth generation of the company.
“They are a true Pennsylvania success story, rooted in hard work,” he said.
At least for now, organic potatoes are more challenging to grow and produce smaller yields. On the other hand, the potatoes can sell for about twice as much, says Mark Troyer, president of Troyer Growers.
Troyers, who grow more than 600 hectares of potatoes, have approximately 70 hectares of organic potatoes ready to harvest.
Frankly, Troyer said, the organic crop yielded much less than the crop grown using conventional methods.
“We’re trying to figure it out. You’re at the mercy of nature,” he said.
Zachary Troyer said he is confident that skilled farmers will overcome the challenges of producing a bumper crop without the benefits of chemical sprays and fertilizers.
The company’s grant application positioned the project as an opportunity to create up to 50 jobs at a processing plant and as an opportunity for local potato growers to earn more for their crops.
According to the filing: “We plan to build on entrepreneurial success by not only growing our own organic potatoes, but also teaching regional farmers to grow organic vegetables. They would benefit from converting some of the acreage to organic potatoes, increasing their potential income by offering products that They are not basic products whose prices are often volatile and markets are highly competitive.”
The governor, who has established a statewide Center of Organic Excellence, sees a growing demand for organic food.
Increasingly, Shapiro said, “Consumers want to know where it came from and how it was produced.”
Shapiro said he also sees an opportunity for some of the state’s 50,000-plus farmers to produce a higher-value crop.
Colton Troyer, one of the company’s co-founders, said a lot of thought went into choosing a name for the company that would reflect the family and its traditions.
“We started with about 70 names on a board” before settling on Folkland, he said. “It feels like a place and not just a brand.”
Brian Garlick, the company’s chief operating officer, said there is still a lot of work to be done, construction completed and equipment installed, before the plant, located next to Troyer’s potato storage facility, can begin production in January of fries.
Garlick, who first started working at the former Troyer Farms snack plant in 2005, said preliminary contacts have been made with a number of potential retail customers. No contracts have been signed, but the response has been enthusiastic, he says.
The young company has, at least for the time being, settled for one important detail. They have announced that fries will initially be offered in three flavors; garlic-rosemary, Cajun spices and Himalayan salt.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday against the backdrop of a mountain of stored potatoes, Zachary Troyer compared the family’s current focus to the efforts of previous generations.
More: The Troyer family is known for its past as a chip manufacturer and is soon planning an organic chip factory in Waterford
“Two generations ago, a pair of Mennonite farm boys from Pennsylvania started this farm with a simple idea: growing potatoes, making potato chips. Simple in concept, undoubtedly complex in execution, but the brothers built a beloved business and achieved great success,” he said .
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“Our intention today is to honor that legacy and use the good experiences and lessons learned to create new opportunities in our community and state,” he said. “Our vision for Folkland Foods is as simple as my grandfather’s: grow organic potatoes.”
The Troyer RACP application was one of 19 applications submitted from Erie County in the most recent round of funding. No other financing announcements have been made yet.
Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Troyer chip factory wins $3 million state grant to expand
