Now with six generations of farming in Aroostook County in Maine to their name, the McCrum family started processing their own potatoes in Belfast, Maine, in 2004 after purchasing Penobscot Frozen Foods. This acquisition made them one of the largest suppliers of specialty potato products in North America. As the business grew, opening a fry plant was the natural next step.
The new facility in Washburn started processing in late June 2020 and has contracted in excess of 1 million cwt of potatoes to get the plant up and running through 2020. The plant has capacity to use a substantial percentage of the Maine potato crop on an annual basis.
Dayna McCrum, business analyst and eldest of the McCrum 6th generation: “Many fry processors work with hundreds of growers across a large region. By being able to grow our potatoes and work with select growers in our community, we can ensure top level quality throughout our product line. Adding fries to our product mix brings an incredible amount of value to our customers as well as those who have dedicated their livelihoods to the Maine potato industry.”
According to potatonewstoday.com, the McCrums credit the ability to open the new state of the art manufacturing facility to decades of good business decisions, great business partners and the sustainable region of their farming acreage.
