ABERDEEN, Idaho — Fourth-generation farmer Ladd Wahlen knew nothing about processing potatoes, but that didn’t stop him and wife, Zoey, from launching Roots Potato Chips using potatoes from their farm.

After graduating with a business degree from BYU-Idaho in 2012, he returned to the family farm to work with his father. In 2016, he and Zoey began acquiring acreage.

Ladd had the idea for turning potatoes grown on the farm into a local Idaho potato chip for 10 years before he and Zoey took the plunge.

He wanted to add value and vertical integration to the farm and took a small potato processing course they needed to get started.

‘We just dove in’

“I had zero experience … me and my wife just picked it up and went with it, and it just got better every year. The first couple of years we just dove into it, and we were learning as we went,” he said.

They started with a small on-farm facility and are now in their fourth year of production.

“We’re at the point now where demand exceeds capacity. We’re looking to expand,” he said.

The plant runs five days a week with seven employees.

The kettle-style potato chips are made from chipping varieties — Lamoka and Clearwater Russet — grown on the farm. The farm also grows Russet Burbank and Russet Norkotah varieties to sell for the fresh and processing markets.

The potato chips have a simple recipe and are all natural — sliced potatoes cooked in olive oil and salted — with no artificial ingredients or preservatives. The chips also come in jalapeno, barbecue, hot and salt and vinegar flavors.

“We sell to a lot of independent retailers in Idaho,” he said.

Their market includes Montana, Wyoming and Utah, and the chips are also carried at certain Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Walmart stores. They can also be found at regional restaurants, resorts and hotels.

Potatoes with a Purpose

The potatoes are grown with soil health in mind under the farm’s Potatoes with a Purpose initiative.

“The point of our mission is to help promote agricultural sustainability and regenerative practices,” he said.

The operation focuses on the principles of soil health, such as limiting tillage, keeping the soil covered, keeping a living root system, multi-species cover crops, pollinator mixes, plant diversity and building soil biology. The Wahlens also graze cattle when possible to cycle nutrients.

“We think that’s what consumers are looking for — growing sustainably and certification,” he said.

The farm is partnering with The Nature Conservancy to acquire data on regenerative practices and help interested producers implement some of those practices.

“We’re just trying to implement things that are good for the soil, consumers want and good for the farm,” he said.

The other part of the Wahlens’ mission is supporting communities, and they’ve donated to more than 20 organizations that help fight hunger.

“Agriculture is something we really enjoy. We’ve been very well supported and are very appreciative of it,” he said.

Wahlen Farms Roots Potato Chips

Wahlen Farms Roots Potato Chips

Owners: Ladd, age 35, and Zoey Wahlen, age 33

Location: Aberdeen, Idaho

Crops: Potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, sugar beets

Employees: Four on the farm side, seven on the processing side

Education: Ladd, bachelor’s in business, 2012, BYU-Idaho; Zoey, bachelor’s in nursing, 2012, BYU-Idaho

Children: Sons Beckett, 6, Briggs, 4, and Miles, 3; infant daughter, Romi