Lay’s© brand Celebrates the Canadian Potato Growers

Canadians have been reaching for Lay’s© potato chips for decades. That’s a fact! Did you know the journey from farm to flavour begins much closer to home than you might think. Lay’s “Betcha the Farm,” is a playful new national campaign that proudly spotlights the Canadian farms behind every bag.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Chris Perry from Alberta, one of the potato farmers who supplies the potatoes that go into making those Canadian’s favourite Lay’s Potato Chips.

Here’s what to know about being a potato farmer for Canada’s best loved snack.

Q: Where in Alberta is your farm?

A: Our farm is based in Coaldale, Alberta. It’s been in our family for four generations, and where we’ve proudly grown potatoes for over 40 years.

Q: Is it true that the farm area around Lethbridge is the potato capital of Canada? What do you think PEI thinks about that? Is there a competition or a hands-down winner?

A: Both Alberta and PEI both have a deep-rooted potato legacy, and we respect the work happening across the country. Here in southern Alberta, especially around Lethbridge and Coaldale, we’ve got incredible growing conditions, fertile soil, a great climate, and access to irrigation, which makes it ideal for growing high-quality potatoes. It’s not so much a competition- it’s about proudly contributing to create food like Lay’s potato chips that Canadians know and love.

Q: How many types of potatoes do you grow?

A: We grow several varieties, but for Lay’s, we focus on specific types that meet the brand’s high standards for quality, consistency, and taste. Each variety is selected carefully with support from PepsiCo’s agriculture and product development teams.

Q: What variety of potatoes do you grow that will become potato chips?

A: For Lay’s, we grow a special variety of potato developed in partnership with PepsiCo Canada’s agriculture and R&D team. This potato is used for its ideal cooking quality, taste, and yield – perfect for Lay’s chips.

Q: What is the length and time of your growing season?

A: Our growing season usually starts in early spring as soon as the soil is ready for planting. We take care of the fields and potato plants through the summer, and harvest typically kicks off in August. From start to finish, it’s several months of careful planning, monitoring, and hard work.

Q: Do you grow your own seed potatoes or do you buy them?

A: We work closely with trusted partners to source seed potatoes that meet the high-quality standards needed for Lay’s potato chips. These seed potatoes are carefully selected to ensure strong, healthy crops.

Q: If you buy them, where are the suppliers located?

A: We work with seed suppliers that work with PepsiCo experts to ensure the best agricultural practices. They are located in regions that specialize in producing high-quality seed potatoes and we value those partnerships, just like we do with PepsiCo.

Q: How many days/weeks does it take to harvest your potatoes? Are they harvested by hand or by machine?©©

A: Harvest generally begins in August and lasts several weeks. It’s a busy time, truly all hands-on deck and everything is harvested using modern machinery. Some of those potatoes go from our farm to a Lay’s bag in as little as 36 hours during the peak season.

Q: Do you sort or wash the potatoes before you ship them out?

A: We do a quality check and sort, we inspect grade and wash the potatoes before shipping, but the chips are made in facilities that handle the full cleaning and preparation process. Our focus is growing a clean, consistent, and top-quality crop right from the start.

Q: If you’re supplying potatoes for potato chips, how many tons would you harvest and ship in a season?

A: Each year, PepsiCo Canada uses about 800 million Canadian potatoes to make Lay’s chips across four of their Canadian manufacturing facilities – and farms like ours across the country play a key role in that. While I can’t speak to the exact tonnage from our farm, it’s a significant and proud contribution to a truly Canadian product.

Q: A lot of people discount potatoes as just “starch”, what do you say to that?

A: Potatoes are so much more than that. They’re a nutritious, versatile crop that Canadians love. Behind every potato is a farmer, a family, and a whole lot of science and care. We take real pride in what we grow.

Q: How often does your household eat potatoes?

A: Pretty often! Potatoes are a staple in our household. Whether it’s mashed, roasted, or in a bag of Lay’s, they’re always on the table.

Q: What’s your favourite potato dish?

A: Any potato dish is delicious, but I must say digging up fresh baby potatoes this time of year, boiling them till soft and adding some butter, fresh dill and a pinch of Maras Salt (from Peru – home of the native potato) well that’s just potato candy! And I’ll settle for a bag of Lays sour cream and onion any day!

Betcha the farm

From Farm to Bag – the Lay’s brand Celebrates the Canadian Potato Growers Behind Every Chip. For more information about Canadian grown potatoes and Lay’s Potato Chips use this link.