While it’s not football season, true Green Bay Packers fans are thinking about their team all year long. And a select few lucky fans get to celebrate the Packers in a way that’s uniquely agriculture — potato chips made from potatoes grown in Lambeau Field soil.
AJ Bussan is the director of agronomy and quality at Wysocki Family of Companies, which grows about 8,000 acres of potatoes. He’s laid eyes on a green bag of Lay’s Golden Grounds. In fact, he sees it every day in the office.
Only 200 of each NFL team have been made, and you can’t buy them in a store, so Bussan says the chips won’t be eaten for lunch anytime soon.
Frito-Lay organized the collection of soil from all the NFL stadiums. The pro-ball topsoil went to a farm in the western part of the U.S., and potatoes were grown in it. Frito-Lay segregated and tracked the potatoes and delivered the loads to chip processing plants and to be packaged in their respective team logo.
“It’s a deeper message that I hope we can celebrate, and that is, how precious our soil is,” he says. “I’ve heard it referred to as hallowed ground in Lambeau Field, but it’s all hallowed, our topsoil is one of our most precious resources. It’s really fascinating and fun as a farmer and a lifelong agriculturist to see topsoil celebrated even in this minor way.”
