Press Release

Gillibrand Announces Nearly $50,000 in Value-Added Producer Grant for Long Island Farm

Feb 8, 2012

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $49,990 in federal funding for Martin Sidor Farms, Inc. in Mattituck, New York to revamp their marketing strategy to raise brand awareness and increase sales of their North Fork Potato Chips. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program. 

“This is great news for Martin Sidor Farms,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We need our farmers to thrive if we’re going to have a strong and growing economy in New York. These federal grants will help ensure that our small farms and independent producers have the resources they need to bring their products to market and continue to drive economic growth in their region and across the state.” 

“We are extremely proud and grateful to be awarded the USDA Value Added Producer Grant,” said Martin and Carol Sidor, owners of Martin Sidor Farms, Inc. “The grant will enable us to move forward with a marketing plan to increase sales and brand awareness for our North Fork Potato Chips, and in turn, will increase consumer knowledge of the agricultural industry, which as farmers is a very important component for us.” 

The VAPG program is designed to help boost farms’ income and productivity by increasing access to capital, providing technical assistance and developing new marketing strategies for independent producers to increase exposure and broaden their customer base.