For Amy Nehring, watching her husband Kyle build the company has been a lesson in perseverance. “Kyle warned me,” she recalled of their early conversations, when he shared his dream of becoming an entrepreneur. “I was kind of nervous about that, but he’s not like everybody else. He is such an incredibly hard worker, and he puts his sweat equity into things because that’s what he can control.”

Amy described the couple’s journey as one of shared sacrifice, including brushes with bankruptcy, selling their home, and funding the early days of the business on credit cards. But amid the struggles, Amy also saw the generosity of their community, including friends offering hands and support, and a broader network of Idahoans celebrating the brand’s success and pushing them to that next level.

“Idaho is the most famous potato brand in the world. So the fact that there wasn’t an Idaho potato chip in the market at any sort of scale was crazy. That was enough to say, well, I think we can do this. And as we got into this new facility, the whole world changed for us in a big way,” said Matt Price, Teton Valley Brands CEO.

Matt noted the abundance of local resources in Idaho, which support startups like Teton Valley Brands with enthusiasm. That sense of support and connection is a hallmark of Teton Valley Brands, whose relationships with individuals and organizations like the Idaho Potato Commission have made growth possible.

“We’re excited that Teton Valley Brands, like so many of our licensed processors, carries the Grown in Idaho® seal. This certification mark ensures consumers that only genuine Idaho® potatoes—grown in our rich volcanic soil and ideal climate—go into every bag. By sourcing 100% Idaho® Russets, they not only uphold the quality our state is known for but also support Idaho’s growers and economy. The seal stands for quality, authenticity, and a deep connection to the land and people who make Idaho® potatoes the best on earth,” said Jamey Higham, President and CEO of the Commission. “Teton Valley Brands’ new plant in Caldwell is a great boost for Idaho’s potato industry.”

But what’s a chip without the potato?

Todd Cranney, a member of the ownership board of Cranney Farms, explained that, through a mutual friend and board member, he learned about the chip company. Eventually, the conversations between Todd, Cranney Farms CEO Ryan Cranney, and Kyle evolved into a partnership that leveraged both expertise and equity.

“We thought it had a lot of great possibilities,” Todd said. He emphasized that Teton Valley Brands’ Idaho roots were central to the appeal. “We were really excited about the possibilities of what they were doing in terms of their ability to grow. There are very few potato chip processors in the state, and they’re the largest that are Idaho-produced. We loved that we could supply the potatoes from our farm and also own a piece of the business.”

Todd also helped make introductions that led to unique products, like the tallow chip in partnership with Snake River Farms, which blends innovation with tradition, forging connections between farm and processor in pursuit of the best chips out there. “You leave the farm,” said Todd. “But it never leaves you.”

On the farm, the hands that plant, tend, and harvest the potatoes belong to other members of the Cranney family, whose multi-generational farm has been in operation since 1907. Tyler Cranney, a partner at Cranney Farms who describes himself as a jack of all trades, oversees, among other things, the farm’s sugar beet operations, corn production, and a large portion of irrigation.

But now he’s talking potatoes. “This bay, this half of this building will store 120,000 sacks or 120,000 hundredweight,” Tyler said. “When we get into full harvest mode, it takes about three days to fill each side of this building.”

He explained that preparing the farm involves nearly year-round maintenance, from repairing and upgrading machinery to ensuring that the soil is healthy and ready for planting. “It’s a full-time job, and it takes a ton of equipment,” Tyler said. “The stuff wears out quickly, gets a lot of use and abuse. There’s a ton of maintenance involved, and it never really stops.”

Despite the farm’s size and output—roughly 4,000 acres of potatoes alone—he stressed that the family’s work is intertwined with a deep sense of heritage. “Our family’s been here since 1907. It’s in our blood; it’s in our DNA. The farm and the family are really one and the same. But it takes a lot more than just the family to make this operation, to make this farm run. We’ve got a team of just fantastic, super dedicated employees. That’s a team,” Tyler said.

Ryan echoes that sentiment, emphasizing the connection between stewardship, sustainability, and family. “We’ve been raising food here for generations,” he said. “I love farming, and I love raising my family on a farm. It’s special to see the next generation continue and improve upon what came before.” Ryan oversees the strategic direction of the farm, from planning harvest schedules to scouting for disease and ensuring every crop meets high standards of quality. “It’s intensive,” he said. “From the outside, raising potatoes seems fairly simple. But there’s a lot that goes into it—over time, we’ve developed our systems and operating procedures. There’s so much that goes into preparing the land, the moisture, the planting, and bringing in good quality seed.”

Cranney Farms raises their own seed potatoes, which requires dedication to maintaining soil health and nutrition. Ryan explained that there is a concerted effort to avoid unnecessary chemicals and fertilizers, instead relying on Mother Nature to help along the way.

Producing more than 100,000 tons of potatoes annually, the farm provides potatoes for Teton Valley chips that reach tables across the country. “We eat the same food that we sell, so it’s important for us to have good, safe food. And that we take very seriously, raising a good quality product for people. We like to make our customers happy by having a safe product that’s healthy—we work really hard at it,” said Ryan.

For Teton Valley Brands, that effort pays off in ways both tangible and personal. From seeing the chips on the nearby picnic tables at a campground to hearing out-of-state fans share their excitement, the brand has grown into more than a local product, celebrating craftsmanship, family, and the state of Idaho. The partnership between Cranny Farms and Teton Valley Brands is one of many Kyle has formed in a commitment to quality, sustainability, and respect for the land.

Of course, growth applies to more than just potatoes. The Teton Valley team has watched the business evolve from a small startup in Kyle’s garage to a small space in Nampa, to their new warehouse in Caldwell, Idaho. New partnerships continue to introduce new chips to the original four, and Kyle said that the sky is the limit.

Now, they’re working with educational institutions across the state for college-themed chips, sold in retailers near the schools.

“Idaho should be represented on every potato chip aisle ever in the nation. Why? Because we have these amazing potatoes and turn them into these fantastic potato chips. We couldn’t be more excited about the future,” he said. “You can’t hand somebody a potato and say, ‘Hey, welcome to Idaho.’ But you can absolutely hand somebody a bag of chips.”

Right now, about a dozen people work in the warehouse, running one shift five days a week. “But we’re ramping up, and we should be running 24-7 before long,” said Steve Marek, head of operations at Teton Valley Brands.

Teton Valley Brands is carving out a unique niche in a competitive market with innovative flavors and local, traceable ingredients—the chip itself is uniquely made to offer consumers a truly delicious experience.

“Because it’s a kettle chip, we want to do a slow and low cook, meaning a long time in the fryer and with a lower temperature, ” Marek explained. “A chip like Lay’s is made through a continuous frying process—a much higher temperature, a much shorter time. The chips feed through constantly, so you get a different texture. This is batch by batch.”

For the Cranneys, farming and partnering with products they believe in is about more than production—it is a way of life that honors the legacy their fathers honored and built before them. “We stand on the shoulders of many great people that came before us. We have a great, deep appreciation for our fathers and all the sacrifices they’ve made to put us in position there. There’s just an ethos of hard work, of sacrifice, of teamwork, in our family. This, the farm, is something bigger than us, and we want to kind of keep it going for the next generation,” said Todd.

Teton Valley Brands is proving that the best chips don’t just come from Idaho—they come from people willing to risk everything, work relentlessly, and carry forward the values of family and community.

“We want to highlight Idaho stories. We want to talk about the Sawtooths. We want to talk about the rivers. We want to partner with the tourism places. We want to pay our respects to the state that we all love,” said Matt. “We’re a lot more than just a brand. We’re trying to build a legacy company. Teton Valley Brands is a story about continuing to go towards the opportunity.”