SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Matt and Jeanne Rue, owner of Rue Farms in Springfield, have their hands full growing hay for racehorses and tending to their business of raising and selling grass-fed beef cattle. They don’t have time to grow vegetables; too time-consuming, they say.
But oddly enough it was a potato that caught the attention of Jeanne, who enjoys dabbling in just about any project.
"We don’t grow potatoes, but last February I came up with the idea of making potato chips," she said. "It was very experimental. The past few months we have learned a lot about potatoes and potato chips. We didn’t realize all the work involved."
After much time, money and burned pans, the couple finally came up with a chip they enjoy, and hope others do as well. They call their brand "Rustic Potato Chips" under the Rue Farms label.
"We slice ours a little extra-thick so there’s more ‘meat’ to the chip," Matt explained. "The comment we get most from folks is that there are so many chips in each bag. Our chips are dense."
At the onset of this small family business was a lot of smoky cooking oil. At times the oil was too hot; at other times the chips were not cooked to perfection. Perfecting the taste required constant changes in the couple’s recipes.
"Making chips requires constant stirring and it’s very labor-intensive," Jeanne said. "Working with potato chips is a real science."
After perfecting various varieties of chips, the couple invested in a much-needed fryer, one the size of a family car. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved fryer is 7 feet wide, 20 feet long and 4 feet deep.
Baking chips is a work in progress, Matt said, though they’re making great advances with their work. The couple sold 1,090 bags of chips at the Yellow Springs Street Fair earlier this year and in June they produced strawberry potato chips for the Troy Strawberry Festival. To this day they produce chips from 12,000 pounds of potato each month. "We experimented with different seasonings, and now we blend our own seasonings," Jeanne said. "They’re all gluten-free with no additives or preservatives. We use locally grown Russet potatoes.
"That’s the difference between us and most chip manufacturers. Most of the others use a white potato. The Russet is temperamental, and the weather affects russets."
The couple boasted they are members of Ohio Proud. They will be at the Ohio Proud Food Summit on Aug. 14. There, their chips will be displayed before representatives from stores including Kroger, Meijer, Giant Eagle and others.
"We would love to get in those big stores, but right now we’re in small delis and small restaurants," Jeanne said. "We want to stay grounded and grow slowly. Most new businesses fail, so we want to grow with the business. Chips are a dime a dozen, but ours are very different."
Flavors they offer include Cajun, Southwest, dill herb, sea salt, pink Himalayan and sea salt and pepper. They’re in the process of producing salt and vinegar, sundried tomato basil and white cheddar chips. They’ve had numerous requests to produce a sweet potato chip, just in time for the Spring Valley Potato Festival this fall.
"We want unique flavors, so whether one is drinking a beer or iced tea, we aim to make a chip to accompany the drink," Jeanne said.
"Granted, it’s not a health food – but if you’re going to eat chips this is the way to go," Matt added.
At this time the chips are enclosed in a bag that is not see-through. The couple are in touch with a manufacturer in Cincinnati that can help them package the chips in a clear bag.
Rue Farms is located at 4711 Johnson Road in Springfield. Visit www.ruefarms.com for more information.
