In 1910, Martin Sidor's Polish grandfather started growing potatoes in Mattituck on Long Island's North Fork. Martin and his wife, Carol, began tending to the 170-acre farm in 1973.

Potatoes, once a key crop on Long Island, were no longer providing enough of a foundation for the farm. On top of these concerns, a car accident left their eldest son without sight and the Sidors were forced to consider the possibility that their third generation farm would be part of their history and not their future.

Martin and Carol considered the odds against them and chose to work with what they knew best: potatoes. But just like their changing circumstances, they had a completely different view this time around. Their prized Andover, Marcy and Norwiss-varieties would lay the groundwork for the now famous North Fork Potato Chips: a company that could continue to grow with their family.

With the help of their three children, the Sidors launched North Fork Potato Chips with a hearty chip kettle-cooked in healthy sunflower oil. Soon, their website was up and running and were selling chips by the case. They then introduced two new varieties - barbecue and sweet potato - and will soon roll-out both cheddar and onion and sour cream and onion.

North Fork Chips have been commended by everyone from tennis fans at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami to former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who mentioned the chips as one of his favorite snacks, to Whoopi Goldberg who has been known to stock up at Murray's Cheese Shop in Manhattan.

The Sidors radical move proved to be an ingenious one. What could have been the end of an era in generational family farming became the beginning of an exciting new chapter.