Early Harvest
Szawlowski Potato Farms began in 1910 when Polish immigrant John R. (JR) Szawlowski started the business. Over the decades the farm weathered economic ups and downs, shifts in rural lifestyle, and the loss of part of its original property when the city took land for an industrial park. Now one of the largest potato growers in Massachusetts, it is operated by the fourth-generation Szawlowski family.
The original farm was located in Northampton, MA, centered on the family farmhouse where four brothers—Frank, Chet, John, and Stanley—were raised. In the 1950s their teammates gave them the nickname “Swaz.” In 1972 the city took about 75 acres for development, prompting the farm’s headquarters to move to Main Street in Hatfield, where the family already owned additional land.
The corporation now has 1,500 acres under production in the Massachusetts towns of Hatfield, Northampton, Hadley, Amherst, Sunderland, and Whately. Since deciding to branch out the business in 1989, they have also been packaging potatoes for other growers outside their harvest. During this time, one of the brothers – Frank Szawlowski – left the fields to market and manage the business in the office-warehouse complex in Hatfield. The other brothers divided their farm duties based on their own talents. Chet became the master mechanic, John worked with pesticides to adopt integrated pest-management techniques, and Stanley led the seed cutting in the spring as well as supervision of the packing.
Today, the third generation has passed, and now Frank’s daughters—Shelley, Melanie, and Diane—manage both the farming and packing operations, continuing the family’s agricultural legacy with steady dedication and careful stewardship.
watch our video
The History of Szawlowski Potato Farms as told by the family's 3rd generation
Community Involvement
Partnership with Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
· Sponsoring Food Bank fundraising events
Szawlowski Potato Farms, Inc. supports a number of local schools’ athletic programs in western Massachusetts.
Agricultural Foundation – Szawlowski Potato Farms, Inc. offers scholarships to local high school graduates who are planning to study agriculture.