bake - September 2018 - 46

sweet goods

cookie - actually, a drop cake that is frosted in chocolate on one
side and vanilla on the other - was one of the original recipes that

explains Holland Farms' Wilson. "Ours are more cakelike, with

"It's been an amazing
promotion. We went from
selling 20 dozen a day to 250
dozen a day."

chocolate and white frosting."

Marolyn Wilson, co-owner of Holland Farms Bakery & Deli

German immigrant John Herbert Glaser used when he opened the
bakery in 1902, according to the bakery. Unfortunately, Glaser's
closed its doors this summer on July 1.
"As the cookies moved upstate, they got softer and softer,"

Additionally, the bakery creates other ﬂavors of half moons for
special occasions: dressed in red for Valentine's Day, wearin'

Five years later, John Piersma opened Holland Farms Dairy

the green for St. Patrick's Day and frosted in pretty pastels for

Bar and Bakery on the triangle in Yorkville. Since 1980, Holland

Easter. New ﬂavors include carrot with cream cheese, pumpkin

Farms Bakery and Deli has been owned and run by Harrington

and red velvet.

and Wilson.

"Every spring, we spend about two months promoting March

The bakery sells donuts, cakes, pies and pastries, which are

Moon Madness, and we sell 60,000 half moons in a month,"

all made from scratch. According to the New York Bakers

Wilson says.

Association, Holland Farms is a unique operation in New York
because the bakery produces more "hand made" baked goods

Adapting to changing times

in one location than any other bakery in the state.

Holland Farms is truly a family business that survives through
hard work and innovation. Wilson's niece, Heather Potrzeba,

Holland Farms has faced numerous competitors from in-house

who is general manager, represents the third generation. Today,

bakeries of the large grocery stores that have arrived in the

the company has 80 employees, including 13 in the bakery

Mohawk Valley, and still fared quite well, Wilson says.

department.
Beyond its popular baked goods, Holland Farms also oper-

States from Holland, and their son (Wilson's father), John

ates a full-service deli and features daily specials, sandwiches,

Piersma, the entrepreneur of the family, started the ﬁrst Holland

soups, salads and more. And the bakery prides itself on yet

Farms door-to-door milk delivery in 1928. He was joined by his

another delicious item unique to the central New York region

new bride, Evlyn, in December 1933.

known as tomato pie.

John and Evlyn each had their own truck and delivery routes,

Tomato pie-at least the version that is popular in the

serving downtown Utica and surrounding areas. Evlyn gave up

Northeast-includes pizza dough topped with tomato sauce

her route in 1940 to start a family, but milk delivery continued

and grated cheese that is baked in a full sheet pan and then

throughout World War II with help from John's four brothers. Sid

served cold. A favorite at many of the Italian bakeries in the

took over the milk bottling production, Pierre drove a milk route,

Utica area since the early 1900s, tomato pie debuted at Holland

Herman ran the family's dairy farm, and Jacob bought and ran a

Farms about 20 years ago when Ramon Zayas, the bakery's

second dairy farm. By 1950, Holland Farms had four men deliv-

former production manager, started working at the bakery and

ering milk to residences, businesses and hospitals six days a week.

brought his recipe with him.

46 < SEP 2018 | bakemag.com

HOLLAND FARMS BAKERY & DELI

The famous tomato pie
Wilson explains that her grandparents came to the United
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