In 1928 John Piersma started the
first Holland Farms door-to-door milk delivery. He was joined
by his new bride, Evlyn, on a below freezing morning in December
of 1933
John and Evlyn each had their own truck and delivery
routes, serving downtown Utica and surrounding areas. Evlyn
gave up her route in 1940 to start a family, but milk delivery continued
throughout World War ll with John's brothers Sid taking over the milk
bottling production, Pierre driving a milk route, Herman running the
family's dairy farm, and Jacob buying and running a second dairy farm.
By 1950, Holland Farms had 4 men delivering milk to residences, businesses
and hospitals six days a week. In 1955, John opened Holland
Farms Dairy Bar and Bakery on the triangle in Yorkville,
employing two Dutch bakers to produce fresh, quality baked goods for
the community, moving to its present location at 50 Oriskany Blvd.
in Yorkville in 1966 onto the site of the former Sal's Barbecue.
A second Holland Farms Bakery was operated in Clinton for several
years in the late 70's and early 80's, on the current site of the
Clinton Post Office.
Holland Farms' billboard, featuring cows
Cupcake and Chuckie, has been a landmark on Oriskany Blvd. since 1956.
In 1996 Herman Piersma and Richard Piersma, Pierre's son, retired
from the milk business and closed Holland Dairy after 69 years of
supplying milk to the community. |
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At Holland Farms' first location on the triangle, calves
were on display during June to celebrate Dairy Month.
We are currently the only bakery in
the Utica Area that makes our donuts, cakes, pies, and
pastries from scratch, and if we are to believe Ramon
Zayas, our Bakery Production Manager who is the past President
of the New York State Bakers' Association, we are a unique
operation in the State of New York. We produce more baked
"hand made" goods, in one location, than any other bakery
in our state or New Jersey. "Mom and Pop" bakeries are
being eaten up by big companies and there are few of us
left doing quality "hand made" baking and still showing
a profit.
We have had to compete with the in-house
bakeries of the large grocery stores that have arrived
in the Mohawk Valley, with their giant resources, convenience,
and frozen product, and have fared well.
To boost sales during the slow months,
television and radio advertising is used. (See Jelly Bun
Month) January, February and March are now busy months
for Holland Farms with the January White Sale,
February is Jelly Bun Month, and March Moon
Madness promotions, keeping everyone employed in
what used to be a very slow selling time of year.
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