The Popcorn King of Yadkin Valley

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Marketing the Popcorn King

“You’re looking at the popcorn king of the Southeast,” says Shallowford’s marketing director Jeff Leonard, grinning and motioning toward his old friend. Leonard, former president of Foltz Concrete Pipe Co. and owner of Pipeline Motorsports, has used his racing connections as a marketing tool to increase name-brand awareness for Booe’s popcorn in the South. Leonard’s stepson, Zach Brewer, drives the Yadkin Valley Popcorn Pontiac. Leonard also courted chains of supermarkets—Ingles, Winn Dixie, Lowes Foods and Publix—to sell the company’s gourmet popped corn in store delis.

Shallowford Farms is also getting piggyback attention from the federally designated Yadkin Valley Wine Trail—a collection of wineries and vineyards scattered among historical sites in the Piedmont. The farm has an on-site store where tourists can purchase fresh popcorn and paraphernalia.

The farm itself is part of the important agricultural heritage of the region. It was the site of the first grade A dairy in Yadkin County, built by Booe’s great-grandfather to service the historic Biltmore Dairy Farms in Asheville. Booe’s grandfather continued in the dairy business, but farming skipped a generation with Booe’s father, who pursued a career in snack food distribution. So it seems fitting that Caswell Booe III melded the two interests to make his fortune.

Still, the “popcorn king” hasn’t gotten too big for his tractor seat. For him, working in the open air is still one of the most enjoyable parts of the business. In June, Booe and one other person planted 500 acres of corn in a grueling eight days straight. He recalls it with a mix of fondness and awe. The harvest keeps him busy September through Thanksgiving. It’s a satisfying yield for someone who began with a few kernels of initiative.

Freelancer Carla Burgess wrote about Hyde County’s Mattamuskeet Sweet onions in the June 2003 Carolina Country.