Drost Brothers Popcorn: Growing More than a Business

December 9, 2025

By Amanda Drost

 

Planting a Simple Idea

When our oldest son, Richard, was six, he told us he wanted to grow popcorn like my husband had when he was young. So, we let Richard plant a few rows in our sweetcorn patch. That first year, he picked every ear by hand and shelled it with his grandpa in our shop after school during the winter. It wasn’t a big harvest, but it was enough for us to pop and enjoy together, and he was incredibly proud of it. At the time, we figured it was a fun little project — nothing more.

By age eight, Richard asked if he could plant more and try selling some. We told him yes, as long as he was willing to do the work. He added both yellow and white varieties and, when he was nine, started selling to friends and family and at a couple of local vendor fairs.

I still remember taking a photo of Richard and his little brother Andy that first morning they picked popcorn to sell. Bundled up against the cold, they harvested the ears by hand. That picture captured exactly how the whole thing began and, eventually, became the logo for Drost Brothers Popcorn. 

Making It a Family Effort

Richard grows more and more corn each year. In 2024, he planted four times as much as the year before. He keeps track of expenses, pays cousins and neighbor kids to help pick, and covers his own costs except for the land. This has always been his project, so he’s responsible for the business decisions. My husband Jackson and I help when needed, but the work and choices are his.

Our five-year-old Andy loves being part of it, too. He helps pick popcorn, runs the old sheller and is easily the best salesperson in the family. If someone is within earshot, he’ll tell them about our popcorn.

Our falls have slowly shifted to make way for popcorn season, along with our corn and soybean harvests. We spend Saturdays picking, shelling and packaging. It’s work, but it’s also time together we wouldn’t trade for anything.

Trying Something New

Last year, I saw popcorn on the cob at a local store — the kind you pop right in the microwave. I brought one home to show Richard, and that started a whole new round of experimenting.

We tested different cob lengths and paper bags and worked through more than a few microwave mishaps. Eventually, we figured out a method that worked well. The boys now sell a twin pack of shrink-wrapped cobs with two microwave-safe paper bags and directions. They’re popular during the holidays because they’re simple, fun and different. Richard would love to get them into local retail stores, and he received a license recently to make that possible.

This year, the boys added a popcorn sampler gift box to their lineup. Each box includes a sample bag of white kernels, a sample bag of yellow kernels and one twin pack of popcorn on the cob. We assembled them this fall, and they’ve become a favorite for holiday gifting. Customers like trying all three products, and the boys enjoy seeing their work packaged in a way that feels special. The boys sell them directly to the consumer and at East Market Grocery and Deli in New Sharon.

Learning Lessons 

Harvest usually starts in late September, with October being the busiest month. Once the popcorn reaches the right moisture level, we test small batches to ensure it pops well. The popcorn is stored in totes until packaging begins, which usually continues through winter and wraps up by February. Andy loves bagging kernels, and he never turns down a chance to crank the sheller. It’s not a fast process, but the boys take great pride in it.

Richard pays attention to what sells. This year, he mainly planted yellow popcorn because it seemed to move faster than the white varieties. He’s learning to make decisions based on what his customers want.

We’ve had many conversations about money, too. Jackson sat down with both boys to explain mutual funds. Richard decided to invest most of his popcorn earnings, buying only one small farm toy for himself. Andy bought a camping tent with a little of his money and invested the rest. Each quarter, Jackson shows them how their funds are growing.

They’re also learning how to talk to people, answer questions and handle sales — skills that will serve them well no matter what they do someday.

We’ve always told them that this is their project. If they decide to stop, that’s okay. But right now, they’re still excited and learning a lot, so we’re happy to support them.

Growing Beyond the Farm

In 2025, Drost Brothers Popcorn became the official popcorn of the New Sharon Little League, where both boys play. The Little League alone went through 280 pounds of popcorn kernels — a number that still surprises us when we think about where this started. 

Richard and Andy planted more corn than ever this year, and we don’t expect they’ll have trouble selling it. To keep things organized, we launched the Drost Brothers Popcorn Facebook page and created a dedicated business email address, DrostBrothersPopcorn@outlook.com. 

As parents, the best part of all this isn’t the popcorn. It’s watching our boys grow through the work. They’re learning responsibility and patience, and how to stick with something from start to finish. They’re gaining confidence every time they try a new idea or talk with a customer.

Maybe this business will help them buy their first farm someday. Or perhaps it will simply teach them lessons they’ll carry into whatever comes next.