How It's Made

How It’s Made

Our popcorn begins in the fertile soils of the Tennessee Valley, where it’s grown by trusted local farmers. We use a hybrid butterfly seed, selected for its high yield (fewer unpopped kernels) and excellent expansion (producing large, fluffy popcorn).

The corn is grown on contract using seed we provide, ensuring consistency and quality from field to bag. While we’ve occasionally grown popcorn on our own farm, most of our land is better suited for hay and pasture. (Merritt Farm is primarily a beef cattle operation, with hundreds of acres dedicated to hay fields and grazing.)

After harvest, the popcorn is sent to our packaging partner’s facility, where it’s packed into microwave-ready bags, combo packs for popcorn machines, and bulk bags for wholesale.

The photos above are from a past growing season and may include images of equipment or facilities belonging to the dedicated local farmers who help bring Merritt-Pop to life.