Sweet Success

In September 2019, Co-op member Katey Evans found herself in Los Angeles, California, preparing for one of the biggest moments of her life. She was bathed in the glow of massive studio lights. Seated in front of her on the set of ABC’s “Shark Tank” were some of the most successful and famous business leaders in America. 

Within a few minutes, Evans would be asking Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran and three other influential entrepreneurs to invest in her Sussex County business, The Frozen Farmer. The business sells high-end specialty ice cream, sorbet and other delicious treats. Many of the ingredients in their tasty frozen desserts are grown on the family farm or sourced locally. 

As a farmer and small business owner, Evans is no stranger to stress; but making a business pitch to four millionaires and a billionaire on national TV is 
no easy task. “It was incredibly exciting. It was also a really intense process to go through,” said Evans. Evans nailed her presentation. The industry titans were impressed with her passion and determination. On the show, she was elated to land an offer from Lori Greiner to invest $125,000 into The Frozen Farmer in exchange for a 30% share in the operation. “It’s a competitive industry; it’s a hard industry to be in. But, I love a challenge, and that’s what wakes me up every day. I thrive off of it,” she said. 

Greiner made the offer to Evans on one condition — that she secure placement of The Frozen Farmer products in a national chain. Since the show was filmed in September, The Frozen Farmer products can now be found in grocery stores across the country.

Success has been sweet for the Evans family. When Evans married her husband, Kevin, the family farm’s tiny produce stand along Route 404 in Bridgeville had a dirt floor. Now, The Frozen Farmer and Evans Produce share an impressive storefront. So far in 2020, the combined businesses packed 120,000 containers of ice cream and countless pounds of fresh produce to be devoured by delighted consumers all 
across America. 

The Frozen Farmer ice cream is dense and rich — that’s because, unlike some brands, very little air is pumped into the ice cream. Their sorbet is also fat-free and dairy-free for those who are more health-conscious. “The fact that we use fresh ingredients makes our product so different. We source only the most premium ingredients locally or from our fields, when in season,” 
said Evans. 

The entrepreneur could not have imagined that her first job on a farm at the age of 12 would blossom into a life-long passion for agriculture. Evan’s husband and the many other members of their family currently working at Evans Farms share in her enthusiasm for farming — a dedication that millions of television viewers got to see for themselves. The Sussex County farm family has a lot to be proud of.  “It’s really cool to watch something grow from nothing, and neat to be able to raise our kids and teach them about the beauty of the land and how to preserve it. We’ll pass it down to them someday. It’s exciting to wake up and live your dream every day,” she said.