By ALAN WECHSLER, Business writer, Times Union
First published: Wednesday, October 25, 2006

EAST GREENBUSH -- It's early afternoon at Goff Middle School, and students are lining up to buy snacks in the cafeteria. But something happened to the food here: It's gotten healthy.

Instead of greasy potato chips, there's Pirate's Booty, an all-natural snack food. Instead of candy, there's Barbara's Bakery organic granola bars.

Goff just started buying its snacks from Organic Vending LLC, a new company based in Rensselaer and Chatham, the respective home towns of the two founders, Larry Macera, owner of Royale Limousine Service in Albany, and Bob "The Wolf" Wohlfeld, morning radio host on WPYX.

The two joined forces about four months ago to launch a company dedicated to replacing unhealthy snacks in vending machines and cafeterias around the region with foods that include only natural ingredients without processed sugars and trans fats.

"We are the only organic vending company in the country right now," said Macera. "It was a venture we decided to take on."

The organic food market is worth about $13.8 billion, and has doubled since 2000, according to the Organic Trade Association of Greenfield, Mass. It makes up about 2.5 percent of the nation's food purchases, according to the association.

Holly Givens, a spokeswoman for the group, said she didn't know if Organic Vendors was indeed the only company in the country specializing in that product line, but "I've not heard of anybody doing that," she said.

Macera, 57, is a former railroad engineer who took early retirement to start Royale about eight years ago. The firm now has 17 limos and nine employees.

Wohlfeld, 49, has been eating organic food for nearly a decade and got the idea for the business after seeing only unhealthy foods available as snacks at his office.

The two invested about $15,000 each, and began to research the market. Eventually they started to advertise. Wohlfeld even bought an ad on his own morning program (he's prohibited from talking about it during the show).

Today, the company supplies products to a number of businesses, including Steuben Athletic Club, Media Logic, and the Center for Natural Wellness School of Massage, which also has a machine that serves frozen organic meals, Macera said.

The company is also seeking an endorsement from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization created by former President Bill Clinton.

Last May, the nation's largest beverage manufacturers reached a deal to remove sodas from public schools (however, a look at vending machines at Goff on Tuesday showed the presence of iced teas, juice drinks and sports drinks, most of which have practically the same amount of sugar as sodas).

Goff got interested in Organic Vending thanks to sixth-grade Principal Mark Warford, who was working with two teachers at the school to push healthy foods. The school already has an organic garden and encourages recycling, so switching to healthy snacks seemed a natural progression, he said.

Warford introduced the products two weeks ago by giving out free samples. The response was positive.

"They ate every bit of it," he said. "And you can hear comments, 'This is good.' "

Indeed, on Tuesday students lined up to get the snacks. Some complained about the high prices -- $1.25 for a one-ounce bag of Pirate's Booty, when potato chips used to cost 50 cents. Others liked the new choices.

"I don't buy potato chips," said sixth-grader Ryan Schroeder. "My dad says they're bad for me."