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NC SweetPotato Grower Profile:
George Massengill - Hill Top Farms Inc., Four Oaks, NC
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George Massengill and his son, George Jr., own Hill Top Farms, Inc., a diversified crop and livestock operation and farm supply business in the Blackroads Crossroads community in Harnett County.
Following graduation from high school and then NC State University, where he earned a degree in crop science, George started farming full time with this father in 1967. At that time, George and his dad grew tobacco, corn, soybeans and sweetpotatoes, and started their cow-calf operation.
Looking to further diversify their farming operation, the Massengill’s opened an independent farm supply and service business in 1975. They sell seed, fertilizer and crop protection chemicals and provide custom application services to farmers within a 30-mile area of their farm.
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Almost 30 years later, Hill Top Farms Inc. grows 800 acres of the same crops and livestock and has expanded its farm supply and service business. Just a few years, ago, George Jr. followed in his dad’s footsteps, attending NC State University and obtaining a degree in crop science.
Sweetpotatoes have always been a major crop grown by Hill Top Farms, Inc.. This year, the Massengill father-son team grew 100 acres of sweetpotatoes, using micropograted and certified Beauregard seed. Still in the process of harvesting this year’s crop, George says he’s got an average to above-average crop of sweetpotatoes.
Strictly a grower of sweetpotatoes, the Massengill’s harvest and cure their crop, selling it to packer-shippers in the area, who then sell it to retail producers and food service businesses.
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Of his experiences on the NCSPC board from a farmer perspective, George says, “The SweetPotato Commission has done a great job helping fund NC State production research over the years. It’s also been helpful in getting us farmers Section 18 and 24C special use labels approved so we growers can better cope with our insect pest problems.”
On the promotional side of the Commission’s business, George says, “I’ve learned a lot about the research being done to promote the different uses of sweetpotatoes. I think the Commission was forward thinking when we decided to form the NCSPC Foundation, which is identifying new value-added uses for our crop.”
"I think the promotion done by the board has dramatically increased consumption in the foodservice and processing part of the business, helping us grow our share of the U.S. market."
As a citizen in his local community, George has been a long-time director of the Blackroads Crossroads fire department and community recreation center.
George likes to eat his crop, too, especially baked sweetpotatoes!
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