Number One Sweetpotato Producing State
In 1971, just ten years after the formation of the Commission, North Carolina earned the rank of No.1 sweetpotato producing state in the U.S. and has remained there since. Its hot, moist climate and rich, fertile soil are ideal for cultivating sweetpotatoes, averaging at nearly 60% of the U.S. supply. According to the USDA, North Carolina harvested nearly 95,000 acres of sweetpotatoes in 2016, nearly 30,000 more acres than California, Louisiana and Mississippi combined – also top producing states. The graphic shows the top sweetpotato producing North Carolina counties, with Sampson, Johnston, Wilson and Nash accounting for about half of the state’s supply.
For more detailed industry information, contact our office at [email protected]
Help Us Correct the Spelling of the Sweetpotato – It’s ONE Word!
Did you know that sweetpotato is one word? We’d love your help in teaching the rest of the world (and those super smart dictionary authors) to use the correct spelling and update the dictionary entries. This is not a marketing ploy or us just being cool. It’s science!
Help us create change by adopting the CORRECT spelling of sweetpotato: it is a noun and not an adjective. That means sweet is not a descriptor, but part of the actual nomenclature. This is different than a potato which uses adjectives like white, red or russet to describe an entirely different vegetable.
Go to change.org and sign the petition!
Industry Certifications
Plant Production Compliance Agreements
Compliance agreements are for the allowance of out-of-state shipments and are distributed and managed through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. If you need a compliance agreement or have questions related to compliance please contact the Plant Pest Specialist who covers the region in which you live/farm.
What is GAP?
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) are voluntary audits that verify fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards
Why should I GAP Certify?
NC Fresh Produce Safety: Third-Party Auditors
Food safety should be an important issue for sweetpotato producers and taken seriously. Foodborne illnesses and deaths have been highly publicized over recent years. The loss of consumer confidence over contaminated outbreaks has serious effects on the entire produce industry. Almost without exception, the price of the affected crop drops following an outbreak, resulting in significant economic loss. The GAP program is a good way for growers to maintain consumer trust as well as prevent contamination.
NCDA Cooperative Grading Service
What is Global GAP Certification?
G.A.P. stands for Good Agricultural Practice – and GLOBALG.A.P. is the worldwide standard that assures it.
Globally connecting farmers and brand owners in the production and marketing of safe food to provide reassurance for consumers. We lay the foundation for the protection of scarce resources by the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices with a promise for a sustainable future.
If you are planning to ship internationally, or if your packer ships internationally, you should plan on becoming Global G.A.P. certified.
GRASP Certification – Global G.A.P Risk Assessment on Social Practice
The GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) is an add-on for the evaluation of workers’ well-being at farm level. It covers four major social responsibility topics: workers’ voice, human and labor rights information, human and labor rights indicators, and child and young workers’ protection.
Responsible farming practices aren’t just about products – they’re also about people. The GLOBALG.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practice (GRASP) is in addition to Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA) for the evaluation of workers’ well-being at farm level. Farms that are GRASP certified have spent the time to certify that they are attentive to workers’ health and safety, and covering topics such as labor and human rights, representation of workers, and the protection of children and young workers, GRASP is a demonstration of their responsible social practices.
What is Organic Certification?
Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. The organic standards describe the specific requirements that must be verified by a USDA-accredited certifying agent before products can be labeled USDA organic.
PRIMUSGFS Audit Certification
PrimusGFS is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized audit Certification Program, with certification in 22 countries. Endorsed by more than 7,326 organizations, PrimusGFS provides total produce supply chain coverage.
Applicable for all production areas and is the assessment of an operation’s Food Safety Management System (FSMS). The FSMS is a set of interrelated systems that when used in combination ensure that food is safe for human consumption. It incorporates, GAPs, GMPs/PRPs, GHPs, HACCP and other practices such as regulatory requirements and communication to ensure food safety is maintained.
SMETA – Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit
SMETA is an audit, which helps you to understand standards of labor, health and safety, environmental performance, and ethics within your own operations or at a supplier site. Businesses use SMETA to understand and make improvements to working conditions and environmental performance in their business and supply chain.
SQF Certification
The goal of SQF Certification is to deliver consistent, globally recognized food safety and quality certification programs based on sound scientific principles, applied across all industry sectors, and valued by all stakeholders.
How do I become certified?
USDA – Becoming organic certified
NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – Organic Cost Share Program
Directory
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Hill Top Farm Service Center
6341 Stricklands Crossroads Rd., Four Oaks, NC 27524 | Website
Wendy Massengill or George Massengill Jr.- President
Office: 919-894-4611 Fax: 919-207-1560
[email protected]
Lancaster Farms LLC
5517 Hwy 58 S., Wilson, NC 27893 | Website
Sarah Carraway | Tracy Fowler
Office: (252) 291-3048 | Fax: (252) 291-9278 | Tracy's Cell (919) 696-6998
Varieties
CovingtonBrands
Lancaster Pride
Nature’s Way Farms, Inc.
4590 Giddensville Rd., Faison, NC 28341 | Website
Mark Crawford
Office: 910-594-0096 | Fax: 910-594-0419 | Mark cell: 910-596-7942
[email protected]
Varieties
Covington sweetpotatoes, russet potatoes, white potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, Yuckon Gold Potatoes, and cabbage.Brands
Honey Drop, Nature’s Way Doing it BestCorey Produce
22331 NC Hwy 903, Robersonville, NC 27871 | Website
Varieties
CovingtonBoyette Brothers Produce LLC
6638 Radio Tower Rd., Wilson, NC 27896 | Website
Regan Dawson or Erica Barajas
Office: 252-206-0737 Fax: 252-206-4958
Varieties
Covington, Murasaki & Organic LinesBrands
Top of the RockJackson Farming Co.
3171 Ernest Williams Rd., Autryville, NC 28318 | Website
Michelle Jacobs | Dwayne Ferrell
910-567-2202
Varieties
CovingtonBrands
JFCHowell Farming Co. Inc.
106 J & L Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27530 | Website
Frank Howell - President Danny Beasley - Operations Manager Melissa Beasley - Office Manager
Office: 919-734-1118 Fax: 919-734-1119
Varieties
CovingtonBrands
Farmhouse Sweets & Ploughboy
Burch Farms NC
685 Burch Rd; PO Box 399, Faison, NC, 28341 | Website
Varieties
Covington, Hernandez, Grand Asia; Organic Sweetpotatoes availableBrands
Georgiana, Sugar ’N Spice, Steak House, Cinnamon & Sugar, Candy Yams
J. Roland Wood Farms
2500 Beasley Rd, Benson, NC, 27504 | Website
Suzanne Rhodes or Michael Wood
Office: 919-894-2318 Fax: 919-894-6195
Varieties
CovingtonBrands
Suzy’s Supreme, Little Mike, Big Daddy’s Jumbos, Wood Farms