“We service the domestic and export market of sweet potatoes equally”

“We are still in the middle of the planting season,” says Jeff Thomas with North Carolina-based Scott Farms. Sweet potato planting typically starts mid-April and winds down late July. Despite the rains Eastern North Carolina received during planting season, planting is going fairly smoothly. “One of the earlier fields looks just beautiful,” commented Thomas. Scott Farms generally grows 2,500 -3,000 acres of sweet potatoes.

The earlier variety that Thomas refers to is the Covington variety. It’s a traditional sweet potato variety with an orange flesh and the variety that North Carolina is known for. “It has a good flavor, cooks and stores well,” said Thomas. This variety can be harvested 90 - 110 days after planting, around early August. Two other well-known varieties are Bonita and Murasaki. Bonita has a light skin and a white flesh while Murasaki has a purple skin and white flesh.

“We are a cured-to-cured facility”, shared Thomas. “After harvest, all of our sweet potatoes get cured, a process that takes about four to eight weeks and significantly enhances flavor and extends shelf-life.” In October of last year, Scott Farms opened an 80,000 sq ft. storage facility that added 600,000 bushels of storage capacity, bringing the total capacity of environmentally controlled storage to 2.2 million bushels. Coupled with their new state of the art automated packing facility, this storage capability allows for more consistent and higher quality products all year.

Within the domestic market, Scott Farms continues to build the brand through value-added products. “We are working with a chef who helps us develop non-traditional recipes,” shared Thomas. Chef Jason Smith owns the 18 Restaurant Group with four locations in the Raleigh, NC area. For summer, he has developed some warm-weather dishes, including a sweet potato slaw with pan-sheared shrimp. Some of Scott Farms’ added value products for the domestic market include a 1.5 lb. Steam-In-Bag that was introduced last fall as well as a single-serve microwaveable 8 oz. sweet potato. For families, the company offers a Family-pack with four roasting-size sweet potatoes.

The export market is important as well. “We have invested heavily in the export market as we want to serve the domestic and export markets equally, said Thomas. “Our UK office helps us focus on the export market, he added. We control all our products from the sweet potato plant to the time shipment reaches our customer. This allows us to make certain our customers get the highest quality products available on the market.”

For more information:

Jeff Thomas

Tel: 919-284-4030