LUCAMA, NC - The seasons are shifting, and with cooler weather on the horizons, consumers are seeking heartier fare. Sweet potatoes offer a nutritious and delicious option for health-conscious shoppers.
To get a pulse on the upcoming season and grower innovations, I connected with Jeff Thomas, Director of Marketing at Scott Farms, a sixth-generation family farm spanning a five county region in Eastern North Carolina.
“We are in the beginning harvest stages, and the crop looks amazing so far. There is consistently great sizing and quality,” Jeff shares. “So far, we have harvested mostly Covington with a few Murasaki.”
Jeff tells me that they will begin harvesting the Bonita variety later in the season along with more uncommon varieties like the Burgundy and Bellvue.
“It’s still early to tell, yield is looking like it will be on par with last year,” Jeff says. “In terms of demand, I think as the consumer continues to learn of the many uses of the sweet potato, you will continue to see it grow because of the health benefits it offers. Why not incorporate it into your diet if it is good for you and you can do so many different things with it?”
As the company looks to the horizon, they hope to continue innovating and expanding. In recent years, the company built new packing and storage facilities, which it is continually looking for ways to improve.
“We keep looking for ways to extend the shelf life and quality of the product, and with every year that passes we learn new techniques to elevate consistency and quality,” Jeff tells me. “It all starts with our micropropagation program and extends through the planting, growing, harvesting, storing, packing, and shipping of the product.”
When it comes to pushing produce and raising awareness for the industry, Scott Farms spent an entire year producing and capturing footage of the annual farm cycle, and released the video to the public. The response has been tremendous, landing in features such as RFD-TV’s series American Farmer and Discovery Channel’s Innovations.
“From the “American Farmer” piece alone, we had over 5 million broadcast views,” Jeff adds. “So, it really allowed use to show what we do up close to those that may not have the opportunity to visit the farm. The video also won a Bronze Telly award for documentary and the promotional efforts won a national marketing award.”
What other innovations will the industry come up with to push produce forward? Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to report.
