NASH COUNTY, N.C. — North Carolina continues to be the top sweet potato producing state in the country, as farmers face climate change and supply chain issues.
What You Need To Know
According to the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission, our state has been ranked the No. 1 producer of sweet potatoes since 1971
Farmers continue to face challenges of climate change, weather and supply chain shortages in this year's harvest
Leggett Farming Partnership in Nash County sells its sweet potatoes and seeds
The co-owners say despite the challenges, farmers always find ways to make it work
Brent and Sue Leggett are the co-owners of Leggett Farming Partnership. It's a first-generation farm that grows sweet potatoes, tobacco, cotton, soybeans, peanuts and strawberries.
The farm not only grows sweet potatoes, but also propagates sweet potato seeds to sell to other farming operations.
The key to keeping their sweet potatoes year-round is their storage facility, a massive, climate-controlled building that holds 114,000 bushels of sweet potatoes. To put that number in perspective, one bushel is equal to 50 pounds. So their facility holds 5,700,000 pounds of the root vegetables.
So while the Leggett family can control the climate inside the storage building, weather is another story. But Brent Leggett says the inclement weather we've had is a positive.
"We had a really dry fall and early winter was really dry, so the rain and the snow we have had will build up the soil moisture we have had going into the spring," Leggett said.
So, while they'll make the best of the weather conditions, one thing they can't change are supply chain issues.
"It's something farmers have never really faced before is just the availability of products," Leggett said. "Unfortunately, the prices will have to be passed onto the consumers. As everything has inflated...with prices of fertilizer, fuel, chemicals, parts, labor."
But even with all that, Leggett says his family and other farmers will always find a way to feed consumers.
"A farmer is the ultimate optimist," Leggett said. "You always find a way to make it work."
North Carolina continues to be the No. 1 producer of sweet potatoes in the country. Our farmers contribute to nearly 60% of the supply.