With a network of farmers spread across a 120-mile radius in eastern North Carolina, Nash Produce of Nashville, NC, is already widely known in the sweet potato world. And now, the company is making moves to strengthen its position in the market.

Nash recently installed an ozone system “to extend the shelf life of our sweet potatoes as well as eliminate residue from the product,” said Director of Marketing Laura Kornegay.

The system injects ozone, a natural molecule made of three oxygen atoms, into the wash water that each potato passes through. This inert process kills any mold spores and rhizopus fungi, which causes soft rot in potatoes.

Nash Produce in Nashville, NC, has more than 30 growers producing sweet potatoes throughout Eastern Carolina. (Photo courtesy of Nash Produce)After the wash process, all packed-out potatoes are stored in an ozone atmosphere environment. Overseas shipments are transported in the protective ozone atmosphere to maintain freshness as well as prevent rot.

“The great benefits of using ozone is that it has been proved to eliminate the use of a post-harvest fungicide and it breaks down residue on potatoes from pesticides used during normal crop production,” Kornegay said. “It is the only known process to do this and it is even approved for organic production as well.”  

Nash’s fall crop has come off well, despite a rainy spring and summer, though yields may be diminished somewhat. The company’s grower-partners represent about 7,500 acres throughout eastern North Carolina. Harvesting from such a large geographical area helps to mitigate issues that are often times brought on by Mother Nature. If pests or disease pressures strike one area, Nash has ample supply from other production areas to draw from.

“The quality of the 2013 crop appears to be good. We are somewhat concerned about yields due to an extremely wet spring and early summer, which caused an inability to get all the plants in the ground as we had anticipated. But we are preparing for a great, steady production year,” Kornegay said. “As the demand for sweet potatoes continues to increase, a steady supplier is an invaluable resource and Nash Produce is always able to deliver. With the ability to store over 2 million bushels of sweet potatoes in controlled atmosphere storage, we can keep product for up to 18 months after harvest.”

With even fast food restaurants getting into the craze, demand for sweet potatoes “has consistently been on the rise over the last several years,” Kornegay said. “Sweet potato fries certainly play a big role in that. If you look at the frozen potato section in the grocery store now, you see all types of sweet potato products including fries, tater tots, hash and chunks. We believe that a baked sweet potato is a great trend for any restaurant establishment that can implement it as an additional side item. It provides an alternative to a baked potato, which is a healthier choice and provides a great profit margin as it is seen as a premium or specialty product.”

The Nash team will be hitting the road again shortly to exhibit at PMA Fresh Summit in New Orleans later this month. Look for the company in booth number 4422.