Vick Family Farms sees strong demand as North Carolina planting season arrives
Vick Family Farms sees strong demand as North Carolina planting season arrives
Extremely dry conditions in North Carolina continue to concern sweet potato growers, who were preparing to move transplants to fields in mid-May.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s most recent survey, published in mid-May, almost 60 percent of the state was listed as experiencing extreme drought, although small areas that were listed as more severe on the previous survey were downgraded.
Vick Family Farms, which is based in Wilson, NC, shares those concerns.
“We have been extremely dry and very concerning with getting this new crop in the ground,” said Charlotte Vick, partner/sales and marketing manager at Vick Family Farms. “We hope this weather pattern changes soon, as it is almost impossible to keep this crop irrigated.”
Transplant beds are on drip irrigation, so they have been on schedule, maybe a little slower due to cold weather at night in early May, Vick said, and chances of rain in some areas were increasing during the third full week of May.
With more than 10,000 acres of sweet potatoes, sweet corn and other crops, irrigating the entirety of vegetables grown by Vick Family Farms is not possible.
“Pray our weather patterns change soon,” Vick said May 19.
Heading into the growing season, demand for sweet potatoes in storage from the 2025 harvest was strong.
“This season we have seen an uptick in sales domestically,” Vick said. “Social media seems to be driving more and more people to be buying sweet potatoes these days, so movement has been very good.”
A tight supply of sweet potatoes throughout the industry will be carried into the new crop.
“Average yields last season and sales having increased has tightened up extra availability this season,” Vick said. “We are still focused on making it to new-crop cured, which would be mid-September.”
Retailer support has been excellent, she said, with promotions outside of the busy holiday season.
“Movement has been very good on the domestic side, and we could be moving more with exports, but we need to keep the potatoes here for the increase in domestic sales,” Vick said.
North Carolina’s sweet potato harvest traditionally begins in mid- to late August and continues into early November. Vick Family Farms primarily grows the orange-flesh Covington variety that is a consumer favorite.
