Boyette Bros. to begin shipping organic sweet potato variety in February

wilson, nc — Boyette Bros. Produce, a sweet potato grower established in 1982 in Wilson County, NC, will begin shipping an organic Covington variety of sweet potato this month. Plans are under way for more organic storage space and a new packing facility for organic sweet potatoes, according to Erica Barajas, marketing manager, and Robert Boyette, manager of Boyette Bros. Produce.

Robert Boyette, manager of Boyette Bros. Produce, discusses plans for a new organic sweet potato packing line to begin this spring with Erica Barajas, marketing manager, at the firm’s offices in Rock Ridge, near Wilson, NC.“In December, Boyette Bros. exhibited for the first time at the New York Produce Show,” said Barajas. “This was a great show for us and we used it to help us pivot from being a major exporter of sweet potatoes to selling more of what we grow in this country. We felt with our new packing line, now four years in operation, and capacity for year-round storage space, we were ready to expand the portion of our crop sold in the U.S. market,” Barajas told The Produce News.

“With about 5,000 produce executives attending the New York show, we had the opportunity to open new doors and introduce our company to people who had not yet heard of Boyette Bros.,” she explained. “The four-day show gave Boyette Bros. time to spend with existing partners, and also to make new connections with companies looking to expand their sweet potato lines. “We’ll definitely be back next year, exhibiting again,” she added.

The ever-increasing demand for sweet potatoes in this country led to the decision to expand offerings here at home. “Consumer awareness of the health benefits of sweet potatoes has increased over the years,” Barajas noted. “Consumers are attracted to sweet potatoes because they are nutritious, easy to prepare, have longer shelf life and great versatility.”

The addition of facilities to store and pack organic sweet potatoes is a natural extension, Barajas stated. “Organic sweet potatoes are becoming a consumer favorite, and we have steadily increased our organic acreage,” she observed. “We will begin shipping the organic Covington variety this month. We will add more organic storage space and a new packing facility for organics in early spring, and we are confident our organics sales will continue to gain momentum,” she concluded.

Guy Boyette started farming in the small North Carolina community of Rock Ridge in the 1920s. Son Armetus joined him in the 1950s, then Armetus’s sons Wiley, Robert and Michael joined the family business after completing their educations. Fourth-generation family members including Wiley’s daughter Kaitlyn and Robert’s daughter, Regan, play instrumental roles in the family business.