“We harvested a nice big crop in 2012,” Jimmy Burch Sr., a partner at Burch Farms LLC in Faison, NC, told The Produce News. “It is selling well and it should last until the 2013 harvest.”

He added that sweet potato production is increasing faster than consumption can keep up with it, despite the hefty increase in demand on both the fresh and the foodservice sides of the business.

“We need to get acreage down in order to get prices back up,” said Mr. Burch. “The 2012 crop is the biggest crop that we have ever had. We grow 3,000 acres and we buy an additional 2,000 acres from growing partners. We’ll sell 2.5 million bushels this year, but we’ll sell them at $2 less than a year ago. Do the math and you’ll see what a huge chunk of change that adds up to. There is no question that we must sell sweet potatoes at higher prices.”

Burch Farms has a strong background in farming. Mr. Burch’s mother’s side of the family started farming in 1760, and his father’s side has farmed since 1860.

The company has been at its current location since 1950, when William and Georgiana Burch started their own farm on 35 acres of land to support their five sons.

Today it is still family owned and operated. The third generation now works in the management on the farm. The company has increased its acreage to 6,500, on which it grows predominantly mixed vegetables.

The company’s strongest focus is on greens, sweet potatoes and cabbage.

The newest generation has expanded the product line to include value-added packs of sweet potatoes, such as microwavable as well as bagged greens. It has also grown an organic line of vegetables for over 10 years. Of its total acreage, 750 acres are certified organic production.

“We are dedicated to sustainability,” said Mr. Burch. “And we plant rotational crops such as wheat, soybeans and cotton in order to give our land better soil tilth and organic matter.”

The company operates its own fleet of trucks to ensure on-time delivery to its customers. It offers its produce as either delivered or f.o.b. services.

“All loads leaving our facility are checked out by shipping and are sealed to ensure food-safety compliance,” said Mr. Burch. “We offer shipping confirmations once loads are manifested out and leave our facility.”

The company can accommodate 75 tractor trailers daily during its peak season.

Burch Farms is third-party audited through Primus Labs. All of its facilities and fields are inspected and certified to ensure compliance with the strictest standards of food safety.

Its facilities are inspected and cleaned on a daily basis to ensure cleanliness and proper temperature levels, and its employees are trained to follow guidelines on sanitation and hygiene. All of its products are tagged and coded to ensure traceability back to the field and crew that harvested it, along with when it was packed.

“We take extra care in storing and packing our produce in the most effective ways possible. We go above and beyond to supply the highest quality produce possible,” said Mr. Burch.

Mr. Burch said that acreage will be down for the 2013 planting of sweet potatoes at Burch Farms.

“Prices are stronger on hay, corn and tobacco, and so until sweet potato prices firm up, we’ll be using some of our acreage for these crops,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes big egos in the sweet potato industry get in the way of price control, and that’s too bad for those people because in addition to affecting others in the sweet potato category, they will also ultimately hurt themselves.”