Matthews Ridgeview Farms projects solid 2023 sweet potato season

Matthews Ridgeview Farms, a fifth-generation, family-owned grower and distributor, has a rich history of delivering top-quality produce with 4,000 acres of farmland dedicated to sweet potatoes. 

“We grow, pack and ship sweet potatoes in bulk and value-added packaging,” said Autumn Campbell, sales manager for the Wynee, AR-based company. 

“Sweet potatoes are very important to our company because our company thrives through our sweet potato business and partnerships.,” Campbell continued. “We have a long history with sweet potatoes. The family has grown sweet potatoes for over 100 years. It has evolved more every year.”

The company sells more than 1 million cases a year and that number grows every year, with Campbell seeing more of a demand and more requests for specific sizing as well as packaging.

“The secret to success in the segment comes down to great partnerships and sustainability,” Campbell said. “When your customers can trust your quality and customer service, you create long-term partnerships.”

The 2022 season was a solid one for Matthews Ridgeview Farms. 

“We saw some customers’ sales go down but others increase,” Campbell said. “I feel that may have something to do with the economy, rise in cost and how people shop, as well as what part of the country the rise/fall numbers were in. Overall, there were no major drops. We stayed pretty consistent compared to 2021.”

Early indications on the 2023 sweet potato crops are good. 

“Crops look good and we expect it will be close to last year,” Campbell said. 

“The fresh crop usually starts shipping mid-October and goes to the next October. We focus on shipping year-round.”

The company also focuses on working field-to-table, starting with working the field through harvest and continuing to storage, packing and shipping.

The biggest obstacle of the last couple of years has been inflation, with Campbell noting that over all, the costs to successfully farm, pack, ship and package have gone up. Still, the company continues to provide the same great service to keep its customers happy. 

“We continue to get our name out there in advertising, attending expos, and continue to grow our current partnerships,” Campbell said. 

“When our partners grow, we grow. We continue offering ads, offering nutritional info as well as versatile ways to prepare sweet potatoes.”

It’s no wonder that the company has been able to grow annually and remain a trusted sweet potato company to do business with. 

“Matthews Ridgeview Farms has made a name for itself — we are not the largest sweet potato producing state, but with hard work and consistency, we are able to compete in an ever-changing industry and offer our partners top quality and customer service,” Campbell said. 

“The family has worked extremely hard for five generations as well as building a family of employees that have taken on the same values to make Matthews Ridgeview Farms a success. Matthews Ridgeview Farm is here to stay,” Campbell concluded.