Matthews Ridgeview Farms sees rise in new sweet potato products and varieties

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

The company continues to grow and look for opportunities to increase business and partnerships, knowing it’s those connections that are the heartbeat of the produce industry.

“Our philosophy is to take our business past the vendor/customer dynamic and to view our business as partnerships with our customers,” said Autumn Campbell, sales manager for the Wynee, AR-based company. “As partners, we work together to build business together and everyone grows.”

Offering quality, genuine customer service and establishing a relationship that cultivates customers’ trust has always been the winning formula behind the company’s success, and customers know the team at Matthews Ridgeview Farms will also do its very best for them.

Campbell added that Matthews Ridgeview Farms is always excited to build new relationships as it gears up for a new crop year in September followed by peak season and the holidays.

“We’re seeing a demand for new sweet potato products as well as an interest in different varieties,” she said. “For example, some of the sweet potato products being launched and promoted include sweet potato noodles, rice and purees.”

Some of the biggest problems the company faces in 2023 are issues that have lingered for a while, such as a rise in cost to operate from farming to packaging to labor.

“We adjust cost where needed, make economically based decisions that still allow us to offer our best and continue to put our customers first,” Campbell said. “As long as we continue to take care of our customers, business continues to grow.”

Business for Matthews Ridgeview Farms went well in 2022, and sales are up in the first five months of 2023, so it’s enjoying an even better year so far.

Although the new sweet potato season is a way out, the company anticipates a good season ahead.

“We never really know until we are in the middle of it, but planting has gone well,” Campbell said. “We are working on building more business and feel positive looking ahead.”

One of the reasons is because sweet potatoes continue to grow in popularity, so interest is strong.

“We continue to see that the health advantages of sweet potatoes drive sales,” Campbell said. “At the same time, the cost of sweet potatoes and sweet potato products being higher than potatoes can cause a decline. There is still high demand for sweet potatoes. We continue to see new sweet potato products promoted.”