Triple J Produce has a rich history in the sweet potato industry. Led by Joey and Kristi Hocutt, president and sales manager respectively of the family-run business, the company has been involved in farming for three generations.

“We’ve been involved with sweet potatoes for around 36 years,” said Tristian Perry, who is part of the Hocutt family and does crop consulting for their farms.

Triple J Produce, operating out of Sims, NC, grows and handles approximately 900 acres of sweet potatoes and partners with other growers to distribute from a total of 3,500 acres. The company packs sweet potatoes year-round in its 100,000-square-foot packing facility, packaging in bulk, 3-pound bags, and micros.

“We like to deal in smaller markets; we don’t like to go too big, we like to have those close-knit relationships with all of our customers rather than be the biggest and have the most out there,” Perry said.

Of the company’s acres, 300 acres are currently certified organic, which is a segment the company continues to invest. Their partners organic acreage helps bring the total to well over 1,500 organic acres.

“Today, about 25 percent of our business is organic, and we’ve been working with organics for close to 10 years,” Perry said. “I think a lot more people are getting into this segment because people are looking to eat healthier, and this is just a better quality of food.”

Triple J Produce deals with several varieties of sweet potatoes, such as Covington, Garnet, Murasaki and a newer variety that came out recently that doesn’t have an official name that resembles the Stokes variety.

“We call it a ‘purple purple’ because it’s like the Murasaki, which is a purple-skinned, white-flesh potato. The ‘purple purple’ is a purple-skinned, purple-flesh sweet potato,” Perry said. “We also do some white sweet potatoes called Bonitas.”

The company also has a microwaveable sweet potato that is gaining interest among consumers.

The family has noticed the entire sweet potato industry on the upswing in recent years and more and more farmers are growing the category — especially organic varieties.

“It’s big business right now,” Perry said. “They have a lot of vitamins in them and are good for your overall health and immune system, so consumers are buying them more than ever.”

Photo: Joey and Kristi Hocutt with their two children.