Sweet Potato Production
From the Field to Your Plate

Special plant producers supply farmers with seed stock that are placed into a sweet potato bed in March. These roots develop into plants or "slips" and are taken from the bed and planted in the field by a transplanting machine. This begins in early April and lasts through May.

The first sweet potatoes are ready to be harvested in late August and the process continues until early November. The farmer uses a special plow to go underground and bring the sweet potatoes to the surface. The sweet potatoes are then gathered by field laborers and loaded onto trucks that take the sweet potatoes to storage sheds.

Once in the storage shed, the sweet potatoes are"cured." This means they are kept in a temperature of about 85 degrees F and at a relative humidity of 85 to 95 percent for 5 to 7 days. This curing process heals any external wounds and toughens the skin. Finally, the sweet potatoes are stored at a temperature of 55 degrees F. The sweet potatoes are now ready to be eaten!