Calhoun County Extension Office recently worked with Mississippi State University Food Science to facilitate a tour of the Sweet Potato Industry in Calhoun County.
Michelle Garraway, MSU Center for Community Engaged Learning Program Coordinator, coordinated with Trent Barnett, MSU Extension Agent in Calhoun County, to lead a tour for the students exploring the sweet potato industry from harvest to storage, packaging, marketing as well as sales of the finished product.
Students traveled from Starkville to Vardaman on a charter bus where they visited Topashaw Farms where they were shown how potatoes are cured, stored, washed for sales, boxed and shipped.
Participants also learned about how potatoes are graded and sorted for particular markets. While visiting the area the participants witnessed bulk shipment of sweet potatoes being shipped for processing market such as sweet potato fries.
The next portion of the visit included a visit to Sweet Potato Sweets in Vardaman. Students and professors learned how this business was formed and became what it is today with shipments throughout the United States.
Food Science students witnessed the baking process used at Sweet Potato Sweets and the sale of finished sweet potato products.
Paul Edmondson’s sweet potato farm also hosted the group where they watched the ongoing sweet potato harvest. Students were able to see how the potatoes are sorted in the field for transport to storage facilities.
“This tour could not be possible without the cooperation of Topashaw Farms (Joe Edmondson, Lindsey Edmondson and Christy Griggs), Sweet Potato Sweets (Judy Holder and Pat Moore) and Paul Edmondson,” Barnett said. “Each was very willing to take time for us to visit their operation of field.”