North Carolina grows and ships nearly 70% of sweet potatoes, according to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
North Carolina growers normally start harvesting sweet potatoes in August.
A combination of soils and temperatures are primary reason sweet potatoes in eastern North Carolina lead the nation in production.
The Interstate 95 corridor, around Wilson, Nash, Johnston and Sampson counties, is the heart of sweet potato country.
The growing region includes part of the Piedmont region and a small portion of the eastern part of the state, but not too far east.
The farther east in the state you go, the soil is blacker and not as well suited for sweet potatoes.
2021 harvested area for fresh and processing sweet potatoes combined was nearly 105,000 acres, up from 92,000 acres in 2017 and more than double the acreage of about 40,000 in 2007, according to USDA statistics.
In 2021, about 88% of the entire North Carolina sweet potato crop value was derived from the fresh market.
All of the research and infrastructure investments in North Carolina sweet potatoes have allowed North Carolina sweet potatoes to be available all year long, both for domestic and export.