Nature’s Way Farms looks for strong, quality crop

Faison, N.C.-based Nature’s Way Farms is a year-round grower, packer and shipper of North Carolina conventional and organic sweet potatoes.

The grower-shipper has slightly lower acreage this year, but it is too early to tell how yields will compare with a year ago, says Mark Crawford, president.

Harvest for Nature’s Way Farms began on Sept. 5 and is expected to finish by about Nov. 5, he said. 

The shipper expects to have good sizing and consistent quality, Crawford said. 

Demand for sweet potatoes is fueled by the vegetable's health benefits and effective store level and online promotion, he said. 

The company has invested in new packing-line equipment that is resulting in more accurate weights of each box and of individual sweet potatoes.

Labor is tight, especially for warehouse needs, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t slowed the growth of the business, Crawford said.

“We were growing before the pandemic, we grew through the pandemic and we are still growing now,” he said.