N.C. Sweet Potato Comm. Unveils Month-long Promo

The N.C. Sweet Potato Commission and N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have unveiled a new statewide retail promotion, “52 Ways to Love Potatoes,” in honor of February’s Sweet Potato Month. Retailer participants include 155 Lowes Foods, Piggly Wiggly and Ingles stores in North Carolina.

In-store elements include recipe cards and point-of-purchase signage, as well as cooking demonstrations held at select stores during the month to introduce consumers to new ways of preparing sweet potatoes.

The Sweet Potato Commission has also launched a branded website for the promotion which includes 52 sweet potato recipes, one for each week of the year. Additionally, a photo contest on the commission’s Facebook page offers consumers the chance to earn a $100 gift card to one of the participating grocery stores by sharing their sweet potato photos with the hashtag #loveNCSP.

“North Carolina is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation, and produces nearly half of all sweet potatoes grown in the United States,” said Sue Johnson-Langdon, executive director of the N.C. Sweet Potato Commission. “The N.C. Department of Agriculture understands the significance of supporting local growers, and we’re happy to partner with them on great retail promotions like this one.”

The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission is a Benson-based nonprofit corporation made up of almost 400 sweet potato growers along with the packers, processors and business associates that support them.