VARDAMAN, Miss. (WTVA)-Some say it's in the dirt, but whatever it is farmers say people from all across the world want the Mississippi sweet potato.
"They think it's a better tasting potato," says farmer Tony Morgan.
Tony Morgan has been growing sweet potatoes for about 12 years, and says unlike a lot of other crops it requires a lot of manual labor. Starting with planting in March then laying down a huge sheet of plastic to keep the plants warm.
"In mid-April when we start to see the plastic rise from the plants coming through we will take the plastic off, says Morgan. "Then we will bring in a white mesh to attract more sunshine to heat up the beds so the plants will grow."
In the fall when harvest comes the labor gets intense.
A crew of about 45 will pick potatoes out of the digger and decide which ones are number ones, or the ones seen in the grocery store, and which ones are sent to the canners,But the end of harvest isn't the end of the potato season.
"After you get them out of the ground you can't automatically sell them right then," says Morgan. "You have to store them. I still have taters now from last years crop. I hope to move them in next month before harvest."
Sweet potatoes are also a very expensive crop to grow costing anywhere from 12 to 18 hundred dollars an acre.
Despite the cost farmers here in Vardaman say that because of the demand and nutritious value of the sweet potato they'll keep growing them.
