Discovering NC Agriculture: Cooking with NC Sweet Potatoes

Discovering NC Agriculture is a year-long series focusing on twelve N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives! 

The NC Sweetpotato Commission is leading the way in the sweet potato industry by providing support to farmers across the state and educating the community. Our state ranks first nationally in sweet potato production, making them a vital part of the N.C. Agriculture industry. From the field to the fork, the NC Sweetpotato Commission works hard to ensure the crops continued success.

In 1961, Henry Covington and five other sweet potato farmers came together to form the commission. “These farmers determined that they could better market their sweet potatoes by banning together and forming the organization,” said CoCo Daughtry, Communications Specialist for the NC Sweetpotato Commission. “Since then, the commission has continued to grow under the mission of raising consumption and awareness of the sweet potato crop in our state.” Currently, the commission works with over 300 farmers, including growers, packers, and processors.

According to State Law, anyone that grows an acre of sweet potatoes or more must pay at least a $15 assessment each year. “When a sweet potato farmer pays his/her yearly assessment, they are automatically granted membership to the NC Sweetpotato Commission,” said Daughtry. “From that point forward, how much they want to be involved is entirely up to them. We have open communication with all of our farmers and are very transparent with the services that we offer.” From research and lobbying to field days and promotions, the commission offers many valuable resources to interested farmers that boost their skillsets in a variety of ways. “We work with many organizations and universities across the state, including NC State University and Appalachian State University, to research a variety of aspects of the sweet potato industry,” Daughtry said. “From the newest field research and growing techniques to marketing strategies and nutritional content, the research we share with our growers can maximize many efforts within their company.” Interested farmers can become more involved with the commission by attending regular meetings, serving on a committee, or asking for further information from CoCo and her team.

Beyond the farm, the NC Sweetpotato Commission also serves to educate the community on the importance of our state’s sweet potato crop. In fact, they recently received the Annual Marketing Excellence Award from Produce Business. “We received that award due to a sweepstakes campaign we ran last year on social media that redefined sweet potatoes as a contemporary staple in the food scene,” Daughtry said. “That was just one of many social media campaigns that we have implemented through the years to generate excitement and education around sweet potatoes.” The commission also attends local festivals, works with schools across the state, develops materials for homeschoolers, and attends national conferences to highlight sweet potato consumption, nutrition, and importance. “Educating children across the state, both in school and homeschool, is one of my favorite things because it helps to build the next generation,” said Daughtry. “Some kids that we talk to have never even had the chance to try a sweet potato, which opens the door for us to give them that opportunity. The work we do could turn them into lifelong sweet potato eaters and maybe even encourage them to become growers or ag business professionals.” Every day can be different for CoCo and her team, but each project they work on stems from a deep-rooted passion and love for the industry.

Believe it or not, sweet potatoes can be used in a variety of dishes, including cinnamon rolls, salads, quesadillas, and pizza. “Many people don’t realize that sweet potatoes not only add a delicious and unique flavor to common dishes, but they can also be used as a healthier substitute for some things, like pasta,” Daughtry said. All these recipes and more can be found on the NC Sweetpotato Commission’s website, but CoCo shared one of her favorite holiday sweet potato recipes with us. Check it out below and try it for your family this holiday season!

Easy Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

Cook time: 20 minutes
Created by: Nicole Barby (Raleigh) 

Ingredients: 

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (thawed)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 stick butter (softened)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 large NC sweet potatoes (cooked and cooled)
• For glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • Milk

Instructions: 

1. If frozen, thaw puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. On lightly floured surface, roll together segments of puff pastry to seal together.
3. Peel cooked sweet potatoes and puree in a food processor until smooth.
4. To make cinnamon roll filling:
   1. Combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 stick of softened butter and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon together.
   2. Using a spoon, mix until well combined. The mixture should be thick.
5. To Assemble:
   1. On previously rolled puff pastry sheet, spread even layer of sweet potato puree covering whole surface.
   2. Be careful not to overfill.
   3. Generously sprinkle brown sugar mixture over sweet potato puree.
6. To Roll:
   1. Start at one side, push and roll tightly until you have formed a “log.”
   2. Wrap cinnamon roll log in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or 30 minutes for a quick chill.
   3. After cinnamon rolls have chilled, cut to desired thickness (2 inches recommended) using a sharp knife.
7. Butter baking dish or cast-iron pan. Arrange cinnamon rolls close together starting in the center of the pan. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes or until fully baked and golden brown.
8. Prepare glaze while cinnamon rolls cool. In bowl, combine powdered sugar and milk (one tablespoon at a time) until desired consistency is reached. Spoon over cooled rolls.
9. Enjoy!