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Thanks to a new seed program at Pamlico Shores Produce in Swanquarter, North Carolina potatoes are not only being grown across our state, but in other parts of the world as well. From Hyde County soil to countries overseas, red and yellow N.C. potatoes are in high demand!
In 2008, Hunter Gibbs and Dawson Pugh, co-owners of Pamlico Shores Produce, started growing red, yellow, and a few russet potatoes. “Originally we packed our potatoes in the facility at Nash Produce, a sweet potato farm in Nashville,” Hunter said. “In 2012, we opened our facility in Swanquarter and have been growing & packing here ever since.” Both Hunter and Dawson grew up in farming families and have been best friends since childhood. “We grew up a quarter mile from each other and always had a love for farming,” Hunter said. “One day, I mentioned that the potato business would be a good industry for us and that was the start of Pamlico Shores.” Today, the farm produces a variety of potatoes, including red and yellow, as well as Mattamuskeet sweet onions, broccoli and cabbage.
In 2026, Pamlico Shores Produce grew 375 acres of potatoes, with about 75 of those acres being certified seed potatoes. “We have good soil here in Hyde County, which contributes to the high-quality and growth of our potatoes,” Hunter said. “To date, we produce red potatoes, yellow potatoes, a few russet potatoes, and certified seed potatoes.” Pamlico Shores Produce is currently the only seed potato grower in North Carolina. “Our seed potato program all started when Potatoes USA was looking for a North Carolina grower to conduct seed trials for Cuba,” Hunter said. “We were about the only potato farm in our state that had the capacity to take on this project at the time due to our refrigeration technology and storage on-site.” This is the third year that Hunter and his team at Pamlico Shores Produce have exported containers of seed potatoes overseas. Through the program, they have shipped to Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, France, Senegal, Honduras and South America.
The seed potato program takes potato varieties that are grown in our state, specifically red and yellow, and allows them to be shipped and grown overseas. “It’s a really unique opportunity to expand the market of our state’s potato farmers, as well as fill a gap found in potato industries in other parts of the world,” Hunter said. “Many potato farmers in countries overseas are losing acreage and experiencing a decline in seed production, so if we can get people on board with this program it will save farmers money and expand a market for North Carolina potatoes.” In addition to international expansion, the seed potato program also has the potential to increase domestic seed sales in future years. “We are still in the very beginning stages of the program, so there are a lot of things to figure out still, but we believe this is going to innovate the potato industry in a variety of ways,” Hunter said. “It’s exciting to see N.C. potatoes feed customers across the world, and we hope it is a market that will only continue to expand in the years to come.”
In addition to co-owning and operating Pamlico Shores Produce, Hunter is also the President of the North Carolina Potato Association where he serves as the spokesperson for N.C. potato growers, attends trade shows for market awareness and expansion, and more. “Our state’s potato association has been serving the potato industry for nearly 100 years,” Hunter said. “In my role as President of the Association, I attend trade shows to help our growers get in front of potential buyers, board meetings to speak on behalf of the industry, and overall spread the word on how the association benefits potato growers in our state.” To learn more about the North Carolina Potato Association, visit their website and/or follow along on their social media channels.
Although growing potatoes takes a lot of patience and hard work, Hunter and Dawson wouldn’t trade anything for the joy that they feel during planting and by providing meals for families across the world. “We are actually feeding people with the products we produce here on the farm and that generates a lot of pride,” Hunter said. “Potatoes have always been a major player in our state’s agriculture industry, and we are honored to produce them each year for customers both inside and outside of the United States.” Potatoes from Pamlico Shores Produce can be found at all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in North Carolina. We are so proud of all that Hunter and his team are doing for our state’s agriculture industry and look forward to seeing the seed potato program in our state continue to impact farmers and consumers across the world!
