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OPN Connect Newsletter 186 · October 1, 2020

Country Sweet Produce Introduces New Organic Sweet Potato Steam Bags


As a fourth-generation family farm, founded in Bakersfield, CA in the mid-’40s, the team behind Country Sweet Produce (CSP) have plenty of experience growing in the San Joaquin Valley.

“Michael Valpredo partnered with his father, Donald, in 2008 and established Country Sweet Produce, Inc. to vertically integrate their farming operation to include a sales and marketing arm,” said Chris Carroll, vice president of sales and marketing for the company. “Since then, sales have grown each year as we’ve expanded assortment, especially in the area of organics.”

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Don Valpredo and Michael Valpredo

That set-in motion a burgeoning company that proudly supplies consumers with organic and conventional commodities from its own farming operation along with other local growers, focusing on innovation and adding value to the category through new product development.

According to founder Michael Valpredo, the company’s mission is to “grow and nurture the finest and most flavorful produce in the greatest agriculture region in the world.”

“We take a lot of pride in cultivating and maintaining relationships with our customers and maintain the land with rotational practices, while continuing to convert additional acres to organic based on increased demand,” Carroll said.

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Michael Valpredo, President, Country Sweet Produce

Today, Country Sweet Produce offers a full lineup of 3-pound and 5-pound bags, 1.5-pound baby sweet potato bags, 1.5-pound steam bags, 3 and 4-count trays, and a single microwavable overwrapped sweet potato. This is in addition to a full assortment of bulk sweet potatoes including Covington, Dinah, Bellevue, and Japanese varieties. 

“We take a lot of pride in cultivating and maintaining relationships with our customers and maintain the land with rotational practices, while continuing to convert additional acres to organic based on increased demand." -Chris Carroll

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CSP will launch its new line of 14-ounce organic and conventional sweet potato steam bags at the PMA virtual summit as a single-serve option for smaller households.

“We created a convenient organic sweet potato product that can be cooked in minutes,” said Alexandra Rae Danell, Country Sweet Produce’s marketing manager. “Our new 14-ounce steam bag line features our orange-skin, orange-flesh Covington variety. It’s organic, non-GMO, triple-washed, and consumers can simply pop it into the microwave to enjoy.”

Chris Carroll, vice president of sales and marketing, Country Sweet Produce

With all that is happening in the world today with COVID, this new product fills a need as consumers seek safe produce that is already washed and packaged.

“We farm on approximately 1,200 acres of land in Bakersfield, CA,” Carroll said. “We are a significant grower/shipper in both the organic and conventional segments.”

Country Sweet Produce steam-in-bag sweet potatoes

One of the biggest challenges today is the increased demand that has been driven by the pandemic.

“Earlier this year, we made a strategic decision to move up the dates of our initial harvests by about four to six weeks as we saw increased consumer demand putting pressure on our storage stock inventories,” Caroll said. “Our leadership and farming teams worked strategically to get acres in the ground earlier than ever before to place us in the best position possible to meet the demands of our customers.”

In April, the US Sweet Potato Council reported a 3,000-percent increase in bagged sweet potatoes as consumers shifted from bulk to packaged sweet potatoes, and this is something the company paid close attention to.

“We worked closely with our current customers to manage our assortment without having to gap on core items until the new crop harvest began in mid-July,” Carroll said. “We’re presently exploring new distribution opportunities from existing customers on new items along with targeting new customers as well.”

Alexandra Rae Danell, marketing manager, Country Sweet Produce

Another challenge—and one faced by any grower who deals in both organic and conventional—is trying to manage the price gap.

“Our goal is to close the price gap to give consumers more reasons to make the switch to organic product,” Carroll said. “We realize in the end it’s a win-win situation. Not only for us as growers but also for the consumer because of the environmental impact. It’s our goal to drive more of our business into the organic space.”

With that in mind, Country Sweet Produce’s goals going forward are to increase market focus and development into organics, seeking out innovative new items that are unique to the market.

Organic Bako sweet potatoes

“With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up soon, there are opportunities for us to work with retailers on a customized ad calendar,” Danell said. “We are offering retailers a way to merchandise sweet potatoes using our new display bins, as well as marketing assets to go along with that and a consumer campaign to show convenient and healthy ways to enjoy sweet potatoes during the holidays.”

In 2021, the company looks forward to increasing its organic share of the sweet potato category by offering consumers the highest-quality items at the best possible prices.

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