History  










 

Vardaman's History

Vardaman's history as a sweet potato growing area began in 1915 when a few farm families moved to the area from Martin, Tennessee. The newcomers brought with them the beginnings of the Vardaman, Mississippi sweet potato industry. Their knowledge coupled with the county's quality soil and climate lead to the production of the world's finest sweet potatoes. Fourth and fifth generation growers from those original farm families, along with others, make up the majority of the sweet potato grower families farming near the town of Vardaman today. The typical 20-30 acre farm of the 1940's has grown to several hundred acres in most local farm family operations.


The Main Vardaman thoroughfare, MS Hwy 8, bustles with sweet potato activity during all seasons, especially the fall harvest season. There are several sweet potato packing sheds located along Hwy 8 in the city limits of Vardaman, as well as the specialty bakery, Sweet Potato Sweets, which cooks only with Vardaman Sweet Potatoes. Some of the same families continue growing Vardaman Sweet Potatoes today. The sweet potato industry has grown by including sons or daughters who have grown up in sweet potato production. Other farmers have decided to diversify by adding sweet potatoes to their crop rotations. Sweet potato production remains a mainstay in the Vardaman, MS area. The contribution of dollar from the sweet potato industry as a whole has put Vardaman, MS on the MAP. The impact of the sweet potato industry helps keep agriculture the Number 1 industry in Calhoun County, MS. Many other family-run sheds are located on the outskirts of town, including two of the largest grower/shipper operations. Vardaman sweet potatoes find their way to Atlanta and up the eastern seaboard, to Texas and up to Colorado and Idaho, down to Florida and all across the nation.

All About Sweet Potatoes


Sweet Potatoes are as American as apple pie, and even more so. Native Americans were already growing sweet potatoes when Columbus came to these shores in 1492. Sweet Potatoes have been growing in the Southeastern United States from as early as 1648.
Today, commercial production of Sweet Potatoes is centered in eleven states in the country. They are North Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, California, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Mississippi is the second largest producer of Sweet Potatoes in the nation. The Sweet Potato is not really a potato, nor even a distant cousin. Potatoes are truly tubers; Sweet Potatoes are roots. Sweet Potatoes are actually part of the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae); their genus Ipomoea batatas.


Are Sweet Potatoes and Yams the same?

Sweet Potatoes and yams are both starchy, edible roots. True yams, native to Africa, are rough, scaly and grow only in tropical climates since they require a longer growing season. They are low in beta carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C. They are popular in South and Central America, the West Indies and parts of Asia. There are no true yams produced in the United States for food. The vegetables marketed as yams in the U.S. are actually a variety of Sweet Potato.

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