A Program to Develop Sweetpotato Production for Small Farms in Kentucky Appalachia

Farming in rural Eastern Kentucky has traditionally been based on burley tobacco production.  However, recent shifts in marketing and the production of burley tobacco have resulted in many growers looking for alternative crops. Horticulture crops are of particular interest to growers in this region because they offer relatively high rates of return with limited production acreage.  However, many horticulture crops require significant capital investment, high levels of management or specialized markets for sale.  Sweetpotatoes represented a crop with that would require relatively little capital investment, as they could be planted one bare ground using traditional tobacco equipment and required a lower level of management than many other horticultural crops. In the Spring of 2009 a Southern SARE funded program was initiated at the University of Kentucky in collaboration with the Cooperative Extension Services of Morgan and Elliot Counties in Kentucky to develop production and marketing information for sweetpotato production in Eastern region of the state.  In the first year of the project growers formed the East Kentucky Sweetpotato Growers Association to gain purchasing power and to facilitate the development of wholesale contracts.  A sweetpotato short course was also offered to participants. This course covered production and marketing practices. Grant funds were used to offset the cost of purchasing sweetpotato slips and supplies for 11 participating growers as well as reimburse travel costs for several growers and area extension personnel to visit successful sweetpotato farms in North Carolina. The grant funds allowed interested farmers to be involved with sweetpotato production with minimal risk during the first year of production. Yields were evaluated at several locations throughout the state for three varieties: ‘Covington,’ ‘Beauregard,’ and ‘O Henry.’  ‘Beauregard’ typically had the highest yields and allowed for the earliest harvest of the three.  Harvest date is important for sweetpotato production in Eastern Kentucky, where the growing season is significantly shorter than in the remainder of the state. Two sites were provided with drip irrigation, to evaluate the worth of providing supplemental irrigation.  In 2009 irrigation had no effect on yield.  Typical yields for Beauregard approached 1000 boxes∙ ha^-1.   Growers set prices at $20 per 18 kg box and sold to retail and wholesale markets.  Returns were high for most participants and several growers plan to expand their acreage in the upcoming season.  The results of this program suggest that sweetpotatoes represent a viable alternative crop for small farms in Eastern Kentucky.