Our Farm to Can Process
It Doesn’t Get Any Fresher
Here at Bruce’s Yams we can proudly say that inour operation the majority of our sweet potatoes are processed within 48 hours after harvesting.
First Things First
Every year, our farmers store sweet potatoes from the previous year in climate controlled warehouses, preparing for an exceptional harvest. They are planted in beds in late February to early March, about two incches under the ground. They are covered wth plastic to hold in the heat during the spring.
In late April to early May, farmers remove the plastic after the last frost. At this time, each sweet potato would have sprouted seven-20 potato slip sprouts.
Sprouting & Transplanting
When the sweet potato slip sprouts have grown to 12 inches, they are mechanically cut and manually gathered, stored in boxes, and transplanted 24-48 hours later. The slips are manually placed into a transplanter, which is pulled by a tractor. During the transplanting process, water containing micronutrients is added to each slip to boost the growing process. The transplanter places the sprouts into the ground in rows, about 11-13 inches apart. The sweet potato slips are plowed twice, and are ready to be harvested in approximately 120 days.
Harvesting
At harvest time, the sweet potatoes are mechanically dug up. Then they are dumped into a cart, transferred to a tractor trailer, and delivered to McCall Farms. Family-owned and operated McCall Farms produces a wide variety of southern-style brands including Margaret Holmes, GLORY Foods, Peanut Patch Boiled Peanuts, and Bruce’s Yams.
Cleaning
The sweet potatoes are thorougly washed in two different stages; then peeled, cut and blanched. Throughout the process, the sweet potatoes are inspected for color and imperfections.
Land to Can
After blanching and cutting, the sweet potatoes head to the fill room. There, they are put into cans containing our signature syrups and spices. The lids are then placed on the cans and the sweet potatoes are cooked, cooled, stored, labeled and shipped to grocery stores nationwide.
Our Growers
Bruce’s Sweet Potates are planted and harvested by proud family-owned farms throughout North and South Carolina. The nearest farm is right across the road from our processing plant. The farthest is only three hours away.