2023 Assessment Newsletter

Your North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission

At Work 2022-2023

MISSION

The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission is committed to supporting its growers and increasing sweetpotato consumption through education, promotional activities, research and honorable horticultural practices among its producers. The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission is managed by the Board of Directors, which is elected by the members of the commission each January at the Annual Meeting. These twelve directors, who serve a rotating three-year term, are growers, packer shippers or processors who are actively involved within the sweetpotato industry.

The Commission is led by committees who meet to ensure the needs of the membership. If YOU have interest in volunteering your time to serve on a committee, contact our office OR scan this QR Code to submit your areas of interest.

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CONTENTS

Mission of the NCSPC.........................................

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Why did I receive an assessment.......................

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President's Letter................................................

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Executive Director Letter....................................

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Marketing & Promotions....................................

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Research..............................................................

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Finance Report....................................................

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Legislative Efforts...............................................

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Board of Directors & Committees.....................

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NC Sweetpotato Commission Foundation........

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Why have I received an assessment?

In 1995, the General Assembly of North Carolina Ratified a bill that allows for the collection of sweetpotato assessments changing already established, self-reporting, from a per bushel basis to a per planted acre basis. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the repository for assessment collection, and then turns the funds over to the NC Sweetpotato Commission. The Commission’s Board of Directors directs the usage of funds to further the Commission’s mission to increase consumption of North Carolina Sweetpotatoes through education, promotional activities, research and honorable horticultural practices among it’s producers. Throughout the pages that follow, you will find many examples of how the Commission has worked on your behalf during the last fiscal year (July 1-June 30). We are always available to hear your ideas and concerns to ensure we are representing you and your assessment dollars to the best of our ability and in a manner that fairly represents each member. The reported USDA total for 2023 is 72,579.40 acres. Assessments collected for 2023 planted acres will be allocated through the recommendations of the committees and approval by the board of directors, all with the strategic objectives of furthering our industry. (a) In the event the producers of sweetpotatoes approve an assessment pursuant to G.S. 106-564, which assessment shall be paid by the producer based on the number of acres produced, the producer shall report the number of acres planted and shall remit the assessment due to the Commissioner of Agriculture. Sweetpotato producers shall report acreage planted at a time and place determined by the duly certified agency representing the producers of sweetpotatoes. (b) Assessments shall be due on September 1* of each year. Any producer who fails to pay assessments by September 30 of each year shall also pay a penalty of ten percent (10%) of the unpaid assessment, plus a penalty of one percent (1%) of the unpaid assessment for each month the assessment remains unpaid. The Commissioner of Agriculture shall remit all assessments received to the duly certified agency representing the producers of sweetpotatoes. The duly certified agency representing the producers of sweetpotatoes may conduct inspections and audits of sweetpotato producers in order to verify the number of acres of sweetpotatoes planted and may bring an action to recover unpaid assessments and penalties and the reasonable costs of such action, including attorneys' fees. Section 1. G.S. 106-564.4. Alternative method for collection of assessments relating to sweetpotatoes. Section 1. G.S. 106-564.4.

(c) There shall be no refund of assessments collected pursuant to this section.

* NCSPC takes into consideration the USDA reporting cutoffs dates and adjusts invoice dates accordingly. Due dates are listed on assessment invoices; penalty and interest will not be incurred if unpaid by September 30th of each year. (d) For the purposes of this section, 'producer' shall be defined as a grower of one acre or more of sweetpotatoes.

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Letter from the President The board of directors of the NC Sweetpotato Commission is committed to promoting North Carolina Sweetpotatoes as the premiere sweetpotato on the market, as well as supporting our members in efforts to maintain our state’s number one ranking in sweetpotato production. A title that we have held year-over-year, since 1971. Formed in 1961, the Commission’s purpose is promoting why the North Carolina sweetpotato is different from others. This promotion includes educating consumers and buyers of our commitment to ensuring they have access to our great product. Through these marketing efforts our goal is to increase consumption of sweetpotatoes and represent our members. The Commission also promotes research work for the purpose of discovering and developing new varieties, methods of production, handling, curing, storing, processing marketing and disease and insect control and to promote through advertising, service work, education, merchandising, tours and other means meant to drive the consumption of sweetpotatoes. Highlighting our industry’s commitment to certified seed usage is equally important in our messages to the retail buyer as well as the consumer. Through its 62 years, the NCSPC has seen many changes; annual acreage fluctuations from 19,000 to 106,000 acres, at its highest. Assessments have gone from 2¢ per bushel fresh (1¢ per bushel canners) in 1961 to the current $15 per planted acre; the assessment rate since 1995. Change is necessary to keep pushing ahead to reach the goals set forth in our charter and to remain as the U.S. leader in sweetpotato production. We are utilizing your assessment dollars to help strengthen the industry by promoting the North Carolina sweetpotato in unique ways to make the largest impact. Achieving our mission takes many hands. You are served by a board of directors, as well as many committees, each of whom have my sincere thanks for their time and input to help us strengthen the commission. As the old adage says: “Many hands make light work”. We have tremendous power in the size of our membership, and tremendous talent waiting to be used. I would like to encourage anyone who has the passion to serve our industry on a committee, to let us know of your willingness to serve by completing our NCSPC volunteer survey found by scanning this QR code. Likewise, you can call the commission office at 919-894-1067 and speak with one of the staff members. It takes all of us working together to be the best we can be. Brent Leggett NCSPC Board President

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are prioritizing on behalf of each operation and our SWEET industry. This newsletter is our most comprehensive to date. I encourage you to spend a few minutes perusing its pages, share with others and most importantly, if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything that you may come across, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of your Commission staff. The publication has been put together into sections starting with the mission of the Commission and “Why” you receive an acreage assessment. You will find letters from the Board of Director’s President as well as each chair for our three primary committees: promotions, research and finance. Behind each committee letter you will find information about where funds have been allocated over the past fiscal year. I have had the great honor and privilege of representing each member of the NC Sweetpotato Commission since August 2020 and over the course of the last three years, our office has continued to strive for excellence while leveraging every available dollar to its fullest. Our largest budget expense is within promotions and each commitment is evaluated and discussed with not only the members of the Promotions Committee, but also our experienced agency representatives and taken to the Board for final approval. Promotions and marketing is an activity area that we are focused on every day, whether it be strategy or executing – we are covering it all, and doing so both domestically and internationally. We know our NC sweetpotatoes are premium and we also recognize that getting our incredible product onto the plates of consumers - near and far from the birth place of that sweetpotato is priority number one. As you look through your Assessment Newsletter, you will find numerous examples (but certainly not all) of these promotional efforts over the past year and the diversity of approach we have taken – all to reach new consumers of NC sweetpotatoes! I hope that you will be proud of your Commission’s efforts to represent you, your operation, and our industry. You’ll also find quite a bit of information surrounding the Commission’s efforts to further support research. In my travels over the last year, it is abundantly clear that one of our differentiators is our industry’s commitment to research. We value genetic purity, field management practices, technology and innovation and so much more. Because of the decades of commitment to prioritizing research, partnering with NC State University, as well as other institutions and our strong collaboration with Cooperative Extension and NC Department of Agriculture, our industry is considered “The Leader” by many. There are many research projects which have been highlighted in this year’s newsletter and should you wish to learn more, I invite you to contact our office. In closing, I would like to take a moment to personally thank you for your contributions to our industry. Our industry’s strength starts and stops with the commitment of its producers. Your passion for excellence fuels our passion for excellence and we could not be prouder to represent you, your operation and the incredible product you produce. Thank you for all that you do to make the NC Sweetpotato Industry, the SWEESTEST. Letter from the Executive Director It is with great pleasure that I present to you the 2023 Member Assessment Newsletter. The Commission first put such a publication together in 2021 and did so in recognition of our 60th anniversary. We have continued this effort as we feel it is vital for each of our members to have a strong understanding of how their assessment fees are allocated each year and what their Commission staff, Board of Directors and numerous committees

Michelle Grainger Executive Director

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Promotions and Marketing

Ten years after the formation of the NC Sweetpotato Commission, North Carolina was ranked—and remains ranked—as the

Since 1961, the NCSPC has cultivated a reputation of a source that is not only credible, but one that is continually at the forefront as a leader for consumer information. Always at the center of the Commission’s messaging, you will find recognition of the producers themselves. Conversations around sustainability and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly more significant. Weaving these messages into our marketing efforts will help to further set the NC sweetpotato apart and help influence the purchasing behavior of today’s consumers. We live in a digital world and relationships with partners who accurately share the benefits of the NC sweetpotato (health, versatility, availability and affordability) help spread our message in ways that were not feasible in 1971- let alone, 1961, but are critical. By being ready to adapt to consumer trends, we find ourselves marketing in ways that our most important audiences find compelling. Our marketing efforts do not look like they did in 1971. However, the reach we have now—both domestically and internationally, expands product awareness by utilizing a variety of tools to reach a variety of consumer groups including wholesalers, retailers and importers. The Promotions Committee meets regularly and is tightly engaged with our PR agencies in the US and Europe and considers utilizing all tools that will help garner optimal exposure and expand consumer awareness; big ideas, small ideas, and everything in between. After you’ve had a chance to read these next few pages, we welcome an opportunity to meet and discuss any questions, observations, and/or recommendations that you might have. number one sweetpotato producing state in the U.S. Over the past 62 years, marketing and promotional efforts have had to adapt to the way consumers not only learn about where their food comes from, but who influences purchasing decisions.

Brenda Oglesby, NCSPC Promotions Committee Chair

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New Website & Photography Modernizing our existing website was a labor of love as we thought of all the ways consumers, trade and members would utilize it. We wanted a one-stop shop that would entice consumers to purchase and try sweetpotatoes (specifically NC sweetpotatoes) at home, be their go-to place for delicious recipes with beautiful photography that they would want to visit repeatedly. We implemented a "What's in My Kitchen" feature, where visitors can check off different ingredients they have on hand and our website will suggest various recipes that include those ingredients. Overall, we were looking for a better platform for our consumers to dig around and find many resources, including nutritional information- plus many diverse recipes. And for visitors who may have been redirected there from our social posts to feel "at home" and take a longer look around while learning all about NC sweetpotatoes!

117,267

Sweetpotato v. Yam

ncsweetpotatoes.com/sweetpotatoes-101

3,799 How to Store Sweetpotatoes

ncsweetpotatoes.com/how-to

3,274 Simple Baked Sweetpotato

ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/ simple-baked-sweet-potato Top Page Views

This year, we developed a partnership with a Charlotte-based photographer and food stylist who has helped us update our existing recipe images which were "dated" or in other cases did not have the adequate high-resolution we need for promotional purposes in print publications and signage as requests came up. Being able to update our photography has truly "upped" our recipe game and was instrumental in illustrating our modernized website's recipe section. Through our previous attendance at the Nutrition News Update (NNU), we developed a valuable relationship with an established food writer and freelancer, Karla Walsh. We leveraged her expertise in writing to edit our most popular website page, the Difference Sweetpotato vs Yam.

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Dinner in the Gap Hosted by BFR Meats and culinary professionals, Dinner in the Gap is a regional North Carolina food collaboration featuring NC producers. Through our partnership, Dinner in the Gap showcases sweetpotatoes and their versatility to consumers. Attendees come from far and wide, but many are residents of the Western end of our state with quite a

Domestic Marketing

few having relocated to NC from other parts of the country. This event draws numerous social media influencers who always deliver in sharing their experience both in food, drink and venue as well as the new sweetpotato knowledge they may take away with them.

Fall Influencer RD Tour- 2022d Our Fall Influencer registered dietitan (RD) Tour brought registered dietitian/nutritionists and food influencers to NC to visit farms and learn all about sweetpotatoes from the ground up. Teaching them about the number one sweetpotato-producing state. This visit helped us garner articles and web content from trusted sources who live and breathe nutrition. We also provided a stipend for RDs and influencers to promote their NC sweetpotato content on their own platforms.

Registered Dietitian tour participants

Healthy Family Project The Healthy Family Project (HFP) provides their fan base with solutions to their mealtime dilemmas and serve as a resource when they are searching for inspiration. All their content is carefully curated to meet the needs and match the values and passions of their 275K+ followers. Our partnership with HFP has allowed us to reach consumers through their social media platforms and increase our recipe collection for our new website. Our goal is to increase purchases by making consumers more comfortable with cooking sweetpotatoes. The partnership garnered more than 282,000 impressions on their social channels (Instagram Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter)

Sweetpotato ice cream recipe from Healthy Family Project

IFEC Our International Foodservice Editor Council (IFEC) membership helps us connect with editors/writers. It is our yearly opportunity to connect and share ideas with the foodservice writer community. Our attendance at the annual meeting allows us to see foodservice editors face to face and keeps us top of mind through the various industry publications represented.

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Mat Release One of our goals is to reach consumers nationally and we've been successful in doing this through our Family Features mat release. Four times a year we select a recipe article that is turned into a quick video and goes out to national newspapers and magazines. Our recipes this year were seasonally appropriate and delicious: A Foil Packet Meal for Sweet Fall Simplicity, Kick Winter’s Chill with Hearty Chowder, Supercharge Spring Meals with a Powerful Salad, and Recharge for Summer Fun with a Sweet Superfood. Together, these stories appeared in over 5,000 publications (both in web and print), accumulated over 322,000 impressions, and had an ad equivalency of almost $1.8M - meaning we would have had to spend that much to advertise our product in that many publications!

MAT release example

Mobile ID Ads Mobile ID advertising allows us as marketers to track consumers' activity in specific markets of interest throughout the country and push our message to increase awareness and purchase. After selecting target markets such as Houston, New York City, Minneapolis and Miami, foodie consumers in those markets were targeted with our messaging as they explored various websites on their mobile devices. In the span of two months, we accumulated more than 1.2M impressions on websites such as Fox News, USA Today, CNN, People.com, among others. NCRLA Chef Showdown The NCRLA Chef Showdown is a six-month culinary and cocktail competition held with NC-based chefs, pastry chefs and mixologists from across the state allowing us to showcase the sweetpotato as our state’s vegetable from the mountains to the sea with many rising chefs who specialize in all things food and beverage. NNU Our attendance and sponsorship of the Nutrition News Update (NNU) conference helps us increase our reach in national consumer publications as it relates to health and nutrition. In 2023, we were able to leverage our partnership with our RD of record and be seen as a subject matter expert among nutrition peers. Sarah Schlichter presented "Sweetpotatoes: Any Reason, Any Season!" to more than 25 top-tier nutrition media on our behalf and helped us reach more than 400M consumers, with nine original articles across 10 national online outlets and one major print outlet. Positive sweetpotato mentions appeared on Today.com, Women’s Health magazine, EatThis.com and Better Homes & Gardens, and garnered more than 378M impressions, with additional shares and engagement across publications' social media platforms.

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Recipe Development This year, we were able to increase our arsenal of recipes for our new website and for consumer usage by working with recipe developers who provided fresh ideas and on-trend development that focused on the ease of use and versatility of sweetpotatoes throughout the year. Restaurant Week Through our third Eat Sweet Restaurant Week, we were able to showcase the versatility of the sweetpotato in various restaurants throughout the state by tapping into the creativity of our local chefs. In the end, 15 restaurants from Ashville to Wilmington shared their talents with us through delectable dishes such as Daniel San Asian Kitchen's *Sushi & Bistro Sweetpotato Child O' Mine Sushi Rolls and Asali Desserts & Cafe's Sweetpotato Cream Atayef. Reviving the Supper Club Chef Series Reviving the Supper Club Chef Series allows us to address numerous strategies while supporting a worthwhile cause. While Ripe for Revival’s mission is to “revive communities through food”, their chef series allows us to highlight the NC sweetpotato as an ingredient that though it may be humble in it’s origins, can be elevated in a way that is exciting to foodies all over. This event provides opportunity for us to educate why the NC sweetpotato is a premium product as well as showing the “home cook” how they can really do something that perhaps prior generations have never considered. It is interactive, educational and tasty- not to mention memorable! Sarah Schlichter We continued our long-standing relationship with subject matter expert and NCSPC’s RD of record, Sarah Schlichter, who allows us to be credible in the nutrition space not only at conferences but also throughout the year via our website and nutrition communications. Sarah is a working mom of three young children and a former college athlete. She loves sweetpotatoes so much, her dog’s name is Tater!! If you don’t follow her already, check out her Instagram account @bucketlisttummy_rd.

Social Giveaways Our social giveaways encourage consumers to engage on social media and help us translate that engagement to sweetpotato consumer sales. One popular giveaway was our September "North Carolina Day" giveaway that rewarded lucky winners with fun kitchen swag to use when preparing sweetpotatoes at home.

Social media contest prize pack

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Social Influencers Social influencers help us reach their fans - our consumers - through their social media accounts. Today, unlike previous generations, consumers turn to their favorite influencers on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for everyday meal inspiration. Our goal is to increase purchases by making consumers more comfortable with cooking sweetpotatoes, and influencers help us accomplish this. The social media influencers help keep us top of mind and on trend. They also help us increase our recipe collection for our new website! Social Media + Boosts Unfortunately, gone are the days when a brand could upload posts on social media and such posts would reach all their followers. Now, social platforms want to capitalize on every one of their pages and nothing is "free" anymore. Boosts help expand the reach of our social posts/messaging and beat the algorithm these platforms have created which basically hide content while pushing those who are paying. Trade Advertising One of the ways we reached retail buyers in 2022-2023 was by placing ads in trade publications throughout the year. These appeared mostly on trade websites and in their daily newsletters, but also in print. We targeted the publications that are buyers' go-to’s and adjusted budgets accordingly. This effort will be increased for this fiscal year in an effort to to stay top of mind and reach more buyers. This helps you when operations pitch their sweetpotatoes to buyers, as they have been seeing North Carolina sweetpotatoes in their inboxes throughout the year.

Weis Markets Dietitians We partnered with the Weis dietitian team, who offers fun and interactive virtual cooking and nutrition education services. This allowed us to reach consumers in the Northeast who want to lead healthier lifestyles and helped them feel more comfortable around sweetpotatoes and increase sweetpotato purchases. Weis dietitians provided four fun and engaging cook-along classes featuring sweetpotatoes and also engaged their audience with sweetpotato nutrition trivia in the form of contests to win gift cards and sweetpotato recipe cards along with fun kitchen swag.

Whitney Miller In the fall of 2022, we worked with Whitney Miller, Masterchef winner, influencer, recipe creator and entrepreneur has her values aligned with the mission and vision of NCSPC. Whitney created various seasonal recipes for our website. You may have also met her at FarmHER, where she was our keynote speaker and provided a set of her North Carolina Sweetpotato Casserole cookies for auction in support of Pretty in Pink! (This recipe is available on our website.)

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International Marketing

Strategy development Since the appointment of our new international marketing agency, Liquid, one of the first tasks undertaken was the creation of corporate guidelines to establish the tone of voice, look and feel, of our messaging and to ensure consistency moving forward. To do this, collaboration began with the domestic team (FullTilt Marketing), assuring coherence between the two continents and numerous markets. A comprehensive marketing strategy was developed, encompassing consumer PR, trade PR, social and digital across the UK, France, and Germany, setting key performance indicators (KPI) and determining key messages. To create the strategy, a market landscape was completed which assisted in identifying the varied approach for each of the European markets. Liquid recruited retail expert, Michelle Butler, to conduct a retail workshop, organized during NCSPC’s sprint UK visit to further identify the approach for each market and discussed an in-depth insights study to determine consumer habits and receive category data. Overseas Marketing Looking to expand NC’s marketing efforts into Germany and France, Liquid began sourcing the right agencies “in-country” that could support such activity. Liquid manages each agency as an extension of the EU effort. Digital The “right” digital strategy is critical for success. Liquid researched options for the new website and weekly newsletter including completing a content and SEO audit using insight tools such as Google Analytics to identify which website pages needed improvement to boost traffic.

Additionally, during Q4 (April-June 2023), the team updated the digital critical path for the next quarter and performed further SEO audits.

Social Media Research The social media team began work on NCSP by researching trends in three primary markets (UK/FR/Germany) as well as which hashtags would best promote the content.

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Content Development Following the initial research stage of each account, content development was initiated, including producing monthly social plans for the UK, France, and Germany, with the French being translated in-house and the German being outsourced. In addition to the social media content, Liquid also created several videos for use on the UK TikTok and French Instagram. Influencers and Engagement In the first half of the year, Liquid carried out extensive research in identifying influencers who would be key to supporting the collective social strategy. Liquid’s social team engages with the followers through active community management across the three regions, including replying to comments and DMs, as well as completing the translations for both French and German in-house. Public relations Liquid performed an intense deep dive into the key targets in all markets, collating media lists, and liaising with the agencies on the ground to get these targets agreed upon. They also created information packs which highlighted suppliers, key messaging, and the varieties of NC sweetpotatoes. Alongside this, Liquid built an awareness calendar detailing all the key calendar dates to be used on social media and in active press pitching. For trade activity, we established key themes for potential trade features and identified key trade shows, providing recommendations to the NCSP team. Additionally, Liquid provided daily news updates to the NCSPC staff, looking for relevant fruit and vegetable sector news. This activity has proven valuable in awareness across the different territories, and also provided hooks to proactively speak to the media. A marketing strategy was formed through numerous research activities. This included market research into all three territories, where the teams visited major supermarkets and fresh markets to understand the landscape of sweetpotato products, both fresh and in other forms e.g., baby food, dog food, ready meals, snacks, and flour. Westminister Kingsway Culinary College March Competition In April, during NCSPC’s Europe visit, Westminster Kingsway College hosted a cookery competition for the students, for which NCSPC E.D. Grainger was one of the judges. The students created two courses, each championing North Carolina sweetpotatoes as an ingredient. Liquid helped organize the competition, from liaising with the Westminster Kingsway College and creating briefing documents, to organizing the prizes. The winners received a cash prize as well as a set of knives from Flint and Flame engraved with the Commission’s logo. The Liquid team received the winning recipes and will feature each on the website and social media. Liquid’s services have included copywriting across the course of the first six months, including trade releases, ad hoc journalist opportunity pieces, a Liquid appointment release and more.

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Nutritional work To ensure accurate nutritional information is shared and promoted, the Liquid team has worked with consultant dietician Sian Porter. With Sian’s guidance, the Liquid team has created key messages surrounding nutrition and began researching potential charities to partner with that are the most relevant to sweetpotatoes’ nutritional benefits and the target markets. *Nutritional messaging and laws vary from country to country and this effort is key for credibility. Recipe development & photography In the first six months, Liquid developed eleven recipes and completed photoshoots for each, tailoring the food styling to each territory, and preparing mood boards in advance to share with the Commission. Additionally, a comprehensive audit was conducted across all recipe databases in each category- including the US hat had been created to date. Those efforts included appropriate translations required. Account Management Monthly meetings are held with both the NCSPC office staff as well as the FullTilt team and the Promotions committee. Developing external relationships was a key part of the first six months of the NCSPC account, including connecting with the US Embassies in London, Paris and Berlin as well as attending networking events on developing business from the US, for example, meeting with the Transatlantic Chamber of Commerce.

The team regularly reviews UK and EU laws and import/export regulations and shared updates with the US team.

Trips/events

Berlin, February 2023 In February, the fresh produce trade show, Fruit Logistica, took place, for which Liquid developed three recipes that champion sweetpotatoes as a main ingredient. The recipes were showcased at the show by an external team on the ground. Paris, February 2023 In February, two members of the Liquid team traveled to Paris to attend a culinary masterclass held at Lycée Albert de Mun arranged by the US Embassy, Paris FAS office. At the masterclass, Liquid captured video content of the event, including an interview with Head Chef and Partyologist Nancy Waldeck about North Carolina sweetpotatoes, their nutritional benefits and recipes. Liquid also took this as an opportunity to develop key relationships with the U.S. Embassy in Paris. A video was produced showcasing the event and interview, including a second version with French subtitles.

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Europe trip (London, Birmingham, Paris, Berlin), April/May 2023 In preparation for NCSPC’s European visit in April/May, Liquid organized hotel, and travel bookings, created an itinerary, planned supermarket research, arranged retailer meetings, analyzed territory markets, and obtained a list of sweetpotato importers. In addition to the Westminster Kingsway College competition activity discussed above, the Europe visit involved the first in-person meeting between Liquid and the NCSPC since appointment. While in London, the team met with Michelle Butler to discuss market research opportunities with TRKR.

While in Birmingham, NCSPC representatives met with the wider Liquid team, who presented research findings, current activity, and upcoming plans.

In Paris and Berlin, the Liquid team traveled with NCSPC to visit the US Embassies and carry out further research, as well as meeting with appointed French on the ground agency, FLAG.

Paris, June, 2023 In June, Liquid visited FLAG, as the team in Paris held a press event for journalists, where Liquid professional chef demonstrated different recipes that highlighted sweetpotatoes as a versatile ingredient. To prepare for the event, Liquid drafted leaflets, which were then externally translated and distributed at the event, and prepared recipes to showcase what were created and presented throughout the day. The dishes were hugely popular, and it was instrumental for the Liquid team to see how these recipes were received by the French media. The success of this event has led to the Liquid team working closely with FLAG to look into options for an Atelier in the future. Berlin & Hamburg, June 2023 In Q4, Liquid began preparations for the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ event held in Berlin in August, as well as the trip to Hamburg to meet with SOPEXA and visit the Hamburg Wholesale Market. This included virtual meetings with the event chef and logistical planning.

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Research Committee Research and Development is essential to any operation, and the North Carolina sweetpotato industry is certainly no exception. Therefore, the efforts of the

Research Committee are absolutely vital to the sustainability of our industry. Research Committee members work throughout the year to represent the industry and to ensure that North Carolina produces the highest quality sweetpotatoes in the marketplace. Committee members guide all of the NCSPC's efforts to identify dangers and opportunities with the production of our crop, in areas such as:

new variety development improvement of production practices

new pesticide management strategies, including new pesticide research and regulatory approval best crop management strategies including, harvest and handling methods, curing and storage processes, and sanitation requirements new opportunities for the use of the sweetpotato crop, including livestock and pet feed, pharmaceutical use, and new uses as a nutritional-rich healthy food ingredient. updating nutritional and dietary guidelines for proper labeling of sweetpotato nutritional values MRL research support These are just some of the opportunities and challenges in which the committee is engaged on the NCSPC's behalf. In addition, continuous regulatory changes regarding weather conditions, labor laws, and chemical usage demands an active and effective response from the committee. In order to accomplish its goals, the Research Committee annually calls for proposals from NC State University (and occasionally other universities too). The committee members then evaluate whether a proposed project is (1) consistent with the Commission’s mission, (2) focused on a need or desire based on input from the industry, (3) reasonably expected to produce an outcome that is relevant to the industry, and (4) an appropriate use of assessment dollars. Once selected for funding, the committee then monitors the progress of the approved projects to ensure they remain on schedule and meet the projected goals. And finally, the committee then selects and coordinates the best method of relaying the final reports to the entire membership. A special note of appreciation to the generous appropriation of funds from the NC General Assembly, the NCSPC has received grant monies totaling $5 MILLION dollars for the SOLE PURPOSE of mitigating the Guava Root Knot Nematode. The Research Committee is tasked with overseeing these dollars and have selected many important projects that it feels are vital to our sustainability with this new challenge to our industry. Projects are underway, yet we already know that we cannot stress enough the importance of GOOD horticultural practices. To learn more about what we already know, the commission office has made current resources available on the member portal for your review. New ideas, theories, and concerns from our industry members and partners are always welcomed. Please feel free to contact any member of the Research committee with your comments or questions, or feel free to contact the NCSPC staff at any time.

Thank you for your support!

Rob Hill NCSPC Research Committee Chair 18

2022-2023 APPROVED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

22-02 2022 MPRU Sweetpotato Research Activities: Implementation of an IPM Program in the Production of Clean Stock. Christie Almeyda ($18,763)

22-03 Consumer Risk Analyses and Perceptions of Sweetpotato Products and Processes. Jon Allen ($12,500)

22-05 Development of Weed Management Strategies in Sweetpotato. Katie Jennings ($66,686)

22-06 Sweetpotato Planter Sleeve Adapter and Horizontal Planter Evaluation for Potential Yield Improvement. Jonathan Schultheis ($10,753)

Additionally, the committee approved the following projects for renewed funding: 21-03 Optimizing Foliar Insecticide Applications with Corn Wireworm Pheromones. Anders Huseth ($8,247)

21-06 Sweetpotato Variety Evaluations – Production, Quality and Storage. Jonathan Schultheis. ($16,129)

Projects submitted for consideration by the review committee that are not listed above were not selected for funding

2022-2023 APPROVED GRKN PROJECTS:

22-01 Renovation of Method Road Nematology Laboratory and Greenhouse Range facilities for work with the Guava Root-Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne enterolobii) A.M. Gorny, E.L. Davis and G.C. Yencho ($250,000)

22-03 Research Towards a Rapid, Species-specific, Field Deployable Test for GRKN and Advancement of Molecular Diagnostics for Soil and Sweetpotato Samples A.M. Gorny ($196,103)

22-04 Evaluating Integrated Use of Fumigants, Nematicides, and Rotational Crops for Management of GRKN in Sweetpotato in the Field, Storage, and Pack House A.M. Gorny and L.M. Quesada Ocampo ($240,000)

22-06 On-Farm Crop Rotation and Cover Crop Evaluations, and Sweetpotato Clone Evaluations to Manage Guava Root-Knot Nematode J.R. Schultheis, A.M. Gorny and G.C. Yencho (485,605)

22-07 Breeding Resistance to GRKN and SRKN into a New Generation of High Quality, Marketable Sweetpotato Cultivars for NC Growers G.C. Yencho, K.V. Pecota, J.R. Schultheis, M. Mollinari, Z-B. Zeng, A.M. Gorny, and M.W. KudenovN ($2,489,005) 22-08 Guava Root-Knot Nematode: A County Operations Action Plan A.R. Bonanno, A.C. Thornton, and E. Eure ($244,755) 19

Finance Committee

While managing the day-to-day accounting of the NCSPC is handled within the office, the board of directors has legal funding responsibility for the organization’s work. The board is responsible for short and long-term planning, and they must ensure that

To fulfill their responsibilities, board members review financial reports at each board meeting. As per Article IV, Section 4 of the By-Laws: At least once in each year the Board of Directors may secure the services of a competent and disinterested public auditor or accountant and render a report in writing thereon, which report shall be submitted to the members of the Commission at their annual meeting. The annual audit is to render an opinion on financial statements, as well as perform an inherent risk assessment. To date, our audits have been deemed as an “unmodified opinion.” This is the best opinion that can be received from an audit. The auditor also noted there were no outstanding issues with staff or management. The Finance Committee also presents an annual budget for board approval based on cash flow projections and forecasts. As this budget is the framework for program management and overall administrative decisions, it is the responsibility of the Finance Committee to fully inform the board and receive approval before making significant commitments or major new initiatives to ensure it falls within the scope of the Commission’s mission. In addition to the Finance Committee’s annual budget, the Commission has been fortunate to receive funding from NCDA&CS for collaborative international marketing efforts. Additionally, a $5M grant from the North Carolina General Assembly was also received for research to mitigate Guava Root Knot Nematode. These grant funds are restricted, and can ONLY be used for the purposes stated in the grant offering. To make sure we are best using the restricted grant funds, they are placed into investment accounts to gain a better rate of return until they are disbursed for new GRKN research projects. Good governance practices lends to credibility of the organization. It is the goal of the finance committee to protect the organization’s assets and ensure those assets are available to fulfill the mission of the NC Sweetpotato Commission. By continuously evaluating the organization’s financial position and monitoring internal policies, and by looking at the long-term strategy of the NCSPC, our members can have confidence that we are positioning the commission for future growth. accurate systems are in place for administering and effectively using resources and guarding against misuse. This important function of the board-- financial oversight-- encompasses many facets of commission’s affairs from compensation, to approving the annual budget, and ensuring the commission is on a financially stable path.

Thomas Joyner NCSPC Finance Committee Chair

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NC Sweetpotato Commission, Inc. Budget Overview

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UK Trade Tariff issues with NCDA UK visit – July 2022 Inflation Reduction Act – Legislation impact on Agriculture – July/August 2022 Rep. Greg Murphy trade related discussions for House Ways & Means Committee Trade hearings – July 2022 DC Political visits with NC Ag related issues – July 2022 (Don Davis, Bo Hines, Wiley Nickel, Ted Budd) Congressional Reconciliation Act on proposed Agriculture cuts with Inflation Reduction Act July/August 2022 Agriculture Workforce Coalition Letter on H2A related issues – August 2022 House/Senate Ag. Committee virtual and in person Farm Bill listening sessions – July-August 2022 Rep. Greg Murphy/staff – Ways & Means hearing on trade issues - September 2022 FY 2023 Congressional Budget timeline and details – September 2022 Natural Gas price increases impact – Meetings with NC Member of Congress delegation that included Jenkins Hill Consulting Federal Lobbying Activities July 2022- June 2023 Rep. Butterfield, Rouzer, Murphy, Hudson and Senators Burr and Tillis 2022 Elections outcome and planning for new Congress – November 2022 EPA Pesticides letter to Ag Workforce Coalition – November 2022 Planning for Board visits to Capitol Hill -February 2023 – November 2022 Congressional End of Year Omnibus/Budget Legislation – November/December 2022 Planning for National Sweetpotato Convention Mtg – Rep. Rouzer -December 2022 Agriculture Summary of EOY Omnibus legislation – December 2022 USDA ARS funding in EOY Omnibus – Rep. Rouzer -December 2022 NCSPC Annual Meeting in Goldsboro – NC Member of Congress staff invites – January 2023 National Sweetpotato Meeting in Wilmington – Rep. Rouzer details – January 2023 Welcome letters for National Convention (Tillis, Budd, Rouzer) – January 2023 USDA ARS Funding with Dr. Qureshi discussions – Hill staff – January 2023 Set up meetings for February 2023 Hill visits with NC Member of Congress delegation -January/February 2023 Waters USA Executive Order from EPA – February 2023 – Meetings w/ NC delegation February 2023 Bonus Buyback effort with letter to USDA Sec. Vilsack – February 2023 House Ag Committee staff delegation trip to UK – one pager on impact MRL issues/import issues w/ Rep. Rouzer staff – February 2023 NCSPC Board of Directors Hill Meetings – February/March 2023 House/Senate Farm Bill Committee/listening sessions -March/April 2023 Rep. Rouzer Ag Appropriations request for FY ’24 -USDA ARS – March 2023 Dept of Labor Executive order on prevailing wage rate increase – Meet with NC Members of Congress offices on impact of this issue -March 2023 Senator Tillis Draft Letter on USDA ARS funding to USDA March 2023 Senator Tillis/Ossoff AEWR freeze legislation – March 2023

Farm Bill listening sessions – House – Rep. Rouzer/ Davis/ Murphy/Nickel April 2023 Discussions with Blake Brown on UK- bi-lateral trade agreement with US-April 2023 Farm Bill listening session – Senate – Sen. Tillis/Boozman – May 2023 Waters USA Congressional Review Act (CRA) – House/ Senate – April 2023 Staff Congressional Ag Tour outreach – May 2023 Department of Labor AEWR CRA – Sen. Budd/ Scott – Senate – May 2023 Met w/ NC Delegation on priorities for House Farm Bill – May/June 2023

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Connect C State Lobbying Activities July 2022- June 2023

27 § $500,000 additional recurring dollars for the domestic and international promotion of NC sweetpotatoes. § Clarified that current funding from NCDA is to remain intact ($150,000 per year) and that the revised net appropriation for sweetpotato promotion is $650,000 in each year of the biennium. May 2023: Senate Budget is released § IDENTICAL TO HOUSE BUDGET: $500,000 additional recurring dollars for the domestic and international promotion of NC sweetpotatoes. § Clarified that current funding from NCDA is to remain intact ($150,000 per year) and that the revised ne appropriation for sweetpotato promotion is $650,000 in each year of the biennium. IMPLEMENTATION of Session Law 2021-180 (2021 Appropriations Act) Session Law 2021-180 (2021 Appropriations Act) provided funds to the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission for a contract with NC State University to study nematode mitigation. § $2.5 million in funding in FY 2021-2022 § $2.5 million in FY 2022-2023 Coordination with NC State University to finalize contract negotiations and implement the law. Work with NCDA to ensure all accounting guidelines are followed, interest-bearing, etc. Discussions with General Assembly members regarding the necessity of the funds remaining available long-term without reverting (ultimately addressed in 2022 Farm Act) JULY 2022: PASSED 2022 Appropriations Act (Session Law 2022-74) which affirmed the funding provided in 2021 with no reduction or alteration. JULY 2022: PASSED 2022 Farm Act (Session Law 2022-75) Clarified the application of the farm building exception to the building code. Clarification of agricultural uses for the purposes of exemption from county zoning requirements. Mandated study of right to repair farm equipment issue. Requires funds allocated to NC Sweetpotato Commission by Session Law 2021-180 (2021 Appropriations Act) to remain available until expended, and shall not revert. SEPTEMBER 2022 – Work with NCDA to resolve acreage issue and reconcile reporting requirements with state law. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 – Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission hearings across the state of North Carolina where members discussed right to repair farm equipment. January 2023 – NCSPC Annual Meeting in Goldsboro January 2023 – National Meeting in Wilmington February 2023 – Buyback efforts with USDA and Sec. Vilsack PASSED 2023 Farm Act (Session Law 2023-63) – OVERRODE GOVERNOR COOPER’S VETO WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN BOTH CHAMBERS Clarify agritourism regulations related to farm signs on the right-of-way. Farm equipment defense for running a red light where the red light will not change to green because of an inductive loop, no other vehicle is entitled to the right-of-way, and the farm equipment operator sat at the red light for at least three minutes. Designate the second Wednesday of November of each year as “Farmer Appreciation Day.” Clarification that wetlands classified as “Waters of the State” are restricted to those waters classified as “Waters of the United States” as defined by federal law, and directs the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission to adopt administrative rules consistent with this direction. 2023 Appropriations Act (House Bill 259) – PASSED INTO LAW 9/22 and awaiting Governor’s action November 2022-April 2023: Meetings with members of the General Assembly to inform them of the state of the sweetpotato industry and request additional dollars for the Commission to continue its work promoting the industry. March 2023: Meetings with Michelle at General Assembly to support funding request in 2023 budget April 2023: House Budget is released

2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission is managed by the Board of Directors, which is elected by the members of the commission each January at the Annual Meeting. These twelve directors, who serve a rotating three-year term, are growers, packer-shippers or processors who are actively involved within the sweetpotato industry.

Brent Leggett President Leggett Farming Partnership

Rob Hill Vice President Tull Hill Farms

Thomas Joyner Secretary/Treasurer Nash Produce

Jim Jones Jones Family Farms

Linwood Vick Vick Family Farms

Dewey Scott Scott Farms

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