N.C. purple tater goes nationwide

The North Carolina-grown purple sweet potato may soon be available in stores all over the country.

Stokes Foods, the Walnut Cove grower of the Stokes Purple, has signed a distribution agreement that will take its line of purple sweet potatoes and purple sweet potato products to stores nationwide.

The deal, with Georgia-based Columbus Gourmet, will help the company expand its reach. For the past year, the Stokes Purple has been sold in Southeastern Whole Foods stores, including those in the Triangle. The new deal will allow Stokes to work with Whole Foods stores in other regions, as well as offer potential inroads with other retailers with which Columbus Gourmet works, including Southeastern grocery chain Publix.

The additional business will help Stokes' bottom line as well as farmers in the Stokes County area, said Bill Cobb, the company's managing director. "I think it's safe to say we expect to be able to double volumes [annually] for some time to come," he said.

Stokes County is about 100 miles northwest of Raleigh, near the Virginia line.

Staff reporter Sue Stock