About Us: Our Sweet Potato Business:
| Godwin Produce Company's sweet potatoes are
grown in Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, and Sampson Counties and then stored and
packed in facilities located in Dunn, North Carolina - the center of
North Carolina's sweet potato production. |
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Godwin Produce aims to
deliver the right-sized sweet potatoes to our customers,
whether at home or in a restaurant. At Godwin Produce
Company, we are large enough to provide customers with a
year-round supply of sweet potatoes, yet small enough that
Anthony and his wife, Charlotte, David, and other family
members assist in providing hands-on help on the packing
line to assure QUALITY produce. |
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While the operation has changed over the years, one thing
hasn’t – Godwin Produce Company is still committed to
quality. At Godwin Produce, we are proud of the quality of
sweet potatoes that we have consistently provided to our
customers since 1946.
While others may
strive to be the biggest, Godwin Produce just wants to be
the best. It is our goal to serve our customers in a way
that would make the founder proud. Enoch E. Godwin, Sr.
always said, “If you’re going to put your name on the
front of it, be ready to stand behind it!”
That’s why Godwin Produce Company has become a leading
grower/shipper in the sweet potato industry.
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Our Family:
Three Generations of the Godwin Family
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Enoch and Flora Godwin |
Anthony and Charlotte Godwin |
David and Barbara Godwin |
In the early days
of our existence, Godwin Produce Company made a commitment to quality –
quality first… and quality to the end. When Enoch E. Godwin, Sr., our
company’s founder, sold you a product, he stood firmly behind it. He
believed that by providing a consistent quality sweet potato pack to his
customers, he would gain a favorable reputation among both his customers
and his peers.
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Enoch began growing sweet potatoes around 1936. In 1946, Enoch
installed one of the first commercial sweet potato packing lines in
North Carolina. At that time, the Godwin farming operation included
sweet potatoes, tobacco, hay, watermelons, peppers, pecans, and
squash. Enoch was one of the founding members and the first president
of the North Carolina Yam Association in 1961.
When Enoch died in 1965,
other family members took over the business. The company’s packing line
was expanded, and the company’s focus began to center completely on its
sweet potato operations. Over the years, four of the co-owners retired,
and Anthony became the sole proprietor in 1995.
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Continuing the Godwin tradition, Anthony insists that quality comes first. Yes, certainly it’s difficult at times to produce a product that he can stand behind – one that he is proud to put his name on – but Anthony knows that only quality can KEEP customers.
Anthony has been a major proponent of quality sweet potato seed in North Carolina. He served for many years as a member of the board of directors of the North Carolina Certified Seed Growers Association. Anthony is determined that Godwin Produce Company remains at the forefront of the seed industry, and the company now grows ONLY micropropagated sweet potato seed.
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Anthony’s son, David, joined the firm in 1994 and has assisted his
Father in the farming and packing operations. We now grow several hundred acres of our own sweet potatoes in
Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, and Sampson Counties. We also purchase sweet potatoes grown by other farmers in the area.
Like his Grandfather and Father, David
served for numerous years as President of the NC Sweet Potato
Commission, as well as serving for years as a board member. David
has also served as a past President and is a current board member of
the NC Sweet Potato Certified Seed Growers Association. David has
also served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Sweet
Potato Marketing Co-Op. |
| David and Barbara's two daughters, Morgan and Eryn,
are a big help to their Dad and Granddad both on the farm and in the
processing plant. |
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| Eryn Godwin |
Eryn (left)
and Morgan (right) |
Morgan Godwin |
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Sweet Potato Industry Leadership
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Anthony Godwin (left) and NC Sweet Potato expert Dr. Henry
Covington |
President David Godwin
(left) with Sue Langdon, the executive director of the NC Sweet Potato Commission |
Over the years, Godwin Produce Company has also provided many truckloads of un-marketable, yet edible, nutritious sweet potatoes to
Feed the Children and the Society of St. Andrews programs. Says David, “We feel no one should go without our nutritious sweet potatoes. It feels good to help people who don’t have anything to eat.”
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