“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.”
-James Beard
At the end of last Tuesday’s Zoom meeting, we were challenged to write a post comparing our own state to something Debe Maxwell, CRS mentioned in her presentation about North Carolina. I really enjoyed the whole thing, but when it comes to comparisons, there’s only one direction my mind goes… food!
Washington State is the #1 apple producer in the country, while North Carolina holds the title as the #1 producer of sweet potatoes. That’s a fun and flavorful matchup.
These two states sit about 2,500 miles apart, Washington in the far northwest corner, bordered by the Pacific Ocean, and North Carolina in the southeast, hugging the Atlantic. One produces the crunch of crisp apples, the other the comfort of warm, sweet potatoes. Different coasts, different climates, but both deeply rooted in farming traditions... and such versatility.
Washington’s apple orchards thrive where most people wouldn’t expect, in the desert. Yes, Washington has desert, as those who attended my Zoom presentation about Washington learned. The eastern side of the state gets very little rain, but irrigation from the Wenatchee River, and Columbia River turns that dry ground into one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. With warm days, cool nights, and hardworking farmers you have the perfect recipe for a world-class apple.
We grow about two-thirds of the nation’s apples, shipping them far and wide. But it’s not just business for us, it’s our identity. Towns like Wenatchee and Yakima proudly celebrate their apple heritage, from annual festivals to roadside stands overflowing with a multitude of apple varieties.
Meanwhile, in North Carolina, the story grows underground. Sweet potatoes thrive in the state’s hot, humid climate, and the farmers there have turned that combination of rich soil and long summers into a tasty magic. North Carolina grows more than half of all the sweet potatoes in the United States.
Unlike delicate apples, sweet potatoes are hardy and humble. They store well and show up in every kind of dish, from fries and casseroles to pancakes and pies.
If Washington apples represent sweet crisp perfection, North Carolina’s sweet potatoes stand for warmth and comfort.
Whether it’s apple pie cooling on a windowsill in Wenatchee or sweet potato pie fresh from an oven in Charlotte, both connect families, traditions, and communities.
Washington’s apple growers and North Carolina’s sweet potato farmers may live on opposite sides of the country, but they share a deep respect for the land, and for the hard work it takes to keep these legacies alive. Each season, they roll up their sleeves, start their tractors, and get back to doing what they love.... feeding the world.
From the dry valleys of the Pacific Northwest to the fertile fields of the Southeast, both states remind us that the land shapes not only what we grow, but who we are.
And maybe, just maybe, America’s strength (and sweetness) really does begin with what we plant, nurture, and share at the table.
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