N and W Farms

05/10/2026

Kicking off the 2026 season…. tractors rolling, dirt turning, and another sweet potato crop getting started! 🚜🍠

04/06/2026

Today we’re remembering one of the founders of our farm. Someone who helped plant the roots of what we are today.

Through long days, hard work, and a love for the land, Larry helped build something we’re proud to carry on each day. He was not only a valued business partner, but a great friend as well.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Houston-Larry Brock Nelson, 78, passed away Sunday, April 5, 2026, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. He was born July 5, 1947, in Prairie, MS, to the late Elton Leon Nelson and Mary Evelyn Gillespie Nelson. Larry is leaving behind a legacy of strength, faith, and unwavering devotion to

02/25/2026

01/01/2026

Happy New Year from our farm to your family!

11/27/2025

11/25/2025

Which sweet potato dish is on your Thanksgiving menu?

11/24/2025

Sweet potatoes and yams are NOT the same thing! Not only do they look and taste different, they are also botanically different.

We explain...

SWEET POTATOES belong to the morning glory family of plants, called the Convolvulaceae family.
YAMS belong to a different family, called Dioscoreaceae.

SWEET POTATOES usually have smooth, orange, thin skin.
YAMS have rough, brown, scaly skin.

SWEET POTATOES have orange, white, or purple flesh.
YAMS have white flesh.

SWEET POTATOES are short and blocky with tapered ends.
YAMS are longer and more cylindrical with protruding flesh that some call “toes.”

The edible parts of SWEET POTATOES are called roots.
YAMS are classified as tubers.

SWEET POTATOES are moist and sweet.
YAMS are dry and starchy.

SWEET POTATOES plants are more prolific, producing 4-10 roots per plant.
YAMS produce just 1-5 tubers per plant.

SWEET POTATOES are grown in the U.S. (In fact, the Sweet Potato Capital of the World is in Vardaman, MS.)
YAMS are commonly grown in Africa, South America, and Central America.

Both are very nutritious, providing a variety of vitamins and minerals!

Although you can find canned potatoes that are marketed as yams, you’ll notice that they are also labeled as sweet potatoes and the first ingredient is sweet potatoes. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires this dual labeling when sweet potatoes are labeled as yams.

11/24/2025

Longtime sweet potato grower Randle Wright leads N&W Farms in Vardaman, the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.