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About Us: Our Operation & Family |
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Farm History
Scott farms is a 3rd generation family farm. They have been farming near Lucama in
southwestern Wilson County in North Carolina since before
the Civil War.
These days the farm is operated by Linwood “Sonny” Scott Jr.
and his family, and like many of the Scotts who came before
him, Sonny got his start working in the fields from an early
age. Sonny grew up helping his dad, Linwood Sr., on the
farm. After high school Sonny attended N.C. State for a
short time and then served in the Army Reserves for six
years.
Upon his return from the service, Sonny went back to the
fields alongside his dad and managed his own six-acre plot
of tobacco and rented some nearby land to grow corn and
soybeans. Shortly thereafter, Sonny married his high
school sweetheart, Alice Honeycutt, and six years later,
they bought their first piece of land, a 26-acre farm.
After the death of his father, Sonny started farming on his
own in 1977. He farmed 60 acres of tobacco that first year,
and in 1983, Sonny started growing sweet potatoes on 15
acres. By 1985, he and his now teenage sons, Linwood III and
Dewey, were growing 100 acres of sweet potatoes and built a
curing and processing building for their sweet potatoes.
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Farm Expansion
Today, the Scotts’ family farming operation includes
around 5,000 acres on sandy-loam soils—the best
soil for growing top-quality sweet potatoes and
tobacco—in Wilson, Johnston, and Wayne counties in
NC. With 1,900 acres of sweet potatoes, 1,100 acres
of tobacco, 2,000 acres of soybeans, and a small
amount of wheat, everyone in the family has a hand
in the work.
Scott Farms, Inc. is wholly owned
by the Scott Family—Sonny, Alice, Linwood III, and
Dewey. Now partners in business with their father,
Linwood III looks after the family’s
tobacco operation and oversees the farming
operations, while Dewey manages the sweet potato
growing, packing, and shipping business. In 2000,
Scott Farms saw an opportunity to market their sweet
potatoes in the UK. In 2005, the Scotts formed an
international subsidiary, Scott Farms UK, Ltd. Over
the past three years, business has expanded and
Scott Farms UK, Ltd. now sells sweet potatoes
throughout Europe.
Scott Farms has a team of experienced staff
working in their office and supervising their
farming and processing operations. In
addition, seasonal workers are employed to help with
planting and harvesting. |
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