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PROFILES
Sirmon Farms
The Sirmon family has spent over a century farming the same Baldwin
County, Alabama, landscape. For the past 30 years, Joel Sirmon and
his father, Gordon, and brother, James, have been growing sweet
potatoes. They are sold at Rouses Markets all over the Gulf Coast.
The tubers are raised from sprouts, or “slips,” the green shoots from
mature sweet potatoes, that were selected and stored at the end of
the previous planting. Sirmon’s sweet potatoes are exceptionally sweet
and perfect for traditional sweet potato casseroles. Sirmon Farms also
provides Rouses with hydroponic lettuce.
Bergeron Pecans
More than five million pounds of Louisiana pecans are shelled each
year at H. J. Bergeron Pecan Shelling Plant in New Roads near False
River. The family business started much smaller with a much smaller
harvest. H.J. — Horace Joseph Bergeron — began selling pecans
in 1909 at his small general store in New Roads. The pecans were
shelled by hand. A decade later he came up with the idea to have
his customers help hand shell the pecans and sell the meat to local
candy makers. Hand shelling is an arduous process. In 1941, a second
generation, Lester and Bennett Bergeron, built a shelling plant right
next to the general store. Today their children, Lester Jr., Steve, and
Andre Bergeron,oversee the family business.Along with their family-
owned orchards, they buy pecans from over 90 Louisiana growers.
Ben & Ben Becnel
Father and son farming team Ben Becnel Sr. and Ben Becnel Jr.
are the fifth and sixth generation to work their family-owned farm.
The two have been in business together for over 40 years, since the
younger graduated from high school. The secret to their success,
they say, is in their soil. The Becnels manage 250 acres in the rich
delta soil along the banks of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines
Parish, Louisiana. Their land — 250 acres of fields and trees —
lies roughly fifteen miles downriver from the tunnel, around Jesuit
Bend. This gives their satsumas, oranges, grapefruits and Meyer
lemons a uniquely rich and sweet flavor. Ben & Ben Becnel also
provides Rouses with Creole tomatoes during that season.
Butch Millet
Fruit trees grow everywhere in Paulina,Louisiana, in St. James Parish,
on the north bank of the Mississippi River. Robert “Butch”Millet has
been farming citrus in Paulina’s delta soil for over 40 years. His citrus
orchards produce satsumas, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit.
“Nearly 600 acres of Louisiana oranges, grapefruits and
lemons are planted every year. Seedless, sweet, easy-to-peel
satsumas turn fromgreen to yellow as they ripen and to orange
at full maturity. We’ve been sourcing satsumas from Butch for
nearly a decade. He grows entire fields just for Rouses.”
—Patrick, Rouses Produce Director
Opelousas Is Sweet on Gumbo
We asked Marcelle Bienvenu, the Queen of Cajun Cooking, about the
tradition of serving baked sweet potatoes with gumbo instead of potato
salad. “A perfectly baked sweet potato hits a high note with my taste
buds when I’m having a thick (almost stew-like) chicken and sausage
gumbo. The combination of sweet and savory makes me groan with
pleasure. Of course, around Opelousas, home of the annual Yambilee
Festival, there is no question as to what they like with their gumbo.” You
might also find sweet potatoes in gumbo in Avoyells Parish.
farm
to
fork
We work closely with local farmer partners all over the Gulf Coast.
Garber Family Farms
Michael, Matt and Wayne Garber carry on an Iota, Louisiana, farming
tradition started in 1881. Michael manages the farm crop production.
Matthewdeals with the storage,packaging andmarketing of sweet potatoes
and other crops. And Wayne handles the day-to-day administrative
management of the business. Their 5,000-acre farm sits on a sandy ridge
between Bayou Nezpique and Bayou Des Cannes in the heart of South
Louisiana’s Cajun Country. The gentle, moist breezes from the Gulf of
Mexico, along with their rich sandy loam soil, provide an ideal natural
environment for their sweet, golden Louisiana yams (sweet potatoes).
“There’s a difference between sweet potatoes grown in northern
states and those grown on the Gulf Coast. Our sweet potatoes
are soft, because they are grown in rich soils commonly
found in the South, which means they are higher
in natural sugar, more moist and have a bright
orange flesh color. This soft type of sweet
potato is often referred to as a yam.”
—Patrick, Rouses Produce Director
Matt Garber, Garber Family Farms
photo by
Frank Aymami