This season, we are thankful for #SweetPotatoes and Jose "Pepe" Calderon is a top exporter of them. Originally from #CostaRica, his accent made it difficult for the East Coast buyers he was working with to understand him, so he tried focusing on the European market, where, he jokes, everyone speaks English with an accent. Varieties and storage systems developed at #NCStateCALS have given the U.S. an advantage in exporting to #Europe, but these assets are quickly being adopted by international competitors. He suggests advancing high-density vertical farming in controlled environments to yield more uniform crops, developing new varieties with value-added benefits and alternative uses, and creating new markets for sweet potatoes to stay competitive. #CALSMagazine