Farmers in Lake Park, Georgia are turning carrots into gold. That’s because they’ve found a way to grow carrots in an unlikely place: fields of sand. Since the mid-1990s farmers like Anthony Coggins have been growing this popular crop in sand rather than soil. No one really knows why sand produces a sweeter carrot but one thing is certain: Georgia carrot farmers hope to give the top carrot producers in California and Washington a run for their money.

During harvest time, from twenty to thirty truckloads a day travel from the fields to the local processing plant. There the carrots are sized, inspected, and even get their picture taken by a color sorting machine. Technology has developed so far that if a carrot has a blemish or some other imperfection, a blast of air kicks it off the line. Carrots that aren’t perfect in appearance but still good quality go to the frozen food market or to soup companies.

Lake Park farmers are shipping their carrots as far north as New Jersey, New York, and even to Canada. Since carrots are a good source of beta carotene and add color and flavor to a host of dishes, we want to share host Paul Ryan’s recipe for mashed potatoes and carrots. You’ll find it here.