Video: Vardaman Seeking Special Produce Trademark

[syndicaster id=’5317225′]

VARDAMAN, Miss. (WCBI) — One Vardaman sweet potato producer wants to put in place a special certification mark to tell customers exactly where the produce is grown.

People at Penick Produce in Vardaman are leading the charge when it comes to making sure their delicious product grown there gets a special physical labeling of their own.

“I’m sure that some people either intentionally or mistakenly label sweet potatoes Vardaman sweet potatoes across the United States and they are really not,” said Robert Langston, Penick Produce.

Langston who has put in the time and energy for the special worded identification, is presenting the idea to Vardaman city officials… which is the last hurdle to overcome.

“And you have to go through a long legal process. It takes several years. You have to develop a logo, you have to develop the trademark, you have to get your certification mark approved by the federal government,” said Robert Langston.

And so to secure and help keep a special name associated with a unique and specially grown produce, the city of Vardaman just may put their stamp of approval on Langston’s efforts.

“We don’t want a customer tasting a bad sweet potato that’s been labeled Vardaman sweet potato, so therefore it would be nice to have your own trademark. So that would help prevent some of that from happening,” said Langston.

“It is just to let people know that when they go to the store in Michigan or Florida, or Colorado, that they are getting sweet potatoes that are grown in the Vardaman area,” said James Casey, Vardaman Mayor.

Vardaman city attorney Paul Moore, Jr. is looking into legal aspects of the certification proposal that could go before the board on September 8, 2014.