An LSU student organization provided Thanksgiving essentials with its annual sweet potato and rice sale. 

The LSU and Baton Rouge community reaped the benefits of the Biological Engineering Student Organization’s sale ahead of Thanksgiving. This was the 42nd year of the sale, which helps raise money for BESO.  

“There’s a lot of things you can do with it near the holidays,” said Grant Harris, BESO’s vice president. 

At the corner of South Stadium Drive and Highland Road, BESO members sat under a purple and yellow tent waiting for customers. Displayed on a blue tarp were five and 10-pound bags of sweet potatoes to choose from. 

Those looking for more could take home 25 or 40-pound boxes of sweet potatoes, which members helped bring to customers’ cars. Creole popcorn rice was also sold in 2-pound, 5-pound and 10-pound bags.

Some people were shocked by the large boxes. For others, it was exactly what they were looking for. Mike Jefferson wanted a 25-pound box —  plus two more — when he came to the sale. 

Jefferson, 68, said there was only one thing he was making with the potatoes: sweet potato pie. He said he’s been coming to the sale for over 10 years, and this year was no exception. 

Except, the potatoes were not all for him. Jefferson planned on giving the other two boxes away.

One was going to a friend who was housebound and could not get them herself, something Jefferson said had become tradition. 

“She’ll be calling me asking where her sweet potatoes are,” Jefferson said. 

The other was for an administrative assistant at his church. Jefferson said he had recently lost his son. He was giving the potatoes to her for helping with the funeral. 

While BESO members are part of the College of Engineering, there is overlap with the LSU AgCenter. One major cross over between the programs is the strain of sweet potatoes being sold. 

The Beauregard sweet potato was created by the AgCenter in 1987. It is known for its high yield and disease resistance. Since then, it has been considered one of the most popular varieties in the country.

The rice also had a bit of flair to it. BESO members encouraged customers to stop and smell the product, which produced a buttery, popcorn-like aroma. 

Members of the AgCenter like Kimberly Rooney stopped by to show their support. Rooney, an administrative coordinator for LSU’s Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology department, had already been to the sale but said she wanted more. 

Unlike many, Rooney was not stocking up for Thanksgiving. Instead, she was sharing them with coworkers and wanted to make baked sweet potatoes. Rooney is a fan of the BESO potatoes in particular. 

“It’s fresher, and I trust AgCenter produce,” Rooney said.

Harris said BESO ordered 7,000 pounds of sweet potatoes and 728 bags of rice from Garber Farms in Iota, Louisiana. He said each year BESO increases the amount it orders to avoid selling out early. 

By the end of the sale’s first week, Harris said a third of everything had sold and the group was hoping to break even. If everything sold, Harris said BESO would get around $7,000 in profit. 

Harris said this money helps keep member dues low and allows them to provide food at meetings. He said a large portion of the money will go towards BESO’s crawfish boil in the spring. 

This is why Harris said the sale happens rain or shine. When it started to drizzle, students brought the bags under the tent and put a tarp over the extra stock.

What is put out at the sale is not everything BESO has. In the Agricultural Metals Building on the corner of South Stadium and Tower drives, hundreds of bags and cases of sweet potatoes waited to be sold. Members grabbed more when supplies at their station ran low. 

Once a product is gone, there is no more. The first item to sell out was the 10-pound bag of rice. Afterwards, members would sell two 5-pound bags for the price of one 10-pound bag. The 5-pound bags sold out by Tuesday.

As cars passed by and music played, BESO members made small talk or did homework to pass the time. Customers came in waves: a rush of people followed by a slow waiting period.

One customer found the sale just in time. Charlee Sistrunk, a kinesiology sophomore, bought a 40-pound box of sweet potatoes to bring home for Thanksgiving. 

Back home in Bastrop, Louisiana, Sistrunk said her and her family usually buy sweet potatoes from a local farmer. This year, though, the farmer was not selling the potatoes. Sistrunk said the sale is exactly what she needed. 

The sale finished at noon Wednesday before the start of Thanksgiving break. BESO is donating its leftover supplies to the East Baton Rouge Lotus Pantry, a free food resource for elderly residents in the area.

“I think it’s fun for everyone to come and hang out,” Harris said. “It’s always a good time.”