Row 7 Seed Company, the innovative organic food and seed enterprise celebrated for merging culinary creativity with agricultural excellence, has officially introduced its newest breakthrough variety—the Starling sweet potato—at Whole Foods Market stores across the East Coast. Beginning today, shoppers can experience a sweet potato unlike anything currently available: vibrantly purple, exceptionally creamy, and bred with flavor at the center of every decision.
The launch marks a significant milestone in Row 7’s mission to reimagine the possibilities of vegetables through intentional, chef-led breeding. For years, the company has partnered with plant breeders, agricultural scientists, chefs, and organic farmers to cultivate varieties that don’t just meet standards for yield or storage, but exceed expectations for taste, nutrition, and culinary potential. With Starling, that vision comes to life in a striking new way.
A Sweet Potato Designed to Transform Everyday Cooking
At first glance, the Starling sweet potato captivates with its rich purple flesh—a hue that instantly stands out on grocery shelves and dinner plates. But the color is only the beginning of what makes Starling remarkable. Beneath the skin lies a flavor profile that bridges two beloved sweet potato types: the familiar, mellow creaminess of Covington and the deep, earthy intensity of traditional purple sweet potatoes.
The outcome is a variety that feels both comfortingly classic and refreshingly new. When roasted, Starling caramelizes beautifully, developing a lush, custard-like interior that pairs effortlessly with sweet or savory ingredients. Mashed, it becomes silky and aromatic, with a layered sweetness that chefs and home cooks alike will appreciate. And in baked applications, its naturally heightened sugars create a soft, tender texture that requires minimal additional sweetening.
Its standout color also signals a nutritional advantage. The purple hue is a direct indicator of anthocyanins—powerful antioxidant compounds also found in berries, red cabbage, and other deeply pigmented plants. These compounds have been studied for their potential anti-inflammatory, cardiovascular, and cognitive benefits. In Starling, Row 7 delivers a vegetable that is as nutritionally appealing as it is visually dramatic.
Dan Barber, chef, co-founder, and one of the leading culinary voices shaping the seed-to-table movement, describes the new variety as nothing short of revelatory.
“The creamy texture is exceptional,” Barber explains. “But the flavor delivers the sweet potato experience you never knew you were missing.”
His words reflect Row 7’s core belief: that the most delicious ingredients are born not in the kitchen, but in the field—crafted thoughtfully from seed with flavor as the guiding principle.
A Collaboration Rooted in Scientific Excellence
Starling sweet potato is the result of years of dedicated research from NC State University’s renowned sweet potato breeding program, a globally respected institution responsible for major advancements in the crop’s genetics. This team also developed Covington, the orange-fleshed sweet potato that has dominated the American market for nearly two decades.
Covington reshaped the sweet potato landscape by offering growers an adaptable, high-yielding crop and consumers a reliably flavorful and versatile ingredient. With Starling, the breeding program pushes the boundaries once again—this time with an eye toward color diversity, nutrient density, and unparalleled eating quality.
The development process behind Starling involved countless field trials, taste tests, and rigorous evaluations for traits such as moisture content, sugar levels, storage capability, and texture. The variety was selected not only for its culinary excellence but also for its adaptability to organic farming systems—an essential criterion for Row 7’s model.
Farmers as Flavor Partners
True to the company’s ethos, Row 7 is bringing Starling to market in collaboration with a network of organic farmers who share its commitment to soil health, biodiversity, and regenerative agricultural practices. These growers play a crucial role in translating plant breeding innovations into fresh, flavorful vegetables that consumers can enjoy.
By partnering directly with farmers, Row 7 ensures that varieties like Starling are grown in environments that support their fullest expression of flavor. Healthy soil, thoughtful crop rotation, and organic management collectively influence the sugars, textures, and nutrient levels that make Starling extraordinary.
This collaborative model also helps small and mid-sized farmers access premium seed varieties that are typically unavailable outside large commercial systems. Through these relationships, Row 7 continues to broaden the availability of exceptional produce while supporting a more equitable and sustainable food system.
Part of a Flavor-Forward Fall Lineup
The debut of Starling sweet potato arrives just in time for the fall and winter cooking season, when root vegetables, hearty squashes, and richly colored produce take center stage in home kitchens. Alongside Starling, Row 7’s fall lineup showcases a vibrant mix of organic varieties designed to help home cooks—and professional chefs—elevate everyday meals.
This portfolio includes:
- Badger Flame beets – A golden beet known for its mellow sweetness and lack of earthy “bite,” making it ideal for roasting, salads, and even raw preparation.
- Upstate Abundance potatoes – A small, creamy potato with exceptional flavor, prized for its buttery texture and versatility.
- Sweet Garleek – A unique allium with the sweetness of a leek and the aromatic punch of garlic.
- Honeypatch squash – A single-serving squash celebrated for its concentrated sweetness and smooth, velvety interior.
- Koginut squash – A hybrid squash variety bred for flavor and texture, often described as buttery, luxurious, and perfect for roasting or soups.
Together, these varieties highlight Row 7’s focus on making exceptional flavor accessible. Each vegetable has been bred with intention and crafted to perform beautifully in home kitchens with minimal effort—allowing cooks to achieve restaurant-quality flavors by simply roasting, sautéing, or seasoning lightly.
A New Chapter for the Sweet Potato
As Starling sweet potato makes its debut at Whole Foods Market, Row 7 celebrates not just a product launch, but the continuing evolution of the seed-to-table movement. It reflects a growing recognition that the future of delicious, nutritious food begins long before recipes are written or ingredients are prepared.
For shoppers on the East Coast, the arrival of Starling offers a fresh opportunity to reimagine a classic vegetable—bringing bold color, nuanced flavor, and thoughtful breeding to the heart of the kitchen. Whether folded into holiday meals, weekday dinners, or sweet treats, Starling invites home cooks to experience the sweet potato in a whole new light.
With its stunning purple flesh, exceptional creaminess, and antioxidant-rich profile, Starling is more than a vegetable—it’s a celebration of what can happen when scientists, farmers, and chefs collaborate to put flavor first.
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