Professors Launched Sweet Potato Milk Startup

The North Carolina company utilizes surplus produce to create a new, sustainable dairy alternative.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Organic Food

Professors Launched Sweet Potato Milk Startup

Live Poll

Would you consider switching from traditional dairy to a sweet potato-based milk alternative?

Two professors have launched Rootsii, a startup that produces dairy alternatives from North Carolina-grown sweet potatoes. The venture seeks to minimize food waste by utilizing crops that do not meet standard retail grades.

Why it matters

The company aims to reduce the millions of pounds of edible sweet potatoes that currently rot in fields each year. By creating a market for these lower-grade vegetables, the founders hope to improve local nutrition and farm sustainability.

North Carolina accounts for 60% of all national sweet potato production. The state sees 60 million pounds of these potatoes left to rot in fields annually.

The players

Brett Taubman

He is a professor who co-founded the startup Rootsii.

Daniel Parker

He is a professor and co-founder of the sweet potato milk startup.

North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission

The organization provides communication channels to help the startup acquire lower-grade sweet potatoes.

Appalachian State University

This is the academic institution where both founders held their respective teaching positions.

NCInnovation

This organization provided a $1.82 million grant to support the development of the startup.

The details

Founded by Brett Taubman and Daniel Parker, Rootsii uses a patented recipe blending sweet potatoes with chia seeds to mimic dairy textures. The company is partnering with eastern North Carolina farmers to source produce that fails to reach U.S. No.1 retail grade.

Daniel Parker began his educational career at App State in 2005.
Brett Taubman began his tenure at App State in 2007.
The Fermentation Sciences Program merged with the Chemistry Department in 2018.

Culture Shift

This venture signals a move toward hyper-local food waste reduction, contrasting with the high water demands of California almond production, which requires 4.7 to 5.5 million acre-feet of water annually. The company represents a broader push to modernize regional agriculture through fermentation science.

Consumers in North Carolina can expect new product lines including creamers, ice cream, and yogurt to reach the market as the startup expands. This initiative may lead to greater availability of locally-sourced, sustainable dairy alternatives in local grocery stores.

The takeaway

The startup demonstrates how academic research in fermentation science can be applied to solve regional agricultural waste issues. By utilizing surplus crops, the company transforms potentially discarded produce into a new food product category.