In November, the Lamb Weston division of ConAgra Foods celebrated the culmination of a decade-long push into the processed sweet potato category with the dedication of a major, state-of-the-art processing plant in Delhi, LA, the heart of a prime sweet potato growing region.

The facility is one of 20 Lamb Weston plants in North America and Europe and, according to Conagra Foods Lamb Weston President Jeff DeLapp, is “the most sustainable plant to date. It is a singular accomplishment and a true cornerstone of our continuing leadership in the industry.”

Built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for environmentally sustainable construction, the Delhi facility was built using many recycled and recyclable construction materials. Landscaped with native and adapted species, over 100 acres of the property will be maintained as open space, including protected wetland areas, ponds and restored native vegetation.

Other design features focus on water recycling (including the removal of pollution from stormwater runoff from the roofs and parking lots), heat recovery and other strategies to help minimize the plant's carbon footprint and energy use. Among them is an innovative system to reclaim methane bio-gas from its waste water treatment operations, offsetting about 20 percent of the plant's fuel needs.

View excerpts from the dedication ceremonies of the Lamb Weston plant in Delhi, LA. Click here.

Energy-saving equipment installed at the plant is projected to save approximately 40 percent of the annual energy consumed by a comparable plant. Onsite recycling from operations includes sending materials like cardboard, roll cores, totes, metals, light bulbs, pallets and cooking oil to be reused or reprocessed, rather than landfilled.

The operation is uniquely equipped to process sweet potatoes using proprietary processing and packaging technology. While the company expects to use the plant primarily for its Sweet Things foodservice line and Alexia retail grocery line of products, the production facility is modular and highly flexible and could be adapated for other purposes if the need arose.

Locating the plant in Delhi, close to the source of its raw potato growing area, will significantly reduce shipping costs for raw materials but will also have other advantages. Company executives indicated it will open up new opportunities to develop proprietary breeding and horticultural practices that over time will likely improve the quality and consistency of raw sweet potatoes used in processing.