American Farmland Trust’s Southeast office recently convened groups of South Carolina farmers, fishers, chefs, extension agents and non-profit organizations to discuss opportunities for increased direct sales as part of the Lowcountry Farm to Chef Project. With the support of the Ceres Foundation, this project is developing working groups in Charleston and Beaufort to discuss the history of direct-to-restaurant sales in the area and to identify barriers to increased sales while facilitating greater cooperation.

American Farmland Trust’s Technical Assistance Services (TAS) researched successful farm-to-chef programs around the country to suggest possibilities for future activities and infrastructure. Ideas include educational events for farmers and chefs; trade shows to highlight local farms and available products; media outreach and materials to highlight farm family stories; calendars and lists of available items; and cooling and packing facilities to create a central distribution hub.

At the December meetings, Clemson Cooperative Extension agents York Glover and Roger Francis explained the history and structure of produce growing and marketing in their counties, while Amber Von Harten of SC Sea Grant and Megan Westmeyer of the SC Aquarium did the same for the seafood side.

St. Helena Island produce grower Jacky Frazier discussed the successful partnership he has had with one local restaurant for the past five years. “We’ve worked together closely in discussing the types of items that they can use,” he said. “We plant and pick according to their specifications and deliver it when they need it; that way the customer gets what they want and we know we can sell what we’re growing.”

“I didn’t realize you delivered,” responded local restaurateur Richard Wilson of Bateaux.  “We’d love to get more local produce but find it hard to get the time to go out to the farmers’ markets. If you can find a way to make it convenient for chefs, you’ll see that many would jump at the chance to buy locally.”

One potential idea that appealed to participants was a centralized distribution service that could provide a link between growers and chefs, modeled after ECO, a grower owned company that markets local fruits and vegetables in central North Carolina.

Owner/Chef Mike Lata of FIG  in Charleston has long been committed to local produce.  “We’re willing to make the effort and spend more to get local products, but we could use help in selling this to our customers,” He said. When presented with the idea of table tents and other promotional materials telling the stories of the farmers and fishers who grow and catch these items, his response was, “How quickly could you get them to me?”

The next meetings for this project are scheduled for Jan. 30 in Beaufort and Feb. 1 in Charleston. The Lowcountry Farm to Chef Project seeks more farmers, chefs and other partners to participate. For more information, contact Gerry Cohn of American Farmland Trust.