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Consumers, Chefs Put Local Farms
FIrst

A workshop highlighted the continuing explosion of interest in the production and sale of food for local markets in South Carolina. Eighty farmers, consumers, and chefs joined Lowcountry Local First for their second annual Farm-to-Table discussion forum, focusing on the creation of a local food directory, a central market for processing and distribution, and the establishment of an incubator farm for new growers. For information on local foods along the coast, contact Alan Moore of Lowcountry Local First. For updates on the upstate, try Jerry Allen of the Hub City Farmers Market.

agricultural landowners guide

Whether it’s tobacco in the coastal plain, cotton in the Pee Dee, chickens and horses in the Midlands, or peaches in the Upstate, agriculture plays an important role in the state’s economy. However, recent changes in the tobacco economy, rising land prices, an influx of new residents and other growth pressures threaten the future of South Carolina’s productive lands. Landowners are looking for ways to protect their investments and remain financially viable.

AFT's South Carolina Agricultural Landowners Guide [PDF] provides an overview of programs for landowners who want to pursue conservation options and improve the productivity of their land.

Lowcountry Cuisine Needs Lowcountry Farms

Shrimp and grits…Smoky collards…Peach cobbler…She-Crab soup…Huguenot torte…Fried Green Tomatoes…Sweet potato pone…Hungry yet?

Most South Carolina visitors place these specialties of Lowcountry cuisine high on their list of attractions to the region, along with the beautiful coastal landscape and historic architecture. Long known for cultivating some of America's most creative chefs and finest restaurants, the area has a rich history of a diverse agricultural sector, producing large quantities of tomatoes, rice, and vegetables on the islands surrounding the urban core. However, with changing markets, development pressure, and rising land prices, local farms are disappearing. The Coastal Conservation League and Lowcountry Local First are working together to preserve Lowcountry agriculture.

GROWING LOCAL: CONNECTING FARMS AND FOOD

Every day we are losing important urban-edge farmland that supplies 91% of fruits and 78% of vegetables to the United States. Our Growing Local campaign builds healthy communities by protecting local farm and ranch land and supporting access to fresh, local food.

Contact Us
Bob Wagner
Senior Policy and Program Advisor
800-370-4879
bwagner@farmland.org

To learn more about agriculture in your state, visit the South Carolina state profile page at the Farmland Information Center.