CAROLINA ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations
Ace Basin Growers
https://www.facebook.com/acefoodhub/
ACE Basin Growers is a nonprofit with a two pronged mission to assist local farmers in being more successful and to get fresh fruits and vegetables to people with limited access in rural communities and food deserts. ACE Basin Growers is an organization 501 c3 established to operate as a food hub for agricultural producers in the Edisto River watershed and ACE Basin Counties of South Carolina. The entity was formed by the Center for Food Marketing and Agribusiness through the efforts of the Small Business Development Center and SC State School of Business funded by USDA/NIFE. Any Agricultural Producer is eligible to be a member of ACE Basin Growers. There are no fees.
ACRE (Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship)
ACRE is made up of six areas of emphasis: research initiatives; entrepreneurship center; agribusiness development grants; SC Farm Link; policy; and local food and logistics.
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Mailing Address: PO Box 448, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Physical Address: 287 East St. Suite 421, Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-2402 (fax) 919-542-7401
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to help people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic food by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems family farms need to thrive, and educating communities about local, organic agriculture.
Specialties: Organic production and certification, high tunnel construction and production, food safety plan and GAP certification support, market access assistance.
Catawba Farm and Food Coalition
https://www.facebook.com/catawbafarmandfood/
Supports the development of a secure and sustainable food system in Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, and York counties and the Catawba Indian Nation. Catawba operates an Agribusiness Center which includes a commercial kitchen, food hub, online farmers market, and supports the local farmers market in Chester.
Center for Heirs Property Preservation
https://www.heirsproperty.org/
1535 Sam Rittenberg Blvd # D, Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 745-7055
Protects heirs’ property and promotes its sustainable use to provide increased economic benefit to historically under-served families.
Coastal Organic Growers
https://www.facebook.com/people/Coastal-Organic-Growers/100070780131822/
Coastal Organic Growers is an organization of member farms who want to meet the demand for local organic produce and specialty crops in the southeast. COG is committed to providing consumers in the coastal Georgia, middle Georgia, and South Carolina Lowcountry with food that is naturally dense in nutrients and of the highest quality. Member Farms use sustainable and organic production methods.
Community Food Strategies
https://communityfoodstrategies.com/
A multi-organizational team of food systems experts that provides leadership and technical support to communities interested in food council development across North Carolina through strategies like community engagement, strategic planning, organizational development, adult education, academic research, systems thinking, dynamic facilitation experience, and community food systems strategy.
Charleston Permaculture Guild
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CharlestonPermacultureGuild/
Contact: charlestonpermacultureguild@gmail.com
The Charleston Permaculture Guild is a group of individuals, businesses, and organizations learning, teaching and implementing permaculture in and around Charleston. The purpose of the group is to connect like-minded individuals with shared values and interests and create a collaborative environment for helping steward our community on a healthy, sustainable, and regenerative path. The Guild’s programs and activities involve social meetings, workshops, film screenings, webinars, field trips, work parties, and online engagement.
Clemson University- College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences
Clemson University, 142 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, SC 29634
864-656-3303 (fax) 864-656-3304
The College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences’ ability to understand and manipulate the very molecular structure of biological systems offers immense potential to improve the world, whether it is to improve foods, building products, the environment, or human health. The program provides expertise to: produce more food on a shrinking globe; package environmentally sound products; grow better foods to prevent heart disease; increase timber production and provide new fuel; develop businesses and promote a “green” society.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension
Find your local county office at http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/index.html
Check out https://scgrower.com/ for production updates and join their newsletter for weekly field updates.
The national Cooperative Extension Service engages citizens to improve economic development and quality of life by delivering research-based information in agriculture, natural resources, food safety and nutrition, economic and community development, and 4-H youth development. South Carolina Cooperative Extension is based at the state’s two land-grant institutions — Clemson University and South Carolina State University. Clemson Extension agents are located in all 46 counties and at the university's five Research and Education Centers. Resources can be found at https://scgrower.com/.
They also host a weekly podcast: ‘SC Grower Exchange’ that can be found on any podcast platform for free.
Clemson University New & Beginning Farmer Program
www.scnewfarmer.org or https://www.facebook.com/SCNBFP
The SC New and Beginning Farmers program (SCNBFP) is focused on enabling new and beginning farmers to be successful, productive, and innovative members of their local agricultural community by providing them with the tools, knowledge and skills necessary to be successful entrepreneurs; sound business managers; exemplary stewards of SWAPA (soil, water, air, plants, and animals), and successful marketers of the unique products they create; and perhaps most importantly, individuals who have a sense of pride and quality of life as a result of their investment and participation in the agricultural community of South Carolina.
Clemson School & Community Gardening
https://www.clemson.edu/extension/school-community-gardening/index.html
School Gardening for SC Educators is a horticulture-based training program designed to help South Carolina educators grow successful school gardens to address childhood obesity and improve academic outcomes. The program includes Low cost online training, Technical support, Hands-on workshops, and educational materials to help school and community gardens increase their capacity for gardening with youth.
College of Charleston - Office of Sustainability
http://sustainability.cofc.edu/
284 King St. Rm. 206, Charleston, SC 29401
843-953-7352
A hub for teaching, research, and practice of sustainability on campus and in the greater Charleston community. The Office of Sustainability strives to provide opportunities for the College of Charleston community to apply their acquired knowledge towards the development of sustainable, multi-scale solutions.
Commissioner’s School for Agriculture
Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634
888-472-5433
The Commissioner's School for Agriculture is an academic summer program coordinated by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. The Commissioner's School for Agriculture is a week-long, summer residential program held on Clemson University’s campus. Participants are students entering their junior and senior years of high school. These students are interested in pursuing college coursework related to the agricultural and natural resources majors at Clemson.
The SCCSA uses a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum to aid participants in exploring dynamic opportunities, related college majors, and professional careers related to the agriculture and natural resource industries. Program participants are actively involved in exciting field and lab based experiences.
Farmers and Ranchers of Color
(Georgia and South Carolina)
https://www.facebook.com/farcgasc/
Assisting Socially Disadvantaged Farmers (SDA's), including ranchers, suppliers, Food Hubs, and Food Cooperatives to equitably participate in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs and services.
We support Farmers and Ranchers of Color, new and beginning farmers, women, and military veteran farmers.
Growfood Carolina
https://www.coastalconservationleague.org/projects/growfood/
131 Spring Street Charleston, SC 29403
843.723.8035
Uses the assets of small scale agriculture to help create a stronger rural economy by connecting farm businesses to the local food movement.
Lowcountry Local First
1630-2 Meeting St Charleston, SC 29405
Lowcountry Local First (LLF) advocates the benefits of a local living economy by strengthening community support of local-independent businesses and farmers. The Eat Local initiative is designed to grow and support local food systems by connecting local farms, producers, and apprentices to local restaurants, institutions and people who want farm fresh foods. LLF offers a variety of education, outreach, and apprenticeship programs.
Midlands Local Food Collaborative
https://www.facebook.com/midlandslocalfood
A diverse group of organizations dedicated to a robust local food system in the Midlands of SC. The Collaborative members provide education, technical and financial assistance and community advocacy to promote sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and equitable food access. Collaborative members include: Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (Organic Richland Program), USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Sustainable Midlands, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina.
Organic Growers School
PO Box 17804, Asheville, NC 28816
Nonprofit organization in the Southern Appalachian region with the mission to advance organic agriculture and sustainable living by building a mutually supportive network of thriving communities and prosperous farms throughout the region. OGS offers educational opportunities for organic farmers through their CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) initiative. They also offer Apprentice Link, a service matching farmers to farmworkers and offering consultation about structuring labor on the farm. For CRAFT or Apprentice Link
PASOS
PASOs helps build a stronger South Carolina by supporting Latino communities with education, advocacy, and leadership development.
South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development (SCACED)
SCACED is a coalition of individuals and organizations who support the development of healthy and economically sustainable communities throughout South Carolina. Our members work collaboratively to build wealth and create economic opportunity for all SC residents, and many of our efforts are focused on minority communities and other groups who have been left out of the economic mainstream. SCACED partners with a number of agricultural organizations to provide training and outreach to increase the economic viability of local farms. Operates the Rural Resource Coalition.
South Carolina Black Farmers Coalition
https://www.facebook.com/scblackfarmers/
The SC Black Farmer Coalition is working to train, equip, and support existing, returning, and budding generations of Black farmers. We need Black-led training programs, land trusts, food hubs, policy advocates and funders to get the job done.
SC Community Loan Fund
https://sccommunityloanfund.org
1051-A Gardner Rd, Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 973-7285
Helps finance critically needed community development projects.
SC Food Policy Council
The South Carolina Food Policy Council (SCFPC) supports the sustainability of our state's food sector enterprises and the health of our communities. This guide is a project of the SCFPC and is a companion piece for the Local Food System Roadmap available here: https://scgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f1389112997d402dab9e630e2dc43fea
SC Food Hub Network
SC Food Hub Network is a group of established food hubs in South Carolina passionate about cultivating a relationship based food system that provides local farmers with personalized resources and markets, and customers to secure source identified food traced from harvest to market. Participating hubs are: Augusta Locally Grown (Augusta, GA), Gullah Farmer Cooperative (Beaufort, SC), Freshlist (Charlotte, SC), Catawba Farm and Food Coalition (York, SC), Axiom Cooperative (Columbia, SC), GrowFood Carolina (Charleston, SC), Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery (Greenville, SC).
SCF Organics Farm Ltd.
(803) 469- 0116
SCF-Organic Farm’s Mission is to educate farmers and customers about the benefits of vegetables and fruits grown with organic, heritage, dry-farming methods, and to increase production and consumption of that produce among farmers and customers of all income levels in the State of South Carolina and beyond.
SC Future Farmers of America
SCFFA provides opportunities for leadership development, personal growth and career success and is delivered through contextual learning, supervised agricultural experience programs, and student leadership organizations.
SC Office of Rural Health
The South Carolina Office of Rural Health (SCORH), a 501(c)3 non-profit statewide organization, is dedicated Improving the health status of rural and underserved people through advocacy, education, and assistance to providers, communities, and policymakers. More information on the Rural Health action plan can be accessed at https://scorh.net/rhap/
South Carolina Future Farmers of America
Provides opportunities for leadership development, personal growth and career success and is delivered through contextual learning, supervised agricultural experience programs, and student leadership organizations.
SC State University 1890 Extension
https://www.facebook.com/scstate1890/
The 1890 Research & Extension Program at SC State University offers an important public service for rural and urban limited-resource families who are in need of the latest research-based scientific knowledge, sustainable practices in agriculture, financial management, business development, parenting skills, health and nutrition, and computer skills. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state and local government, 1890 programs are making a difference in South Carolina communities and changing lives. Visit the website to find an extension agent for your region.
South Carolina Young Farmer & Agribusiness Association
The South Carolina Young Farmer and Agribusiness Association (SCYFAA) is a State organization for out-of-school young people who are engaged in agriculture. It is also designed to aid interested adults through systematic and organized educational programs on agriculture and agribusiness.
Small Business Development Center - SC State Region
SCSU Region Small Business Development Center
300 College Street
Belcher Hall Suite 353
Orangeburg, South Carolina 29117
803.533.3964
Contact: charlestonsbdc@mailbox.sc.edu (Multiple Offices)
Specialties: One-on-one consultation to prospective and existing business owners, assisting them to analyze business opportunities, develop business plans, and create loan packages. Services are offered at no charge and are available by appointment only. All SBDCs across the state can provide business support listed above but SCSU also can provide specialized agri-business consulting as well.
Specialty Crop Growers Association
https://scspecialtycrop.com/
The mission of the SC Specialty Crop Growers Association is to support promotional, research, and educational efforts for improving the marketing and quality of production of fresh fruit, vegetable, and specialty crops grown in South Carolina. Services include advocacy, education, classes, member only resources, and mini-grants.