Agriculture Department pushing local produce By Michelle Gannon

The State Department of Agriculture promotes locally grown crops sold at farmers markets, but one longtime market worker wonders if he'll ever see the fruits of this effort. Although August is devoted to South Carolina's agriculture sold throughout 75 local farmers markets and three state markets, the Certified South Carolina Grown program works year round to promote the state's agriculture business and encourage residents to buy locally grown products. After the South Carolina Department of Agriculture found that 90 percent of shoppers said they would buy South Carolina grown produce if it was competitively priced and good quality, the SDCA created the Certified South Carolina Grown program last year to motivate South Carolina consumers to demand and buy South Carolina grown products, according to the SDCA. "We use the news media to get our message out there, whether through our main avenue of news releases, op-eds, press conferences, or one-on-one interviews," Stephen Hudson, public information coordinator for the program, said. Hudson also described more creative ways they are using, such as distributing pens with their logo on it to the public, handing out harvest calendars at grocery stores that show what South Carolina products are in season during each month and even playing a recording of the commissioner of agriculture, Hugh Weathers, saying "Nothing's Fresher. Nothing's Finer," the program's slogan, when people are put on hold while calling the SDCA. One way the program is encouraging South Carolinians to buy South Carolina grown produce is through the farmers markets. "We ought to realize just how lucky we are to have an abundance of fresh Certified SC Grown produce available at our local farmers markets here in South Carolina," Weathers wrote recently in an editorial for the South Carolina Grown program. "You'll be improving your health, our economy and the environment-supporting your local farmers while enjoying the freshest, finest produce and products. That's just a good South Carolina way to go," continued Weathers in his article, after imploring residents to eat locally grown food, either at restaurants devoted to serving dishes made of South Carolina produce, or by buying locally grown tomatoes, peaches or watermelons. His message is one the South Carolina Grown Program advocates with in-store promotions, billboards, magazine ads and commercials. The program also uses its Web site to educate the public on where they can find locally grown produce besides the farmers markets. Some stores, like Piggly Wiggly, whose Carolina office is in Charleston, S.C., have embraced the program's message and promote locally grown produce, according to the Certified South Carolina Grown program's Web site. "Local grocery stores are really embracing [the message]," Hudson said. "That helps us get our message out through the media because they understand there is a big push to buy locally." Hudson said a lot of news articles have been written recently about the program and its message, which is also helping spread the word and promote locally grown products. Despite the interest in the program and South Carolina grown products, some vendors at the Columbia Farmers Market have not seen an increase in interest or buyers, even during this week, National Farmers Market Week. William Griffin, a vendor at the Farmers Market for 26 years, said he has only seen a decline in customers. "Locally South Carolina Grown hasn't changed anything and it won't," Griffin said. "The locally South Carolina grown is a waste of money. People don't want to come to the farmers market; they go to the grocery store where its all commercialized and they buy from out of state." Griffin said he doesn't think the Certified South Carolina Grown program or National Farmers Market Month are working. "People in Columbia aren't educated. They don't know that the market is here or that it's free. They don't come in anymore," said Griffin. However, according to the Certified South Carolina Grown Web site, its goal is to change that. According to the Web site, the program is designed to educate the public, stimulate interest in locally grown products and create a shift in the public's lifestyle buying decisions and prefer South Carolina grown products. As interest in the program continues to mount, including an expanded exhibit at the State Fair, more commercials and more press coverage, Hudson said people are becoming more interested in knowing where their food is coming from and buying locally. “I don't think it's going to go away anytime soon,” Hudson said about the program and the public's interest in it. Photos by S.C. Department of Agriculture