#Voices: Midlands farm biz + the Farm Bill 🌱

Local food has become big business in South Carolina. Farm-gate sales (a.k.a. when customers purchase directly from the farmer, like at a farmers market, or go to farms to pick out their own produce) generated $73 million in 2015 — which is more than tobacco, wheat or swine production.

If local farm production is generating so much money, why don’t we see more Midlands farmers’ products in places like school cafeterias, more grocery stores + restaurants? How can farmers in Columbia graduate from farmers markets + farm-gate sales?

A UofSC study a few years ago found that Midlands farmers [over the last 5 years] had increased their: ✔ profits by 50%, ✔ customers by 67% + ✔ production by 58%. But there are some challenges with selling through distributors to places like schools + grocers. This process is a little more complex — and a lot more steps are required, like processing regulations, the need for more skilled labor [to produce, harvest + transport what they grow], labor costs and food safety certifications.

On the other hand, Midlands distributors said they often need to buy a certain quantity of product from a farm to make it worth their while — plus the farmed products need to be a certain quality, and often they require the farmer have certain Food Safety Certifications.

How S.C. is helping ‘em grow 🌱

S.C. has some cool projects in place to better help farmers grow, meet food safety standards, and get into big markets – like Grow Food Carolina in the Lowcountry, who is working with a network of like-minded, farmer-focused organizations (the Pee Dee Food Hub, Catawba Fresh Market + City Roots) to get farmers’ products into wholesale markets.

Sidebar. What is a Food Hub?

A biz/org that actively manages the aggregation, distribution + marketing of source-identified food products – primarily from local + regional producers to satisfy wholesale, retail + institutional demand. (The Midlands Food Alliance, the Clemson, S.C. Farm to Institution, the S.C. Dept. of Agriculture, and the Midlands Local Food Collaborative are hosting a Statewide Food Hub Education Workshop and Statewide Update next month at the S.C. State Farmers Market to teach about how Food Hubs are developing around S.C.)

What is the Farm Bill? 🌱

The Farm Bill – which covers most federal government policies related to agriculture in the U.S. – contains key pieces around organics, food safety (again, one of the main things barring some farms from getting into grocery stores + schools), funding to help get food hubs going + provisions that could allow schools to buy from more local farms. The Local FARMS Marker Bill is asking for $80 million in funding opportunities for local farmers + projects that help them grow. (That’s $20 million more than the last Farm Bill – yet the demand for this funding continues to grow.) The USDA was only able to fund about 14% of the applications they received last funding round, leaving many proposals unfunded (including the Local Food and Farms Infrastructure Study submitted jointly by the Midlands Food Alliance + the City of Columbia unfunded).

Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture was in Columbia visiting City Roots (our in-town, sustainable farm) to get a better understanding of what local farmers want to see changed in the new Farm Bill (which is updated every ~5 years).

The Local FARMS Marker Bill – which is not expected to become law, but instead gives members of the Agriculture Committee input about what their colleagues want to see in the Farm Bill – has so much in it that farms need to get their products into schools, restaurants + grocery stores. The more support shown for this marker bill, the more likely its contents will be included in the actual Farm Bill.

How can you help?

🌱 Buy local at the grocery store.

🌱 If you’re involved with a school, talk to them about purchasing S.C products.

🌱 Purchase from farmers at farmers markets (sometimes, they may not be able to sell through mainline distributors)

🌱 Show support for the Local FARMS Marker Bill by calling your Congressman

🌱 Sign up for updates on the Farm Bill as it moves through Congress

I hope you help push for a Farm Bill that’s supportive of local food infrastructure and farm entrepreneurs. Farmers are some of the kindest, most giving folks I've ever met – perhaps because they're keenly aware of the fact that much of life is outside of our control – and when they get weather conducive to what they've chosen to grow… that's truly a gift.

–Katie Welborn, S.C. Policy Coordinator for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

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