Now is the Time to Support our Local Farmers!

COVID-19 has taken the world by surprise, and many people around the world have had to slow or shut things down in recent times. While many folks are working from home, one group of people who cannot are our farmers. Our farmers here in South Carolina have been working and are continuing to work each day so that the world’s food supply and our food supply here in South Carolina remains constant.

The farmers and farm staff that I work with every day are my heroes! They spend all day every day in the field, working hard to ensure that we have a safe and abundant food supply. With the recent viral outbreak, many restaurants and institutions have all but stopped buying food from our South Carolina farmers, leaving a huge deficit in their business and income. I am asking that we, as citizens of South Carolina, support these local heroes by stepping up and buying local products from them right now. What could be better than buying fresh strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, lettuce, collards, radish, beets, onions, and pasture-raised beef and chickens from your neighbor right down the street? The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has put together a list of farms that are selling local products right now to consumers. https://agriculture.sc.gov/coronavirus/local/. This list only scratches the surface of the farmers we have in South Carolina. I would encourage you to find local farms in your area and support them during this time.

I have called many farmers over the past week to ask how they are doing, how their crops are doing, and how or where they are selling their products. After every conversation, the last thing that is said is, “if you or your family need anything from us at this time, especially food, please don’t