South Carolina State University Public Service & Agriculture is reflecting on the impact its partnership with Climate-Smart Grown in SC to advance sustainable agriculture in the region has made over the past year.
In collaboration with Clemson University, the initiative aims to empower farmers by providing technical support and financial incentives for adopting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
During the program’s inaugural year, farmers were encouraged to implement conservation practices such as growing cover crops, practicing prescribed grazing, managing nutrients in beef cattle production, and adopting no and reduced-tillage methods. As a result of their participation, farmers received substantial financial incentives based on the commodities they grew and the acres managed using climate-smart practices. SC State PSA has disbursed over $850,000 in payments to participants thus far.
“The climate-smart program gave me a great starting point, being a novice seeking guidance and getting my son established in farming operations and the industry,” said Adrien Priester, a peanut producer from Fairfax, SC. “We came from a 30-year break into the farm service, so we’re restarting to get the next generation on the right path. When the climate-smart program became available, it was the pathway forward to allow us to start the process right and be more efficient as we move forward our farming operations.”
One Year Celebration Event
At an event on July 25th, as part of the first-anniversary celebration, enrolled farmers who embraced climate-smart were recognized practices.
Over 90 small-scale, under-resourced, and minority farmers across South Carolina gathered to celebrate their successes and learn from one another.
“Our one-year involvement program was a farmer-centered day, celebrating our farmers’ achievements and resilience while reflecting on the past activities and events that took place during the year-one implementation,” said Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director for SC State PSA. “We look forward to the future success of our program as we enroll more farmers throughout South Carolina for year two.”
The event featured two engaging panel discussions, during which farmers shared their experiences, triumphs, and challenges while implementing the program. These conversations provided insights into how the initiative can be improved in its second year better to serve the needs of South Carolina’s farming community.
In addition to celebrating achievements, the event recognized outstanding farmers for their exceptional contributions. Six farmers received special acknowledgments for their production in categories such as leafy greens, peanuts, and beef cattle.
The Climate-Smart Grown in SC initiative, backed by a significant $70 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is the largest public partnership grant in South Carolina.