This series written for and published by Edible Magazine in SC explores how South Carolina’s food system is evolving to overcome the growing challenges in order to meet the state’s needs. 

The winter season is rich with traditions and in the South, food is the star of the show. Sweet potato and pecan pie, cornbread and oyster dressing, greens and hoppin’ john are all invited to dinner. Recipes are as cherished as they are debated but everyone agrees that it is the freshest ingredients that make the best dishes. Long before locavores and farm-to-table restaurants, dinner tables in the South have been a celebration of sustenance and seasonality. Before refrigerated transportation and grocery stores, communities ate what was grown on either their land or their neighbors. It is easy to see how so many of South Carolina’s traditional dishes came to be simply by looking at a farmer or fishermen’s harvest schedule and the incredibly diverse and abundant range of local foods available in our state. At the peak of every season when gardens and farms grew more than could be eaten or sold, kitchens became de facto processing facilities, canning or “putting up” until the shelves were full.

While many families have continued to produce, harvest, process, and catch these same beloved foods for generations, the number of these operations still in business is staggeringly low. Currently only 0.7% of the population in South Carolina is farming on 4.8 million acres with only 6% of those farmers (0.000042% of the population or 25,000 farmers) are selling directly to consumers. In 1920, 11% of the population was farming on 12.4 million acres, so how did a state with such strong cultural ties to food and farming lose so many farms?

Over the last several decades, the shift in American values, culture, policies, technology, and infrastructure have had a direct impact on the country’s systems, including those producing and distributing food. Designed by people in power, these systems were shaped around the priorities of society and for decades these included efficiency, convenience, and cost. While these systems were effective at centering these priorities it also gave rise to a culture of fast, easy, and cheap consumerism. The benefits have come at the expense of human lives, health and safety, equity, environmental degradation, the erosion of local economies, rural blight, etc. 

Within the food and farming sector, these systems pushed farmers to focus on cash crops over community, placed technology and output over ecology, and drove the “get big or get out” approach that led to small farms being bought out and consolidated into larger monoculture farms focused on export. From the 1930’s Dust Bowl and the 1980’s farming crisis to the 2000’s dairy industry collapse and the pandemic’s meat packing plant deaths, generation after generation of farming communities, food system workers, and farmland have suffered because of these priorities. Farming currently has the highest suicide rate of any other industry in the United States and food system workers are the most food insecure population in the country. These are symptoms of a broken system; although some would argue that it is working exactly as it is designed despite the repercussions. Across sectors, there is a collective awakening to the negative consequences of our globalized systems. 

As these realities become widely known, consumers are increasingly demanding transparency and accountability for where, how, and who produces their goods and products. For the food system, this is being achieved by rebuilding the connection between farmers and consumers. In a way, the industry is working to find its way back to the country’s historical roots of neighbors feeding neighbors. Known as a “values-based supply chain”, “local food supply chain”, “foodshed” or “community food web”, these systems focus on building a network of individuals, organizations, municipalities, and businesses committed to create strong markets that put farmers first. The benefits of “buying local” extend beyond the benefit of consumers knowing their farmer and also create opportunities to support farmers whose production practices align with their conservation values, increase system resiliency, support the local economy, reduce the carbon footprint or food miles of their meals, increase the nutrient density of their food, access heirloom and specialty products, build community, and reduce farmland loss. 

But how far can a product travel before these benefits begin to diminish and it is no longer considered “local”? The definition of what constitutes local is still debated but is generally understood to mean products that are grown and processed close to where they are sold, purchased and consumed. According to the US Department of Agriculture local includes foods grown, caught, and/or processed within 400 miles or within the state in which it was produced. Based on the Real Food Challenge, local is designated by a 250-mile radius and extended to 500 miles for meat. For the branding of local food to be effective at differentiating products (and demanding a premium price), it is important for consumers to clearly understand what they are buying into. Putting this into practice has proven to be more challenging than drawing radius circles on a map.

Food and farming systems are as diverse and dynamic as the regions they serve; making a rigid one-size-fits all approach impractical. Variability is created by geography, planting zones, length of growing season, transportation, markets, arable soil, access to water, and regulatory agencies. What works in California might be impossible in Minnesota. While some areas can reasonably define that local products are sourced within 75 miles, others may need 500 miles to secure enough product to meet customer demand. In either case, those selling local products either have the trust of consumers or are able to document their supply chain. For direct to consumer sales such as farmers markets and community supported agriculture shares, the farmers typically set the distance based on time and transportation limits and consumers are able to buy directly from the farmer. But at some point, the time and cost to transport the product exceeds the potential benefit of the sale, naturally creating a smaller radius. 

Eventually the demand outgrew the limitations of individual farmers and 1:1 transactions. As restaurants, grocery stores and institutions joined the movement, the need arose for a third party able to source higher volumes of local food with more consistency. Enter the concept of local food hubs. Based on combinations of cooperative principles, mission driven intentions, and wholesale distribution practices, food hubs have emerged to help the local food movement scale up. These organizations and businesses have been a tool for social change rooted in a desire to support small to mid-sized farmers, ranchers, and fishermen in accessing larger markets. 

By working with farmers to standardize their products and collectively crop plan around market demands, hubs can combine items or “aggregate” from a variety of local farms in order to meet the volume, quality, and selection expectations of larger buyers. They can also guarantee “source identification” so that the final customer knows what farm their products are from. On the production side, farmers can shift back to a focus on growing, harvesting, and grading products and hand over the marketing, logistics, and payment services to the hub. 

In South Carolina, the movement started with Gullah Farmers Cooperative and GrowFood Carolina and has since grown to nine food hubs, trading partnerships with three traditional wholesales, and the creation of the SC Food Hub Network. As a small state, these organizations and businesses must invest significant time on the logistics of matching buyers with sellers, trading between hubs to move this product across the state efficiently, and coordinating crop plans to meet demand. Food hubs have also embraced the need to, when appropriate, broaden “local” to include “regional” foods depending on the product and season. In South Carolina, three of the hubs serving the state are either on or adjacent to the border, buying and selling product from and to North Carolina and Georgia in addition to South Carolina. It has also led to the growth in partnerships that extend even further beyond our borders through the Eastern Food Hub Collaborative which spans from South Carolina to Maine. 

As the local foods movement continues to grapple with defining its boundaries and refining the logistics, there is still a long journey ahead for the system to build a system that is equitable and accessible to the community. During the inaugural statewide Growing Local SC Food Summit held in October of this year, food system leaders across sectors gathered to talk about and prioritize the challenges and opportunities for the state. The top four issues were the cost of food, policy reform, land access, and systemic racism. These challenges mirror those experienced across the country and while many need to be addressed at a federal level, the state and its leaders will play a crucial role in how these issues are addressed locally.

In the coming months and years, billions of dollars will be poured specifically into local food systems at the national level and millions of these dollars are already earmarked for South Carolina. For example, the SC Department of Agriculture requested $20,000,000 to support local food supply chain infrastructure from the state ARPA funds in September 2021 and continues to wait for legislative approval at the state house. This funding will be crucial in supporting the state as it prepares to utilize its recently awarded $6.1 million in funds through the USDA Local Foods Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement to purchase locally sourced food from socially disadvantaged farmers for distribution into underserved communities. Not only are these funds urgently needed but our state’s ability to equitably, efficiently and effectively utilize the funding received has a direct impact on how much future federal funding makes it to South Carolina. The South Carolina Food Policy Council and its members will be leading the conversation on issues like these and creating opportunities for individuals and organizations to engage and advocate through their committees, initiatives, and resources. Membership to the SCFPC is free and provides an opportunity to participate in conversations around the following topics: food access and insecurity, planning and transportation, racial equity within the food system, food is medicine, urban and rural local food, and branding and communication. I hope to see many of you at the next meeting as we continue to grow South Carolina’s local food system from farm and garden to table.  

This four part series written for Edible Columbia and Charleston explores how South Carolina’s food system is evolving to overcome the growing challenges in order to meet the state’s needs. Readers will gain a behind the scenes perspective of the system getting food from the fields and onto forks by walking through the process, people, places, and policies of South Carolina’s local food system.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the pandemic has to be the 20 million Americans who took up gardening, a staggering number not seen in the United States since the Victory Garden movement of the 1940s. In the midst of the COVID-19 chaos, people found refuge in their backyard sanctuaries and experienced the joy and empowerment that comes with growing your own food. The pandemic also pushed consumers to seek sources of food closer to home through local farms and markets when the shelves at the grocery store turned up empty.

Prior to the pandemic, the average middle-class or wealthy American living in a metropolitan area has likely not been given a reason to question the historically cheap, convenient, abundant, and diverse selection of foods. When functioning as designed, the globalized food system has the power to portray a world with no growing seasons, blemish-free food, and an abundance of choice for those with means. In contrast, millions of Americans, especially in rural communities, have long been living with a front row seat to the broken aspects of the food system in which food is inaccessible, unaffordable, or unhealthy.

In 2018, South Carolina ranked 42nd in the nation for poverty, with both rural and urban residents facing food deserts (lack of access to a grocery store) and food swamps (excessive access to fast food/convenience stores). With the onset of the pandemic, the challenges faced by rural and under-resourced communities became problems for everyone. There is nothing like showing up to the grocery store and finding empty shelves to spark an interest in how our food supply chains work (or don’t in this case). Layer by layer, elements of the food system were peeled back and weaknesses revealed. The public began to understand that the food system can be complex, inequitable, unsafe, fragile and unsustainable. Headlines filled with supply chain disruptions, meat packing plants shutdowns, worker deaths, food safety issues, challenges with food access, and endless lines at food banks painted a picture of a broken system. For those living with limited resources, the existing disparities only grew while healthy food choices continued to be unavailable and food unaffordable. According to a poverty study from the Sisters of Charity, nearly half of the state’s residents lived in areas of low food access in 2015, a time when the state had approximately 812 grocery stores. By early 2020, 105 of these stores had closed (12.9%), further reducing access.

As we approach the end of 2022, communities continue to feel the impacts of the pandemic but as a whole, many aspects of the food system have gone back to business as usual with one major exception: price. The 10.4% increase over the last year continues to fuel the conversation around why the US is experiencing the largest 12-month increase in food costs since February 1981. For those in food production, these costs are in many ways tied to an increase in price of inputs, transportation, and labor. Unfortunately, even at the current prices, the system is not capturing the true cost of production. This means that despite the higher sales prices, farmers are still challenged with reaching profitability, an issue the industry has been grappling with for decades. The majority of farm operators nationally have off-farm jobs or rely on the income of a spouse, which accounts for an average of 82 percent of total income for all family farms in 2019. Low profitability means low wages for everyone down the line and resulting in those working in the food supply chain having the highest enrollment in SNAP benefits than any other industry. It doesn’t take a math degree to recognize that this equation is not adding up.

South Carolina has a long agricultural history, with agribusiness currently representing the largest sector in the state with 1 in 9 jobs are in agribusiness with profits of close to $50 billion and 4.7 million acres of productive farmland. With these impressive numbers, it is hard to reconcile the fact that we are also a state in which 1 in 10 South Carolinians face food insecurity and our farmland received the eighth highest national “threat score” (risk of being converted to non-agricultural use) by the American Farmland Trust. While it is tempting to take readers on a journey through the evolution of how our food systems came to be what they are, the time for finger pointing, political posturing and polarization have passed. Less than 1% of South Carolina’s population is still farming (0.7%), and these numbers are actively threatened as the state continues to lose farmland. As the six fastest growing state in the US, American Farmland Trust has projected that in less than 20 years, we will lose an additional 436,700 acres of land to development. Farmland loss is attributed to a wide variety of factors, but for many, it comes down to money. To keep farmland productive, we have to keep it profitable. But history has taught us that this can not be profitability gained at the expense of our local people and places.

Understanding the challenges and recognizing the need for change is only the beginning. Having a clear pathway to change is crucial. In 2013, the Making Small Farms into Big Business report was commissioned to understand the potential for the state to grow their food system. The take home message was clear: the market opportunities are ripe for the picking. It revealed that historically, South Carolina has exported the food it grows and imports the food it eats. According to the study, 90% of food eaten in South Carolina was imported from outside of the state. By shifting production towards local markets, we could reap the benefits from farm to table.

These benefits extend far beyond the sales of local food but have demonstrated the capacity to be a tool for economic development. The growing demand for local food also brings with it a wide range of  physical and social infrastructure. Communities across the country, South Carolina included, have experienced the development of local food hubs, mobile abattoirs (meat processing), community kitchens, direct to consumer software, innovative small farm technology, farming apprenticeships, incubator farms, community gardens, farm to table restaurants, small grocers, food councils, and all of the associated jobs along the local food supply chain. What started as an effort to grow and sell food locally quickly becomes an opportunity to create jobs and increase community connectivity. The national data indicates that local retailers return 52 percent of their revenue back into the local economy, compared to 14 percent for national chain retailers and have a record of employing more locals for longer periods of time. Once heralded as only a trend, the local food movement has earned a permanent place in the food and farming landscape generating an estimated $20 billion dollars nationally.

Members of the SC Food Hub Network have seen local food sales grow from approximately $2 million in 2016 to $4.4 million in 2020. Pre-pandemic, this growth was achieved through robust farm to table focused restaurants, grocers, and wholesale accounts with a focus on creating profitability for SC farmers. Selling products as a premium does however create a barrier in accessing local food, something that was creatively addressed incrementally through gleaning (gathering unsold or unharvested crops for donation) and through grant supported programs.

In a surprising turn of events, COVID-19 actually created a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between local producers and those facing food insecurity. South Carolina food hubs, distributors, food access agencies, and community based organizations partnered to leverage millions of relief dollars to pay farmers for food distributed into local communities. While the Palmetto state was able to provide incredible support for farmers and community members to buy and distribute local food through these partnerships, this is only one part of the system. A long-term strategic approach will need to be holistic and explore the challenges in inequities from land access and farmer training all the way to nutrition education and food waste.

Now begins the hard work of keeping up the momentum and working collaboratively to find place-based, long-term solutions. National policies (i.e. Farm Bill), federal appropriations, allocations, and grants will continue to have significant implications for anyone working in the food system, but we cannot overlook the state level policy, regulation, and investments that have the power to truly elevate or suppress the growth and efficacy within local communities. Rising to meet the challenge is the Growing Local SC local food network, a multi-sector project building off the work of the South Carolina Food Policy Council and the South Carolina Food Hub Network (funded by the USDA with matching funds provided by the SC Department of Agriculture). With nine founding partners and 30 leaders representing everything from public health to farmer training, the network aims to cultivate a thriving, equitable, inclusive, resilient, and just food economy providing access to healthy food for all in South Carolina.

At the heart of this network is a desire to build and strengthen the local food system community in the state to increase awareness, connectivity and collaboration for existing organizations and businesses. The network leaders are interested in elevating the voices of those often missing at the table and ensuring that the path forward creates opportunities for everyone in the state. The network has a wide range of ways to connect from an events calendar, newsletters and Instagram to a listserv and committees. This October, the group will host its inaugural Growing Local SC Food Summit in Greenville, SC to hear from those at every stage of the food system to understand the challenges, opportunities, and priorities for those working on the ground. Stay tuned for the next issue where we will share stories from the people attending the summit and hear their perspective on the future of South Carolina’s food system. Follow along via Instagram @growinglocalsouthcarolina, the website https://www.growinglocalsc.org/, the newsletter, and participate in person at the inaugural Local Food Summit: https://www.opportunitysc.org/food-summit

What makes one farmer, one market, one system more successful than another? Are these lessons transferrable to other communities or is the success so deeply place-based and too nuanced to replicate? As someone passionate about building a strong local food system (and not reinventing the wheel) I am fascinated by all of the variations and models of getting food from the farms to the table in communities around the world.

If you work in the industry, you know that in agriculture, everyone’s way is the “right way” and it likely looks very different than their neighbors “right way”. These days, I dig down to the root of individual successes to understand WHY a technique, method, or product was working so well. It often takes looking closely at the variables associated with people, place, price, process, and preference in each situation to understand what ingredients create the ideal blend.

Most of my lesson are learned close to home, focusing on those projects gaining traction in the Southeast, navigating the region’s nuanced culture, climate, and clientele but sometimes you need to get out of your own pasture and look over the fence to see if perhaps the grass is greener. I plan to spend the next few posts sharing some of my adventures farther afield, starting with visit to an island across the ocean.

This Spring I found myself exploring a hidden gem known as Terceira Island, home to more cows that people and more cheese than one would think possible for a 150 square mile radius. This dairy and livestock haven is a part of the Portuguese Azores archipelago, located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean and due to the temperate climate, the grass really IS greener. Beyond the ecological and cultural appeal of the island, their approach to dairy farming was of special interest given the challenges facing our local dairy farmers at home. In case you weren’t aware, the American dairy industry is in a crisis, with small farms being forced out of the business by continued drop in prices and vertical integration of larger companies that cut-out the remaining dairy cooperatives. After a few emails and phone calls, I was able connect with Dr. Moreira da Silva, a professor at the University of the Azores willing to provide a behind-the-scenes tour. Through his connections we were able to meet a diverse range of individuals across the food system of the islands from farm to table and understand the special ingredients (place, people, process) helping their farmers to thrive.

The Place: After a surprisingly short direct flight from Boston (direct to the island!!) my stepmother and I arrived at sunrise to discover a magical place combining the emerald Scottish countryside with picturesque colorful Mediterranean villages. Town and country alike, there were cows everywhere. I mean EVERYWHERE: in the road, tied in front yards, and next to the beach.

Throughout the island, walls of volcanic rock enclose lush fields of green, interspersed with clustered coastal communities full of simple whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs punctuated by incredibly colorful ornate churches. Although small, the island is packed full of diverse landscapes beyond the fields including lava fields, caves, eucalyptus forests, and rocky ocean baths. As we traveled through the city center of Angra do Heroismo on our way to our hotel, we quickly realized why the area was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site with its cobblestone roads, unique building designs, and cliffside views of the ocean. It was here we were able to connect with our gracious host Dr. Silva at the University of the Azores where we discovered an incredible range of tours, introductions, and experiences for us (his wonderful wife Maria even picked us up).

The People: Dr. Silva gave us the rock star treatment, introducing us to his entire agricultural network. Our tour began at the University with a meet and greet with all of the department heads and many of the students (to my delight it also included multiple tea breaks). My academic side glowed hearing about research extremely similar to studies found at my own home base at the College of Charleston including studies of sea-level rise, impacts of climate change on the natural environment as well as the economy, and the island’s biodiversity. On the agricultural side the studies ranged from testing probiotics in yogurt and agricultural marketing to milk fat and artificial insemination. Despite my lack of Portuguese (I naively thought Spanish would work) everyone enthusiastically shared their industry insight and were curious to hear about life in Charleston, South Carolina.

Following the on-campus tour, Moreira and his colleague drove us to the off-campus Experimental Farm and Dairy where we met calves (mini-moos!), cows, herding doggos, and cross-eyed farm cats before visiting the milking parlor and checking out the equipment, feed, and fertilizers. During the tour, we discussed how their dairy industry has traditionally operated with many individual farmers rotating small herds through the fertile fields of grass and milking their cows using portable parlors. Milk is either sold to cooperatives or processed for a variety of dairy products (primarily cheese). This system has allowed residents to participate in the industry without a lot of infrastructure (barns, parlors, processing equipment) and the ability to stay at a smaller scale. Cows grazed on healthy pastures produce better milk and since farmers get paid based on the quality or grade of their milk, there is a built-in incentive on the island to rotate cows regularly and not overgraze. The result: beautiful pastures, happier cows, delicious dairy products, and more profit for dairy farmers. It is important to note that the island is not only in great proximity to European markets but also enjoys a grass-loving climate that stays between 55 and 80 degrees and regular rainfall, two keys to their success harder to replicate at home.

One of Dr. Silva’s former students joined us to share her insights on the agricultural industry in the Azores and gave us a glimpse at the future of farming on the Islands. Alexandra M B Ramos operates a small beef cattle operation while also managing the marketing for the local Beef Cattle Breeders’ Association that focuses on a regional certification for the Azores. Initially considered a secondary by-product of the dairy industry, beef has become a burgeoning market for the islands and Alexandra is interested in making a name for grass-fed beef raised on the lush pastures of the Azores. She invited us for a morning on the farm to get a first hand perspective into the industry at her farm AMBR-Lady Angus Beef. Across an entire ocean, it was comforting to connect with a fellow woman agriculture shamelessly kicking ass (while driving a pink tractor AND truck, no less).

Another highlight of the agricultural adventure (outside of driving a pink tractor) was having the opportunity to meet a group of aspiring farmers and the faculty supporting them. At the request of the program, I provided an overview of the US agricultural system and shared stories of the farmers I am proud to work with in the Southeast. After spending time with Dr. Silva, it is clear that he passionate about connecting students from abroad. Paired with the University of the Azores supporting visiting groups through housing and travel aid, I would highly recommend US universities take advantage of this opportunity!

Process: Throughout the tours, the topic of cooperatives came up frequently and with my interest in both local value chains and food hubs, I was curious how these systems were working on the islands. Dr. Silva coordinated a private tour of the newest local agricultural cooperative and I was completely blown away. Funded with government grants, the facility was completely decked out with full security measures, gleaming white walls, shining stainless steel equipment, large wash/pack lines, and spacious coolers. The facility was capable of processing a diverse range of product including dairy, fruits, vegetables and during two months of the year the processing, packaging, and export of over a million and half stems of protea flowers. The cooperative was distributing product all across the island as well as into national and international markets. One surprising element to the operation: farmers that sell their product to the cooperative were not allowed to sell into any other markets.

After touring farms, we obviously made time to sample the fruits of the labor and visited farm-to-table restaurants to sample cheese and local fare that ranged from small batches on cheese boards to commercial production with an agri-tourism focus.

What were the take-aways and thoughts from our agricultural adventure?

Invest in Farmers: The European Union invests in farming through direct payments (including those linked to environmental practices, small farmers, and those industries facing a volatile market) as well as incredible investments in new farmers under the age of 40 through grants to help launch their businesses and acquire land.

Small but Mighty: The dairy industry seems to be successful because it focuses on utilizing their most abundance resource: grass. Paired with low-infrastructure, portable parlors, and small herds the system allows for less risk and less overhead. The resulting high quality milk and cheese are in steady demand, helping keep the price of the product high enough for continued farmer participation. Interestingly, on my tours I realized I had traveled across an ocean to see a set-up just like one in my own backyard at Sea Island Jerseys and Green Grocer on Wadmalaw Island operated by Celeste and George Albers. Perhaps there is an opportunity for mid-sized dairies in the US to adopt some of these methods in order to participate in local markets hungry for grass-fed, small batch milk and dairy like that found in the Azores.

Cooperatives: The majority of products are processed and sold by cooperatives with much of it exported to the mainland, creating a culture where farmers don’t focus on marketing or sales but stick to production. All of the cooperatives we discussed provided additional benefits to their farmers such as training, equipment sharing, breeding support, and profit sharing. Based on the conversations we had throughout our trip, most farmers were okay with this system but there were definitely a few were interested in learning about direct sales.

Focus on the Future: Young farmers are facing similar challenges regardless of location: land access, financial limitations, need for training in business and production, and the inability of the existing systems to keep up with their changing needs, changing markets and their desire for innovation.

Crowdsource Ideas: There are incredible opportunities for students to travel to the Azores to exchange ideas or host students from the islands in the US to expand their horizons.

My unsolicited advice: As a burgeoning tourist destination with unique natural ecology, the island could greatly benefit from a stronger farm-to-table movement, a focus on agri-tourism, and the increased adoption of organic practices to secure a higher market price while preserving the natural beauty of their land.

In the end, I left with something much more valuable than information or insight: friendship. In the future, I hope to bring students to visit this incredible island to build an even stronger bridge between our communities. Obrigada to Dr. Silva and Alexandra for your incredible hospitality!

The metaphor of referring to the operations side of business as “how the sausage gets made” is used with care in the food system because the person you are working with might actually be talking about grinding meat. Whether a metaphor or literal, the reference makes an important observation regarding the messy, unattractive, or even unpalatable aspects of the operations side of a process often done behind closed doors. The use of the metaphor reveals a desire to enjoy the final product while being separated from the details of how it is made, what it is made from, or even who made it. Yet the information age is replacing the desire for closed doors and hidden processes with a demand for transparency, especially when it comes to food.

The resurgence of interest in the food system attracts an overwhelming amount of writers, researchers, film makers, media personalities, and others trying to pull back the curtain to both understand and expose the inner workings of the system feeding us. Unfortunately, many stories are being told by people that are unable to provide a comprehensive, unbiased, or even accurate portrayal of the challenges and opportunities facing the food system. While an incredible amount of good has come from the increased focus on food, it also brings with it a fair share of misinformation and marketing ploys. For many, it is easier to imagine that a clear and specific “bad guy” exists to blame because then we can arm ourselves with a silver bullet, make a clear choice, and absolve ourselves of guilt. In reality, the issues are complex and span far beyond the fields and farmers markets. Learning “how the sausage gets made” involves following the rarely simple and often complex pathway our food takes to get from farm to table. The “food system” is made up of all of the resources, people, equipment, infrastructure, and transportation that allows each of us to enjoy an incredibly diverse and relatively affordable selection of food (see image below).

As someone who identifies as a “Food System Leader,” it is challenging to explain what these types of positions entail, why they are important, and how we can all play a leadership role in the system. I realized that despite the national publications and famous writers, most people want to hear from someone they know and work with, so it is important that we share within our own circles. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the food system, the issues, the opportunities, and a glimpse of my own journey.

Cue my professor voice. With the incredible growth of our world’s population and the globalization of our economy, the process by which we grow and distribute food has become increasingly complex and specialized. In parallel, the number of people actually growing food has steadily been declining over the last century from 21% of the workforce in 1930 to 2% of the workforce in 2012. The combination of the increase in the complexity of the food system and the decline of farmers has led to a disconnection between the general population and those who feed them. Despite on the average person eating three meals a day, few people understand how their food is grown, processed, packaged, transported, and delivered. Even those in the industry find themselves disconnected from other sectors of the industry, a gap in understanding that has continued to grow as the system adapts to meet changing markets, climate, and consumer demands. Although generally fueled with good intentions, those passionate about the food system often perpetuate short-sighted or misinformed headline grabbing stories that create further disconnection and fail to tell the whole story (including sharing the good news).

As someone that spends time with both small to mid-sized “farm-to-table” farmers and large scale conventional commodity farmers, I can tell you that all farmers are facing high risk, tough markets, low profits, and issues with labor and natural disasters. Despite these commonalities, both organic and conventional farmers are positioned against each other, often pushed into promoting their production styles at the expense of other farmers. Not only unproductive, this distraction results in people missing the deeper issues facing the broader food system. Regardless of production styles, farmers are passionate people whose businesses typically are embedded in their lifestyle and values centered around serving the community the best way they know how. In the United States, 96.4 percent of the crop-producing farms in the U.S. are owned by hardworking families living and working in our communities–not faceless corporations or cute hobby operations. The industry in-fighting and lack of operational understanding creates many barriers to developing policies, programs, and markets that ensure a healthy, equitable, and profitable food system. With only 2% of the workforce in agriculture, we need to find ways to support every single farmer in the industry and with the current Farm Bill under review, now is the time to advocate for the programs supporting the people feeding us.

When talking to people about the food system, the following topics often come as a surprise: 

Agriculture is an essential economic driver. We all rely on agriculture in our everyday lives, even if we do not realize it. Specialty crops (fruits, veggies, nuts), meat, dairy, grains, legumes, and eggs are only a few of thousands of ways agriculture supports our daily lives. Commodity crops like corn, soy, and sugar beets are not only used in food but also processed into products and chemicals that are utilized in everything from laundry detergent and cosmetics to tires and upholstery while fiber crops like timber and cotton provide our clothing and paper products. According to the USDA, Agriculture, food, and related industries contributed $992 billion to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2015, a 5.5-percent share. The output of America’s farms contributed $136.7 billion of this sum—about 1 percent of GDP. These numbers only tell part of the story, with many of the newer and only recently tracked localized food system developments (farmers markets, CSAs, food hubs, etc.) increasing revenue streams for those in the food system and creating jobs in communities across the US.

Immigrants feed America. Currently 72% of farmer workers are immigrants. The United Fresh Produce Association, a produce industry trade group, estimates the industry relies on about 1.5 million to 2 million immigrants. Of these millions, The Department of Labor’s National Agricultural Workers Survey estimates that at least 46% of these workers are illegal.

Transportation and logistics are key. Did you know that the average grocery store only stocks enough food for three days? The entire food system is built around steady shipments of food to meet the consumer demands. Current store models give customers they can have almost anything year-round, including perishable products, even if it means shipping products thousands of miles. In parallel, 23.5 million American’s live in Food Deserts where food is not accessible or Food Swamps where only unhealthy options are available and transportation is the top listed barrier to access in both urban AND rural communities. With the increased demand for local food, the industry is also rebuilding the value chains capable of securing and transporting large and consistent volumes of locally sourced food to serve institutions such as schools and hospitals.

Agriculture lands are in transition. As the average age of farmers in American continues to rise (currently 58), many operators are reaching the point in which they must determine how to manage the transition of their land. According to the USDA, between 2015 and 2019, 93 million acres of land are expected to be transferred. In addition, approximately 39 percent of the 911 million acres of farmland in the contiguous 48 States is rented. Land transition and access have been pushed to the top as one of the key agricultural issues over the next decade.

The face of farming is changing. According to the National Young Farmers Coalition, new farmers increasingly come from non-farm families and are interested in diversified fruit, vegetable, and livestock operations using some type of organic production methods. The group has also seen an increase in people of color and women entering the industry. And it is not only the people that are changing but the places. Urban farming, market gardens, and micro-farms are all on the rise. While the US Census has not previously recording urban agriculture, According to the The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that 800 million people worldwide grow vegetables or fruits or raise animals in cities, producing an astonishing 15 to 20 percent of the world’s food.

Farmers are conservationists. Farmers currently manage millions of acres of land and have a vested interest in stewarding the natural resources on which they rely. This has created incredible opportunities for open land conservation and habitat stewardship. With support from agencies such as the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), farmers can have their property evaluated for conservation needs and participate in programs to plant pollinator habitat, cover cropping, bird habitat restoration, livestock fencing, irrigation, and support for no-till production. These programs are popular among conventional and organic farmers alike and are adopted by farms of all sizes. According to the USDA, roughly 40 percent of combined acreage of corn, soybean, wheat, and cotton were in no-till/ strip-till in 2010-11 (89 million acres per year), with adoption rates higher for some crops (e.g., soybeans) and some regions (e.g., the Southern Seaboard).

Jobs growth in the industry outpaces qualified workers. Based on a report from Purdue University and the USDA, the agriculture and life sciences field needs qualified an estimated 60,000 candidates while qualified graduates are projected closer to 35,0000. Demand will be strongest for plant scientists, water-resource scientists and engineers, farm animal veterinarians, and precision ag and pest control specialists, among other positions.

Why I am I so excited about working in the Food System?

Capacity for social change.  Every stage of the system is full of abundant opportunities for positive change, empowerment, and equity. As you can see from some of the key issues above, the food system needs support for educated consumers, advocates, and policy makers at every level.

Opportunities for innovation and a path for career growth. This is an industry experiencing an incredible growth and transformation. The sector is extremely interdisciplinary with an array of roles from engineers and logistics planners to compost processors and seed growers and is no longer confined to small towns in rural communities but also lives in urban cores and in laboratories.

So what does a career in Food Systems look like? 

After spending several years working in other industries, my journey into the food system started from the ground up, literally. I have had the pleasure of working as a farm apprentice with Joseph Fields Farm (aka mentor for life) and Our Local Foods at Thornhill Farm before joining the awesome team at Lowcountry Local First. During my time at LLF, I had the opportunity to work with Jamee Haley to develop the Growing New Farmers Program to train aspiring farmers and food system leaders, grow the Eat Local Program to help consumers connect to local products, launch the Dirt Works Incubator Farm to support new farmer businesses, and provided training and support for hundreds of small to mid-sized diversified farmers. This experience gave me a solid platform to launch Wit Meets Grit.

During the last year and half at Wit Meets Grit I have had the pleasure to expand this work to support efforts across South Carolina and the broader Southern Region. Highlights include:

• Landscape Assessment of the Southeast to determine opportunities for Local Food Procurement through hospitals with Pavlin Consulting and Healthcare Without Harm.
• Development of the Bamberg County Health Coalition with Southeastern Housing and Community Development.
• Development of the South Carolina Food Hub Network with Growfood Carolina and Daisa Enterprises.
• Development of the SC Local Food Value Chain Mapping Project with SC Food Policy Council, College of Charleston, and SC Department of Agriculture.

If the month of January is any indication, this year is one for the books. Kicking off the year, I had the pleasure of traveling to Nashville Tennessee for the National Farm Bureau Conference and was awarded as a Top Ten Excellence in Agriculture National winner. This was followed by a trip to Chattanooga, TN for the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference where I presented on Funding Fundamentals for non-profits, helped with conference social media, and attended the annual SSAWG board meeting.

Upon return from Tennessee, I checked in with the team working on the Local Mapping Project, touched base with The Bee Cause Project, spent a day facilitating the SC Food Hub Network, and made a trip up to Columbia for a town hall with USDA Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and SCDA Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers to share input into the new Farm Bill.

Wrapping up the month, I travelled to Denmark, SC to facilitate the Bamberg County Health Coalition before returning to Columbia for a quarterly SC Food Policy Council board meeting and a visit with SC Farm Bureau.  While my days are not often spent in the literal fields anymore, I really enjoy digging into the entire process that gets food from the farm to the table.

Thank you to everyone supporting my journey as a Food System Leader, an adventure I hope to continue for decades to come!

Remember your first love? Jumping in with both feet, opening your heart completely, and floating in a sea of possibilities? It is an incredible feeling and often a time of discovery and growth in our lives that teaches us about our selves in a way that living alone never could. Although in the beginning we adamantly believe it will last forever, it is more common that eventually we will out grow the relationship and move on, leaving a part of our heart behind and always looking back with at the fond memories.

When I first heard about Lowcountry Local First, I definitely had a crush. My introduction was in 2008 at a Sustainability Institute awards ceremony in which Jamee Haley was accepting the Sustainable Communities Award and I had the honor of receiving their Leadership Award. Hearing about the incredible things Jamee had already accomplished with a small but mighty group of volunteers and board members in such a short amount of time, I knew the organization was one to watch. And did I ever watch.

As they developed a Sustainable Agriculture program, I stood eagerly on the sidelines, looking for an opportunity to get engaged. When I spotted a poster in Kudu coffee for their Growing New Farmers program, I immediately applied and before I knew it I was one of the first apprentices in the program. It was a wild ride and true adventure as we all blindly navigated uncharted territory.

From early mornings harvesting squash blossoms at Joseph Fields Farm to late nights texting chefs about produce, it was a crash course in food systems. Farmers, chefs, apprentices, and staff were all learning side by side to understand what it takes for farm to table to succeed on a larger scale. Although I had really liked previous jobs, this experience was my first career love. For those of you that know me well, I am not one to settle for a job. I grew up watching both of my parents pour their hearts into their careers and I have always sought nothing less than a profession I can be passionate about. When approached with the opportunity to come on-board as the Director of Sustainable Agriculture in 2011, I jumped in with two feet.

Over the course of the last five years, I have had the honor of working alongside some amazing individuals to serve the hardest working people in the South. No one can appreciate hard work, long hours, and risk like a small business owner and even more so if that business happens to be a farm. When you see ways to make it easier for them to succeed, it is hard not to bend over backwards to do whatever you can to help.

Just like the businesses that LLF serves, the staff of the organization also must have an all-hands-on-deck attitude and be prepared to put in the sweat equity to build something great. Anyone that works in a small to mid-sized non-profit will tell you that the industry is more competitive and demanding that any corporate position they have ever had. It also an industry that provides you the opportunity to serve the community, build meaningful relationships, and be a part of something greater than yourself. And if you are up for the challenge, you can also build a career, as I have had the awesome opportunity to do.

Reflecting on 5 years, 142 new farmers, 40 farmer workshops, 18 interns, 15 conference presentations, 10 different states, 8 incubator farmers, hundreds of farm tours, thousands of emails, and over a million dollars of funds raised, I am proud to say that I am now a food system leader.

Through all of this, I have had the pleasure of working alongside some the most intelligent, fun, passionate people that I am proud to have not only as colleagues but also as friends. The most incredible part has been watching the organization and staff grow alongside the businesses, farmers, and community members it supports. It is this success that has given me the courage to take the same leap I have watched so many others bravely take before me.

While my love for Lowcountry Local First is still strong, I know that there is value in knowing when it is time to leave. The decision to move on has not been an easy one, as should be apparent by the fact that few of you probably even realized it was happening. It has been a slow process of first letting those most impacted by my decision know, one conversation at a time. Through these conversations, I gained confidence that there were enough opportunities out there for me to launch my own business.

With that in mind, let me introduce you to Wit Meets Grit, a business that provides me the opportunity to share my knowledge, experience, and support to others working in the industry. At this point, my goal is to keep my mind and heart open to the possibilities. My passions are as diverse as they are deep; to know the best path forward I need to welcome all kinds of opportunities. I hope to continue to work with so many of the incredible people I have met over the years and utilize my skills to rebuild the food system throughout the Southeast. Why Wit Meets Grit? Well, you can read about that here. What kinds of things will I be doing? To start the net will be cast wide with evaluation, farming and food system projects, freelance writing, public speaking, and photography. Through out the journey I will be sharing stories through my website.

I have such deep gratitude to Jamee Haley, Lowcountry Local First, my colleagues, all of our supporters (especially the farmers and my mentors Joseph and Helen Fields), and of course my family and friends for giving me the wings to take this leap. I am one of the lucky few that has had the chance to truly love their job and while a piece of my heart is being left behind, I look forward to this next chapter in my life spending even more time embracing my passion for the outdoors. Thank you all so much and wish me luck!