Final report for SSC24-001
Project Information
Overarching objectives of the 2024-2025 SC SARE Program were to continue the existing strategic and collaborative planning process for statewide sustainable agriculture development; to provide professional development opportunities for Extension agents, NRCS field staff and other agriculture professionals; to continue to organize and/or support in-service trainings in sustainable agricultural practices; and to support practical implementation of practices or technologies pertaining to sustainable agriculture. The 1862 MSP Assistant worked with the 1862 Program Coordinator to identify and support or organize training activities for 1890 and 1862 Extension and other agriculture professionals that addressed critical needs identified by program stakeholders. The program was guided by stakeholder input through an advisory committee consisting of farmers, agriculture professionals, NGO representatives and others with an interest in sustainable agriculture development. Our mission/strategic plan is to foster the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices statewide through education and outreach programs on relevant topics for Cooperative Extension Service personnel, Natural Resources Conservation Service staff and other agriculture professionals, farmers, and landowners. Program objectives remained consistent. Training topics are revised annually based on current needs identified by our program stakeholders. The program advisory committee met on January 11, 2024 and identified priority topics for 2024-2025 training programs. A separate budget for Clemson and South Carolina State University was developed; starting in 2023 each institution manages their awarded funds independently. The 1862 MSP Assistant position will continue to facilitate program reporting and evaluation and will assist with project accounting and budgeting for the 1862 institution.
- The existing strategic planning process for
statewide sustainable agriculture development was continued. Building on new
and existing collaborations with stakeholder groups, the state
co-coordinators worked with the MSP Assistant and with the SC
SARE Advisory Committee to broaden the pool of stakeholders
including under-represented groups who were involved with the
planning process and the development of educational programs. As
in previous years, an annual Open Forum was organized the
second week in January (in-person only, January 11, 2024 at the
Clemson Sandhills Research and Education Center in Columbia, SC)
to identify priorities and to plan educational programs based on
stakeholder needs. In 2024 the SC SARE Program partnered with the
SC Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program to host a Joint Open
Forum. This fostered collaboration between the two programs. We
continued to collaborate on training programs with
stakeholder organizations and with SARE PDP personnel from
neighboring states (NC predominately). The comprehensive and
inclusive planning process will limit duplication of effort and
will help to leverage available resources. - The SC SARE PDP Program continues to organize and conduct
in-service training opportunities for Extension agents, NRCS, FSA
and state Department of Agriculture personnel, agricultural
educators, and for other interested persons as space permits.
Workshop topics will be determined annually regarding input from
the program Advisory Committee during the annual Open Forum each
January and/or through digital polls as needed. With a new
Program Coordinator comes a new shift in program direction. For
2024-2025, the 1862 SC SARE Program prioritized
trainings that have a strong hands-on, real-world component. The
SC SARE Program will strongly support those trainings which lead
to the establishment of demonstration plots to display the
results of implementing sustainable ag practices. To a lesser
extent, the program will continue to sponsor relevant trainings
that do not included a hands-on component. The MSP Assistant, in
consultation with the training's invited trainer, will have
overall responsibility for workshop organization, publicity and
evaluation. This on-going objective is a repeat from 2023 because
new trainings are needed/requested annually and as new
information is published. - We will continue to emphasize and provide professional development opportunities
for Extension agents, NRCS, FSA and state Department of
Agriculture staff and other sustainable agriculture educators. Travel
scholarships will continue to be provided for select Extension
agents and agricultural professionals to attend relevant
trainings/conferences. These events represent valuable
educational and networking opportunities for our agents and
others in agriculture. This objective is a repeat from 2023
because conferences in 2024 will offer new information and
opportunities for ag. professionals.
Advisors
- (Researcher)
- (Educator)
- (Researcher)
- (Educator)
Education
Interdisciplinary and participatory approaches to training were emphasized. We also funded travel to educational events hosted by other institutuions and organiziations aligned with sustainable agriculture and education. Primary audiences for the trainings were 1862 and 1890 Extension agents, NRCS conservation field staff, and other agriculture professionals. Agriculture professionals who serve small and large scale farms, both conventional and organic/regenerative, were encouraged to attend. Strong stakeholder participation and input into educational program development reinforced trainee participation and enthusiasm for the program. Participants in the educational programs increased competency and skills in areas related to sustainable agriculture. They have increased in knowledge and confidence (i.e. competency) which should enable them to respond positively and knowledgeably to client inquiries regarding principles and practices of sustainable agriculture.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
Over 400 hard copies of this informative guide (also available electronically via SARE.org) have been printed and made available as desk and vehicle copes for a wide variety of county agents, NRCS personnel and mentor farmers. The overall objective is to clearly define and encourage adoption and implementation of sustainable forage management concepts throughout the SE region.
This printed guide is a continuation of the educational efforts of a previously funded SARE grant 'Development of a Forage Establishment and Management Curriculum for Extension Agents and Mentor Farmers' SPDP21-04. The printed guide continues to provide concepts and research-based education on animal, environment, forage and soil topics for Extension educators and producers in the Southeast.
In some cases, hard copies are a more effective and accessible alternative to on-line publications. Access to hard copies in field settings is an easier way to provide information to educators and to growers. These guides were (and continue to be) used in the field for education of sustainable livestock and forage managment systems.
Training was designed to explain the basic requirements of organic certification and continued with mock inspection activities at two existing Clemson University managed certified organic farms.
SC SARE provided support to this training event held on September 11, 2024 at Phillips Market Center, 117 Ballard Ct, West Columbia, SC 29172. The event consisted of an in person event in Columbia and then two mock inspections held on Thursday September 19th at Clemson University Organic Research Center, 101 Ag Services Center, Clemson, SC 29634 and on Tuesday September 17th at Clemson University Coastal Research & Education Center, 2865 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29414
AGENDA
8:00 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Coffee and refreshments; Visit tables and network
9:00 a.m. A Welcome and Introductions - Introduction of CU staff and Ag Service Providers in Attendance (Gavin Berry, Regulatory Programs Assistant Manager, Clemson University)
9:15 a.m. Transitioning to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) (Emily Duruelle, SE TOPP Florida Organic Growers)
9:30 a.m. Overview of Organic Certification and How to use the CFR (Gavin Berry, Regulatory Programs Assistant Manager, Clemson University)
10:15 a.m. Break; Visit tables and network
10:30 a.m. Interpreting and Applying Key Standards to the Organic System Plan (Catherine McGuinn, Organic Certification Coordinator, Clemson University)
11:15p.m. Recordkeeping, Inspection Preparation and Labeling (Jill Robinson, Organic Certification Specialist, Clemson University)
12:00 p.m. Lunch Provided; Visit tables and network
1:00 p.m. Certified Organic Farmer Panel Discussion - Certification Challenges, A panel of Clemson Certified Organic Farmers
2:15 p.m. Break; Visit tables and network
2:30 a.m. Clemson Extension and Organic Practices and overview of what research is going on at Clemson (Rob Last, Commercial Horticulture Cooperative Extension, Clemson University)
3:15 p.m. NRCS/ Program Resources (Gail Westcot, Outreach Coordinator, Area 1 South Carolina NRCS
3:45 p.m. CFSA/ Program Resources (Karen McSwain, Associate Executive Director for Programs)
4:15 p.m. Classroom Wrap Up; Sign up for Choice of Mock Inspection (Gavin Berry, Regulatory Programs Assistant Manager, Clemson University)
4:30 p.m. Visit tables and network; CFSA Focus Group Discussion
Approximately 40 total participants including Extension and mentor farmers learned national organic program standards and how to apply those standards in farm settings. The program was intentionally broad and included everything from terminology and conversion to record keeping and maintaining proper documentation.
To provide advanced training in areas of sustainable agriculture to livestock and horticultural extension agents for future training and educational programs.
Travel scholarships were provided for 18 horticulture and livestock Extension personnel to attend the Carolina Farm Stewardship Sustainable Ag Conference in Columbia SC on Nov 14-16, 2025. This was a record breaking number of agents who have attended this training and it was a huge success.
Agents attended sessions and individual presentations related to topics ranging from pasture raised poulty to mushroom production. This was an excellent networking opportunity with agents and specialists having opportunities to interact with agriculture faculty, other extension agents, and producers from VA, NC, SC and GA. In addition, SC SARE manned a booth in the trade show of this event and distributed copies of various SARE publications and answered questions about SARE and sustainable agriculture.
To provide advanced training in areas of regenerative and sustainable agriculture to livestock and horticultural extension agents for future training and educational programs.
SC SARE provided travel scholarships for county and regional extension educators to attend the 2025 SOWTH: A Regional Small Farms, Big Community Conference. This was hosted by Georgia Organics and convened farm and food professionals and advocates from 13 souther states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to build partnerships, share resources and strengthen the vision of sustainable agriculture throughout the region. We collaborated with the former program formerly named "Climate Smart Agriculture in SC" but now labeled "Advancing Markets for Producers in SC".
This meeting was held in Atlanta from February 4-6, 2025 and was an incredibly interactive and informative training for our agents. Agents who attended responded very favorably to the information presented and topics held throughout the event.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
Learning Outcomes
Project Outcomes
Face of SARE
The South Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program is conducted with support from Southern Region SARE. The program is managed by stakeholder input through an advisory committee consisting of farmers, agriculture professionals, non-government representatives and others with an interest in sustainable agriculture development. Our mission/strategic plan is to provide sustainable agriculture education and outreach programs to Cooperative Extension Service personnel, Natural Resources Conservation Service staff and other agriculture professionals, farmers, and landowners with an interest in sustainable agriculture.
The SC SARE Program web page highlights information on the statewide program and outlines the National SARE structure. In addition, the MSP Assistant maintains a database of sustainable agriculture training events that is made available to all stakeholder organizations who conduct sustainable agriculture training. The database is used to coordinate training dates and to facilitate collaboration and leveraging of resources to organize joint training in areas of shared interest. The program web page also offers links to additional resources on sustainable agriculture. The program web page also provides contact information for key program personnel. While the program web page serves as a valuable tool for disseminating information, email announcements to a listing of over 1200 stakeholders is the primary means of communication.
We also provide consultation to agriculture professionals and farmers interested in developing SARE grant proposals, and promote the availability of resource materials regularly via announcements to our email list. A link to the SARE website and funded grant program database is provided on the program web page. Notices of new publications are disseminated to agents via email, and a pool of funds will be set aside to purchase cost publications for agents based on programmatic and financial need.