Farmers Market Support Activities

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: general silage crops

Practices

• Education and Training: demonstration
• Farm Business Management: marketing management
• Pest Management: economic threshold, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management
• Sustainable Communities: new business opportunities, community services

This is a community development activity to build resilient farms and support the farmers market. Farmers in Marlboro County will promote collards as a profitable alternative for local farm production. This project will link various businesses, families, professionals and farmers in a collaborative problem solving effort to provide economic benefit to farmers and vendors at the farmers market. A local team including the local Government, Entomologist, Agronomists, and County Agents from Clemson University are working to promote sustainability at the Marlboro County Farmers Market. This project will enhance the local farmers market, which was recently built. The intent is to provide opportunities for engagement of local farmers, businesses with other members of the community and provide local grown produce for consumers. The increase in the numbers of persons visiting the market will increase the sales at the market and local businesses.

The objectives of this project are:
1. To promote collard greens as a profitable alternative crop.
2. To build the capacity of the farmers market.
3. To demonstrate sustainable agriculture practices for growing collard greens.
4. To provide fresh vegetables locally grown to the community.