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2010 Agricultural Conference
Ridge Spring has been chosen to host the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor’s (SCNHC) Bi-annual Agricultural Conference, a day long educational event for South Carolina farmers.
Ridge Spring was chosen because of the community’s dedication to supporting local farmers and the agriculture industry and the presence of facilities to meet the conference’s needs. The Ridge Spring Civic Center and the Arts Center will fill with farmers and agricultural partners from across the state on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.
Elizabeth Harm, development director for the SCNHC, said Ridge Spring’s enthusiasm as a potential conference site helped secure the town as the chosen destination. “The people’s pride in their community, their farming heritage and the various products grown and made right here in Ridge Spring is apparent and that made the decision easy.” Harm added that Saluda County is the third largest agricultural producer in the state. “This is a way to give back to a community in Saluda County, a county that gives so much to our state and nation every day."
The conference kicks off at 9:00 a.m. with SC Department of Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers and keynote speaker Diane Green of Greentree Naturals, small family owned and Certified Organic Farm in Sandpoint, Idaho. Green will discuss how family owned and operated farms can successfully market the product of their labor and the farm as a destination. For more information Diane Green and her farm operation, visit http://www.greentreenaturals.com.
Following the key note, sessions topics include: Marketing While Operating a Successful Farm; Using the Internet for Free Marketing; Tax Liability in Running an Agricultural Operation; and Food Safety in Selling Homemade Products.
Chef Brandon Velie’s use of local ingredients and his continuous support of the local agriculture industry by his restaurant Juniper in Ridge Spring will be highlighted through a lunch made with local produce.
Registration for the conference will open on December 15, 2009. This conference is being sponsored by the SCNHC and the SC Department of Agriculture. For more information about these two organizations, visit www.sc-heritagecorridor.org and www.agriculture.sc.gov.
