[{"id":109,"date":"2026-06-10T12:53:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:53:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=109"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:53:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:53:22","slug":"developing-a-business-plan-the-financials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/10\/developing-a-business-plan-the-financials\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a Business Plan: The Financials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a><br>Edited by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last, but certainly not least, in this blog series about business plans, we have the financials. We have covered what business plans are and their importance, what the beginning consists of, and your product and marketing. If you missed those blog series, feel free to go back and catch up on other parts of the business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>USDA has some great questions to ask yourself when planning out the finances part of your business plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201dHow will you\u00a0<strong>finance<\/strong>\u00a0the business?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are your current\u00a0<strong>assets<\/strong>\u00a0(property or investments you own) and\u00a0<strong>liabilities<\/strong>\u00a0(debts, loans, or payments you owe)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Will the\u00a0<strong>income you generate be sufficient<\/strong>\u00a0to pay your operating expenses, living expenses, and loan payments?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What\u00a0<strong>other sources of income<\/strong>\u00a0are available to supplement your business income?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What\u00a0<strong>business expenses<\/strong>\u00a0will you incur?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What\u00a0<strong>family living expenses\u00a0<\/strong>do you pay?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are some\u00a0<strong>potential risks or challenges<\/strong>\u00a0you foresee for your operation? How will you\u00a0<strong>manage<\/strong>\u00a0those risks?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How will you\u00a0<strong>measure the success<\/strong>\u00a0of your business?\u201d (USDA)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When diving deeper into questions, consider financial documents such as your balance sheet, which has all your assets and liabilities. Your income statement and statements of cash flow. These financial documents can help paint the picture of your agribusiness\u2019 financial standpoint. When showing these various parts of your finances, it&#8217;s important to understand the information you are adding to your business plan. Countless workshops dive deeper into farm finances to help you better understand what you are looking at. Consider consulting trusted resources to take a deeper dive into integrating your farm finances into your business plan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are applying for a loan or a grant, don\u2019t forget to include a section in your business plan on the requested funding. You want a section that shows how the money is being spent. Break down your targeted funding amount into key items or resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After you have all the information in your financial section and your funding requests, it&#8217;s time to wrap up your business plan. Some people choose to add an appendix if they have any additional large documents they want to highlight. This could be an option for your financial section if you want to provide more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you create your business plan, take your time to ensure the details you add are accurate. Consider taking time after each section to check for errors. This can help catch mistakes before having to review the business plan as a whole. If you are creating a business plan and need more assistance beyond the references and blog posts, feel free to reach out to the Clemson Extension Agribusiness team for assistance. To find an agent, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/team.html\">https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/team.html.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), et al. <em>Business Plan Development Guide<\/em>, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\">acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Bethany FunkhouserEdited by: Charley Maxwell Last, but certainly not least, in this blog series about business plans, we have the financials. We have covered what business plans are and their importance, what the beginning consists of, and your product and marketing. If you missed those blog series, feel free to go back and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112611],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-planning"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":107,"date":"2026-06-10T12:51:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=107"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:51:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:51:22","slug":"developing-a-business-plan-product-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/10\/developing-a-business-plan-product-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a Business Plan: Product\/ Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a><br>Edited by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have spoken about the importance of business plans and what they begin with. But now, for many people, comes the fun part! We are going to cover your product\/ service. We are going to lump your product\/service, market\/industry analysis, and marketing into one blog post. But it&#8217;s important that you give each of these sections the time and dedication they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we look at the product\/service section, think of it as the place to highlight your products (or services). Start by describing what you offer to your customers. As always, remember to include not only your current offerings but also what you want to add in the future. How does your product end up at its final sale location? Walk through this information in your product\/ service section. As mentioned in the \u201cBusiness Plan Development Guide,\u201d written by the Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), Clemson Extension Agribusiness, and Matson Consulting.  Describe how the product is produced and what is needed to get the product to final sale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do you grow the product yourself or purchase the inputs from suppliers?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If necessary, do you process your product on-site or use a third party for processing?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How is your product sold?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do you have the necessary capacity or partnerships to expand production and sales in the future?\u201d (ACRE, Clemson Extension Agribusiness, Matson Consulting)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These questions can help you start gathering information about your product\/service. Make sure to also include the pricing for your offerings and how you arrive at those prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next, the market\/industry analysis is the research you conduct on what\u2019s happening around you. What is going on in the industry? How does your agribusiness fit into this\/ how can you thrive? This section will also include your competitors. What will set you apart from your competitors?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, we have marketing. How are you reaching your customers? How will you keep your customers? These are all questions you want to ask yourself in the marketing section. Explain the marketing techniques you are currently implementing, as well as the marketing techniques you plan to implement in the future. If you have new products or services you want to offer in the future, you can also share your marketing plans for these offerings. Understanding your agribusiness internally will help as you describe your marketing and promotion. SWOT analysis is a great tool for understanding your agribusiness. Below is a figure showing how to set up a SWOT analysis and what it consists of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"492\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/06\/swot.png\" alt=\"SWOT Analysis\" class=\"wp-image-108\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/06\/swot.png 842w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/06\/swot-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/06\/swot-768x449.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 842px) 100vw, 842px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we have covered your product\/ service, it&#8217;s time to move on to the financials and wrap up your business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), et al. <em>Business Plan Development Guide<\/em>, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\">acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parsons, Guy. \u201cThe SWOT Analysis, Explained + Examples &amp; Templates.\u201d <em>BiteSize Learning<\/em>, BiteSize Learning, 24 July 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitesizelearning.co.uk\/resources\/swot-analysis-explained-examples-templates\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.bitesizelearning.co.uk\/resources\/swot-analysis-explained-examples-templates\">www.bitesizelearning.co.uk\/resources\/swot-analysis-explained-examples-templates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Bethany FunkhouserEdited by: Charley Maxwell We have spoken about the importance of business plans and what they begin with. But now, for many people, comes the fun part! We are going to cover your product\/ service. We are going to lump your product\/service, market\/industry analysis, and marketing into one blog post. But it&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112611],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-planning"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":106,"date":"2026-06-10T12:47:07","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=106"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:47:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:47:07","slug":"developing-a-business-plan-the-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/10\/developing-a-business-plan-the-beginning\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a Business Plan: The Beginning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a><br>Edited by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the first blog of this series, we covered what a business plan is. Now that we understand its importance and what it consists of, we can start looking at the details of what goes into one. The very first section of your business plan is your cover sheet. You might be questioning why I included something so simple. While the cover sheet is very simple, it is also the very first page someone will see, so you want to make sure it looks professional. Include your agribusiness\u2019 name, your contact information (address, phone number, email, and website), and your logo. Also, make sure to add the date the business plan was created\/ finalized. Remember to create a new version and save it with the revision date on the cover sheet. This helps with record-keeping and keeping each version of your business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, we want to add a table of contents. This is created after you finish the document, so you can add page numbers and create a clean, professional business plan that is easy to reference specific sections. The next section of your business plan is your executive summary. This section is crucial as it is the first bit of information someone will read about your agribusiness. In this section, you will want to include a brief description of your agribusiness. Include your goals, mission statement, vision statement, purpose, and core values. Remember to keep this information as brief as possible. This section should provide a broad overview of your entire business plan. Many find it helpful to write the executive summary after crafting their business plan. This allows you to compile all the information and determine which key elements to include in your executive summary. As I have said, the word &#8216;brief&#8217; is used one too many times; your executive summary should be only one page.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it&#8217;s time to add a section on your organization and management. In this section, you want to highlight the structure of your agribusiness. If you have a partnership and\/ or multiple owners, make sure to include that as well. Then you want to add all the roles each person has. You can go into much more detail in this section. Show how each of these roles helps keep your agribusiness running smoothly. This will include any contracted roles off the farm, such as a financial advisor or accountant. Make sure to add the roles your agribusiness will need in the future and how they will aid you. In the Business Plan Development Guide, you can find examples in this section. They have an example of an organization chart to visualize your structure, and then you can go into more detail easily. Lastly, include any patents, trademarks, or contracts in this section. Within the section, you can share more about the history of your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the next blog in this series, we are going to cover your product\/service. This will include the market\/ industry analysis, marketing, and the product or service areas of your business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), et al. <em>Business Plan Development Guide<\/em>, 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\">acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Bethany FunkhouserEdited by: Charley Maxwell In the first blog of this series, we covered what a business plan is. Now that we understand its importance and what it consists of, we can start looking at the details of what goes into one. The very first section of your business plan is your cover [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112611],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-planning"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":104,"date":"2026-06-10T12:43:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:43:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=104"},"modified":"2026-06-10T12:45:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T12:45:00","slug":"developing-a-business-plan-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/10\/developing-a-business-plan-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important\/","title":{"rendered":"Developing a Business Plan: What is it and Why is it Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a><br>Edited by: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you have had an agribusiness for 20+ years or you are just getting started, your business plan is a key element. A business plan is what you intend to do with your business and your plan to do it (Perdue Extension). Simple right? Not so fast. There are many parts of a business plan. It can be hard to figure out what is important in one and what\u2019s not, as many different business plans are floating around with different styles. For this blog series, we will focus solely on the template from the \u201cBusiness Plan Development Guide,\u201d written by the Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), Clemson Extension Agribusiness, and Matson Consulting. This doesn\u2019t mean you need to follow this template exactly for your agribusiness. But hopefully, referencing these blog posts and the guide can help you feel more confident in creating or updating your business plan. Ultimately, your business plan should showcase your agribusiness and outline your plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, why are business plans so important? In addition to serving as a planning tool for your agribusiness, many individuals also use their business plan to obtain funding. One example is ACRE, a program with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. This program helps you create a business plan and use it to pitch your agribusiness for the potential of funding through their Curriculum Program. Other avenues include loans, which almost always require a business plan during the application process and other grants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your business plan can change over time (and should) as your agribusiness grows. Think of your business plan as a working document. Things change, whether that is finances, plans, etc. When you are planning things, your business plan should be updated, or at least revisit your business plan once a year to see what needs to be updated.&nbsp;&nbsp; You also want to make sure you have a well-formatted, grammatically correct document. This is the first document many people will see about your business. Try to create a good first impression with your business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your business plan may consist of a few different sections, including an executive summary, company description, organization\/ management, an analysis of the industry and market, marketing, your product\/ service, finances, and a few other key aspects. Over the next few blog posts in this series, we will graze the iceberg of what these sections include. For more information on this specific template\/guide, please visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\">https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a business plan can seem very overwhelming, given all the information it includes. As you read this series and reference the guide, take notes on the documents and information you already have. You don\u2019t have to start your business plan from scratch, as you may already have some of this information tucked away from your initial planning\/ brainstorming. There are many resources available to help you create your business plan. The Clemson Extension Agribusiness team has agents across the state who can help you understand what goes into your business plan and connect you with other resources you may need. To find an agent, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/team.html\">https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/team.html.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the next blog of this series, we will take a look at the beginning of a business plan and what it consists of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this blog series, we will focus on the template from the \u201cBusiness Plan Development Guide,\u201d written by the Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), Clemson Extension Agribusiness, and Matson Consulting. To reference the examples or go into more depth on each section, visit: <a href=\"https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf\">https:\/\/acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Agribusiness Center for Research &amp; Entrepreneurship (ACRE), et al. <em>Business Plan Development Guide<\/em>, 2025, acre-sc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ACREBusinessPlanGuide2025_digital.pdf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStrategic Business Planning.\u201d <em>Purdue University &#8211; College of Agriculture<\/em>, ag.purdue.edu\/department\/agecon\/fambiz\/strategic-business-planning.html. Accessed 8 June 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by: Bethany FunkhouserEdited by: Charley Maxwell Whether you have had an agribusiness for 20+ years or you are just getting started, your business plan is a key element. A business plan is what you intend to do with your business and your plan to do it (Perdue Extension). Simple right? Not so fast. There [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112611],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-planning"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":102,"date":"2026-06-04T03:20:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=102"},"modified":"2026-06-04T03:20:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:20:01","slug":"applications-are-now-open-for-the-south-carolina-state-disaster-relief-block-grant-for-helene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/04\/applications-are-now-open-for-the-south-carolina-state-disaster-relief-block-grant-for-helene\/","title":{"rendered":"Applications are now open for the South Carolina State Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a><br>Edited by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted millions, including countless farms in South Carolina and surrounding states. Applications are now open for the South Carolina State Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This grant is an online-only application open from May 12, 2026, through July 11, 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAn eligible producer is a producer located in an eligible locality that suffered an eligible loss as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and had an ownership share and a production risk in the crop, livestock, or timber (including timber rights).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, an eligible producer is a person or legal entity that must be a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>citizen of the United States;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>resident alien; for purposes of this part, resident alien means \u201clawful alien\u201d as defined in 7 CFR part 1400;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>partnership consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as defined in section 4(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)\u201d (South Carolina Department of Agriculture).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The loss must have occurred in counties that received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Helene to be eligible. If you are not sure whether your county is included, you can <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/SCDisasterGrantMap2025_AmendedFinal.pdf\">click here<\/a> to see which counties are eligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Losses covered by this block grant include necessary expenses related to infrastructure losses, market losses, future economic losses, and timber losses <strong>not covered by other USDA programs or crop insurance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information as to what would be considered eligible, you can visit the <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/divisions\/agency-operations\/grants\/helene\/\">SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Black Grant for Helene Webpage<\/a> and <strong>scroll down to eligible losses<\/strong>. Please also note that documentation will vary depending on the type of loss. Required documentation, acreage certification form, and linkage requirements can also be found on the same webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All information in this blog post was obtained from the SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene Webpage. Please note that this blog post does not tell you whether you are eligible or whether you meet every single requirement. It is imperative to read the SCDA webpage in its entirety or reach out for assistance (see information below) to understand all requirements for applying for the grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Assistance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For assistance with applying for the grant and verifying your losses, you can reach out to Clemson Cooperative Extension or the Soil and Water Conservation District for agricultural loss assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find your local Clemson Cooperative Extension Office here: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/co\/\">https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/co\/<\/a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find your local Soil and Water Conservation District office here: <a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.sc.gov\/conservation\/\">https:\/\/dnr.sc.gov\/conservation\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For assistance with timber loss, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scfc.gov\/management\/landowner-services\/hurricane-helene-timber-block-grant\/\">click here<\/a> or email <a href=\"mailto:blockgrant@scfc.gov\">blockgrant@scfc.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Link to SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Black Grant for Helene Webpage: <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/divisions\/agency-operations\/grants\/helene\/\">https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/divisions\/agency-operations\/grants\/helene\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All links throughout the blog post can also be found on the webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written By Bethany FunkhouserEdited by Charley Maxwell In 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted millions, including countless farms in South Carolina and surrounding states. Applications are now open for the South Carolina State Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene. This grant is an online-only application open from May 12, 2026, through July 11, 2026. \u201cAn eligible producer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112610],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-funding-programs"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":101,"date":"2026-06-02T01:27:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T01:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=101"},"modified":"2026-06-04T03:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T03:22:32","slug":"hurricane-preparedness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/06\/02\/hurricane-preparedness\/","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Preparedness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Written By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. You may be thinking that we could really use a hurricane to get us out of this drought. While a hurricane can bring substantial rainfall and storm surges, it is important to remember that hurricanes are actually considered <strong>wind<\/strong> events. The speed of the wind, in mph, is what classifies the weather event as a tropical depression, tropical storm, or hurricane. This distinction becomes very important when insurance and government assistance come into play. Any flooding or water damage brought by the hurricane often has to be handled separately and may be excluded from hurricane insurance policies and relief programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether this is your first hurricane season ever, or you consider yourself a seasoned pro, it&#8217;s important to take each storm seriously. Complacency can result in devastation. Whether Jim Cantore is planning to come to town or not, prepare for each storm like it&#8217;s &#8220;the big one.&#8221; Below are 10 simple steps to make sure your farm, family, and land can be resilient during storm season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Review Your Insurance Coverage Early<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don&#8217;t wait until a hurricane is in the forecast. Contact your insurance provider before storm season begins to understand exactly what your policies cover. Review crop, livestock, property, and equipment coverage and make sure your records are up to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Create an Emergency Contact List<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep a current list of important contacts in an easily accessible location. Include local emergency management offices, veterinarians, utility companies, insurance agents, neighbors, family members, and Extension personnel. A printed copy can be invaluable if power or internet service is lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Map Your Farm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A detailed farm map can save valuable time during an emergency. Include buildings, roads, gates, fences, livestock locations, utility shutoffs, hazardous material storage areas, and safety equipment. Make sure family members and employees know where to find the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. Document Your Property Before the Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take photos and videos of buildings, equipment, livestock, crops, and infrastructure immediately before a storm. These records can be critical when filing insurance claims and documenting losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. Check Your Inventory<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Evaluate supplies before hurricane season. Make sure you have adequate feed, fuel, medications, fencing supplies, generators, batteries, and other essential materials. Supply chains may be disrupted for days or weeks after a major storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. Prepare Backup Power and Lighting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspect generators, test equipment, and stock sufficient fuel. Ensure flashlights, batteries, and portable lighting are available and working properly. Reliable power can be essential for livestock operations, irrigation systems, and refrigeration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7. Clean Up Around the Farm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remove debris and secure loose items that could become dangerous projectiles during high winds. Trim damaged tree limbs, secure equipment, and store movable items indoors whenever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8. Update Farm Records<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep copies of production records, inventories, insurance documents, financial records, and livestock information. Store digital copies in a secure cloud location and maintain hard copies in a waterproof container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9. Store Chemicals Safely<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Protect fertilizers, pesticides, fuels, and other hazardous materials from flooding and storm damage. Secure containers properly and ensure storage areas meet safety recommendations to prevent environmental contamination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10. Act Quickly After the Storm<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once conditions are safe, assess damage across the farm. Document losses with photos and notes before beginning major cleanup activities. Contact insurance providers, USDA offices, and other assistance programs as soon as possible to begin the recovery process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A hurricane preparedness plan is an investment in your farm&#8217;s resilience. Taking time now to organize records, secure facilities, and develop emergency procedures can help protect your operation, reduce losses, and speed recovery when severe weather strikes. Sometimes, relief from government programs can be delayed by months or years. If you experienced damage from Hurricane Helene, please look into the <a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/divisions\/agency-operations\/grants\/helene\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/agriculture.sc.gov\/divisions\/agency-operations\/grants\/helene\/\">South Carolina Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Feeling overwhelm from all of this information? Contact your closest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/team.html\">Agribusiness Extension Agent<\/a>, and we will help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written By Charley Maxwell Hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30. You may be thinking that we could really use a hurricane to get us out of this drought. While a hurricane can bring substantial rainfall and storm surges, it is important to remember that hurricanes are actually considered wind events. The speed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112603],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-risk-management"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":97,"date":"2026-05-20T02:56:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T02:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=97"},"modified":"2026-05-20T03:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T03:06:15","slug":"resource-list-for-mental-health-awareness-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/05\/20\/resource-list-for-mental-health-awareness-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Resource List for Mental Health Awareness Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"580\" height=\"280\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/05\/farmermentalhealth.png\" alt=\"AI Image Generated by Canva\" class=\"wp-image-98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/05\/farmermentalhealth.png 580w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/05\/farmermentalhealth-300x145.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">AI Image Generated by Canva<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Author: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/bnf\">Bethany Funkhouser<\/a>, Area Agribusiness Agent<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Farm Bureau, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/initiative\/farm-state-of-mind\">multiple studies show<\/a> that farmer suicide rates are 2-5 times higher than the national average. There are countless factors, such as natural disasters, fluctuating prices, and much more, that make farming an extremely stressful occupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>May is mental health awareness month. This year has been extremely difficult for many farmers. While that\u2019s known within the farming world and even outside the farming world, there is still a stigma around speaking out about mental health challenges. Yet so many people around us are struggling. Whether it\u2019s a farmer who has been farming for 50 years or 2 years. Or even a farmer trying to keep a family farm that has been around for 150 years, or a farmer starting one from scratch. Someone you know is facing mental health challenges, and you may not even know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take this month to recognize and understand the resources for farmers facing mental health crises. Check on your neighbor, your friend, your family. Share resources that might make a difference for someone. And if you are facing any mental health challenges, these resources are for you, too. Don\u2019t be afraid to use any of these resources or reach out to a loved one and\/ or someone you trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the situation is potentially life-threatening, get immediate emergency assistance by dialing 9-1-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255 (TALK)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SC Farm Bureau: Free counseling services for farmers and farm families: 1 (800) 968-8143<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Veterans Crisis Line: 1 (800) 273-8255, Press 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>National Suicide Prevention Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chat.988lifeline.org\/\"><strong>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Crisis Chat<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/afsp.org\/when-someone-is-at-risk\/\"><strong>American Foundation for Suicide Prevention \u2013 About Suicide<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/projectextreme.org\/crisis-intervention\/?gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23594187252&amp;gbraid=0AAAAADbeKpa5-w_kylBABeBaG2t8OBb0y&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAh5XNBhAAEiwA_Bu8FXW6vskR8q6tMQAovBRbFaPcInkLS6BZee48KJ5-IaO1J7YCp_KkQhoCcAYQAvD_BwE\"><strong>Crisis Text Line: Text \u201cLEV\u201d to 741741<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.veteranscrisisline.net\/\"><strong>Veterans Crisis Line<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SC&nbsp;Suicide Prevention&nbsp;Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or have suicidal thoughts,<strong>&nbsp;reach out for help locally:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.suicide.org\/hotlines\/south-carolina-suicide-hotlines.html\"><strong>South Carolina Suicide Hotlines<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/sc211.org\/\"><strong>South Carolina 211<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SC Farm Bureau &#8211; SC AgriWellness Program<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Free counseling services for farmers and farm families.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;Call 1-800-968-8143 to be connected with a trained professional<\/strong>. Mention that you are calling as part of the SC AgriWellness program.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scfb.org\/farmstress\"><strong>Click here for more information<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Farm Bureau State of Mind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The American Farm Bureau Farm State of Mind campaign builds awareness to reduce stigma and provides access to information and resources that promote farmer and rancher mental health wellness, which can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fb.org\/initiative\/farm-state-of-mind\">found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Bethany Funkhouser, Area Agribusiness Agent According to Farm Bureau, multiple studies show that farmer suicide rates are 2-5 times higher than the national average. There are countless factors, such as natural disasters, fluctuating prices, and much more, that make farming an extremely stressful occupation. May is mental health awareness month. This year has been [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112609],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-97","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mental-health"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=97"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":91,"date":"2026-02-24T18:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=91"},"modified":"2026-02-24T18:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T18:04:10","slug":"tough-topic-tuesday-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/02\/24\/tough-topic-tuesday-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Tough Topic Tuesday: Burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/chmaxwe\">Charley Maxwell<\/a>, Area Agribusiness Agent<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are less than 50 days into 2026, and you may feel like it\u2019s been at least twice that long. The weather has been wild, market news has not been particularly favorable, and data centers are trying to pop up like Dollar Generals. Right now, you may be feeling a mix of anxiety and motivation for this new growing season. We have entered the months when winter plans start to be put into action. Soon enough, we will be in full swing, when there don\u2019t seem to be enough hours in the day, and something is always breaking down. So, how do we enter this growing season with positive motivation and the intention of avoiding burnout?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Step one is understanding what burnout is and is not. Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. It is not stress or feeling overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You may be asking yourself, \u201cHow is burnout not stress if it is brought on by prolonged or repeated stress?\u201d<\/em> Stress can be labeled as good or bad- it is simply your body\u2019s response to everyday pressures. Repeated and prolonged stress that is not good, exciting, or motivating leads to burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"546\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/02\/burnoutgraph.png\" alt=\"This graph shows the correlation between performance and stress levels. Some stress can grab our attention and motivate us to our peak performance levels; additional stress added on can lead to anxiety, anger, and\/or panic, which leads to burnout if not addressed.\" class=\"wp-image-92\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/02\/burnoutgraph.png 546w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/02\/burnoutgraph-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/02\/burnoutgraph-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/02\/burnoutgraph-50x50.png 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 546px) 100vw, 546px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>This graph shows the correlation between performance and stress levels. Some stress can grab our attention and motivate us to our peak performance levels; additional stress added on can lead to anxiety, anger, and\/or panic, which leads to burnout if not addressed.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Step two is recognizing when you have reached the point of burnout. Someone who is burned out can be characterized by physical, emotional or mental exhaustion, accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance and negative attitudes towards oneself and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you are wondering how close you are to burnout, you can take a quick assessment at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/kandiwiens.com\/burnout-quiz\/\"><em>https:\/\/kandiwiens.com\/burnout-quiz\/<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Step three is making adjustments to avoid or resolve burnout. Managing stress is the key. Setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, practicing mindfulness and relaxation, and seeking support are four key individual strategies to managing stress. Adaptations of these strategies will vary from individual to individual. SC AgriWellness is a free service for South Carolina Farm Families. If you are feeling burned out or consistently dealing with overwhelm and stress, SC AgriWellness is a resource available to you. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/extension\/agribusiness\/resources\/farm-stress.html\">Farm Stress Management<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start this season on the best foot forward and with a plan to reduce stress, consider these questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What caused the most stress last season?\n<ol start=\"1\" style=\"list-style-type:lower-alpha\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If it were something you could control, like time management or record-keeping, what can you put in place now to relieve that stress?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If it were beyond your control, such as drought or hurricanes, have you considered insurance options and production practices to mitigate the impacts?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are you organized for this season?\n<ol start=\"1\" style=\"list-style-type:lower-alpha\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Record-keeping system in place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Seed and inputs already in hand or ordered.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inventory is up to date.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Planting dates are roughly scheduled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u00a0A marketing plan is in place, and any contracts have been signed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Labor is lined up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Equipment has been serviced.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are your work-life balance non-negotiables?\n<ol start=\"1\" style=\"list-style-type:lower-alpha\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make sure any important dates (weddings, sporting events, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) are clearly on every calendar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain social interactions off the farm. They give you a break and some distance that can provide perspective.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritize any religious services you attend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enjoy your morning coffee or tea, take small breaks and moments throughout the week.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the mission, vision, values and goals of your operation will help keep you grounded throughout the season. Give yourself grace for the things you cannot control that may shift scheduling or outcomes. When overwhelm or stress becomes consistent, take a break. Not only does efficiency go out the window when you reach burnout, but the risk of farm accidents increases. Take care of yourself this season so you can best care for your crops, land, and livestock.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charley Maxwell, Area Agribusiness Agent We are less than 50 days into 2026, and you may feel like it\u2019s been at least twice that long. The weather has been wild, market news has not been particularly favorable, and data centers are trying to pop up like Dollar Generals. Right now, you may be feeling a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":86,"date":"2026-01-06T16:20:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=86"},"modified":"2026-01-06T16:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:24:24","slug":"2025-sc-livestock-market-summary-4th-quarter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2026\/01\/06\/2025-sc-livestock-market-summary-4th-quarter\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 SC Livestock Market Summary &#8211; 4th Quarter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/SC-LMS-Grahpic-300x295.png\" alt=\"SC Livestock Market Summary Graphic\" class=\"wp-image-88\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/SC-LMS-Grahpic-300x295.png 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/SC-LMS-Grahpic-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/SC-LMS-Grahpic.png 744w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The fourth quarter of 2025 brought changes to both the national beef cattle markets and the South Carolina auction market. In mid-October, the feeder cattle futures price fell sharply, disrupting the steady increase in prices seen since summer 2024. This reflects changes to beef cattle markets more broadly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For South Carolina auctions, feeder steer and heifer prices experienced moderate declines in Q4. Comparing average prices in October compared to December, steer prices fell $17 for 4-weights, $12 for 5-weights, and $34 for 6-weights. Average prices for heifers over the period fell $10 for 4-weights, $11 for 5-weights, and $5 for 6-weights. <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/2025-Q4-LMS_2.pdf\" data-type=\"attachment\" data-id=\"87\">Read the full market summary report<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The fourth quarter of 2025 brought changes to both the national beef cattle markets and the South Carolina auction market. In mid-October, the feeder cattle futures price fell sharply, disrupting the steady increase in prices seen since summer 2024. This reflects changes to beef cattle markets more broadly. For South Carolina auctions, feeder steer and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":88,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[112601],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-livestock-marketing"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2026\/01\/SC-LMS-Grahpic-150x150.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":83,"date":"2025-12-10T14:26:42","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T14:26:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/?p=83"},"modified":"2025-12-10T14:27:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T14:27:35","slug":"jeff-wilson-named-2025-south-carolina-sunbelt-ag-expo-farmer-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/2025\/12\/10\/jeff-wilson-named-2025-south-carolina-sunbelt-ag-expo-farmer-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Wilson Named 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-10-at-9.23.23-AM.png\" alt=\"Jeff Wilson Photo\" class=\"wp-image-84\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-10-at-9.23.23-AM.png 340w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-10-at-9.23.23-AM-300x193.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Jeff Wilson<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team congratulates Jeff Wilson of Cotton Hills Farm on being named the <a href=\"https:\/\/sunbeltexpo.com\/2025-farmer-of-the-year-jeff-wilson-south-carolina\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sunbeltexpo.com\/2025-farmer-of-the-year-jeff-wilson-south-carolina\/\">2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year.<\/a> Jeff was nominated by Clemson Extension Agribusiness Program Team Director <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/akantro\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/akantro\">Dr. Adam Kantrovich<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/BOYLES2\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cafls\/faculty_staff\/profiles\/BOYLES2\">Ben Boyles<\/a>, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, innovation, and long-standing commitment to South Carolina agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This honor recognizes farmers who exemplify excellence in production agriculture, conservation, business management, and community leadership. Jeff\u2019s selection places him among an elite group of producers who shape the future of agriculture in the Palmetto State and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cottonhillsfarm.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cottonhillsfarm.com\/\">Cotton Hills Farm<\/a>, a fifth-generation family operation in Lowrys, South Carolina, encompasses approximately 1,000 acres of diversified production including row crops, produce, and cut flowers. The Wilson family has built a farm business rooted in diversification, sustainability, and direct-to-consumer engagement, creating a model that is both economically resilient and deeply connected to the community. Their on-farm market, u-pick operations, and agritourism enterprises have become a cornerstone of local food access in their region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJeff has a remarkable ability to innovate while staying deeply rooted in the traditions that make family farms successful,\u201d said Ben Boyles, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent. \u201cHis sons work directly alongside him on the farm, and seeing his grandchildren already eager to be involved speaks volumes about the culture they\u2019ve built. Cotton Hills Farm is truly a multi-generational operation in every sense of the word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to on-farm innovation, Jeff is widely respected for his willingness to mentor other producers, share knowledge, and serve as a leader within South Carolina\u2019s agricultural community. His dedication to conservation reflects a deep respect for natural resources, while his business diversification demonstrates the entrepreneurial mindset needed for long-term farm success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Clemson Extension, recognizing producers like Jeff Wilson reflects the heart of our mission, supporting farmers who are adaptable, forward-thinking, and deeply invested in their communities. His operation serves as a powerful example for new and beginning farmers across the state who are seeking to build profitable, sustainable, and values-driven farm businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jeff\u2019s selection as the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year is a well-earned honor and a proud moment for the Lowrys community and South Carolina agriculture as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can learn more about the Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year Program <a href=\"https:\/\/sunbeltexpo.com\/foty\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sunbeltexpo.com\/foty\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Clemson Extension Agribusiness Team congratulates Jeff Wilson of Cotton Hills Farm on being named the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year. Jeff was nominated by Clemson Extension Agribusiness Program Team Director Dr. Adam Kantrovich and Ben Boyles, Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent, in recognition of his outstanding leadership, innovation, and long-standing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4082,"featured_media":84,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"coauthors":[112607],"class_list":["post-83","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/files\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-10-at-9.23.23-AM-150x150.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/agribusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=83"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]