The First Annual South Carolina Agricultural Technology and Business Forum took place March 20th in Columbia this year. The event was co-hosted by Clemson University, SC State University, Mixon Seed, Palmetto Agribusiness Council, South Carolina Farm Bureau, and South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Over 100 people from a diverse set of companies and backgrounds were able to attend this event.
This event was inspired by conversations between industry groups and agribusinesses, state agencies and the land grant Universities: Clemson and SC State University. There is a strong desire among each of these groups to continue increasing collaboration for the sake of South Carolina Agribusinesses and Farmers, especially in the areas of development opportunities and technology.
The event’s co-organizers drew on each of their networks for experts and leaders to serve as panelists in the following topics: economic considerations, sustainability, technology and connectivity, and fruit and vegetable opportunities. Other speakers throughout the day included Gary Spires, Executive Director of SC Farm Bureau, Matt Bell from the South Carolina Research Authority, Raleigh West from the Conservation Bank, and Hugh Weathers, SC Commissioner of Agriculture.
The Economic Considerations Panel:
• Edgar Woods, Palmetto Grain Brokerage
• Steve Richards, South Carolina Center for Cooperative and Enterprise Development
• Travis Avant, Compass South
This panel focused on addressing economic forces shaping the industry, which factors are driving growth, and considerations for navigating regulatory landscapes. Financial trends and farmland valuation were also discussed.
The Sustainability Panel:
• Zach Larson, Bayer CropScience
• Dr. Lamin Drammeh, SC State
• Melanie Shull, Shull Ag SC
• Alex Butler, South Carolina Office of Resilience
The Sustainability panel covered issues such as climate smart agriculture solutions, regenerative farming, sustainability incentives, and the importance of collaboration in ensuring sustainability in agricultural innovation.
The Technology and Connectivity Panel:
• Doug Hamilton, CharlestonHacks; MUSC
• Drake Perrow, Cameron Cotton & Seed Co.
• Jim Stritzinger, South Carolina Broadband Office
This panel addressed broadband and development needs for agricultural technology as well as some of the implications of data decision aids, new technologies and machinery, and artificial intelligence applications. The overall need for collaboration between technology providers and farmers emerged as a part of this discussion.
The Fruits and Vegetable Opportunities Panel
• David Flynn, Amplified Ag
• Spencer McLeod, Macs Pride
• Zach Senn, Senn Brothers Produce
The Fruits and Vegetable Opportunity panel covered topics surrounding distribution, diversification, and growing trends in South Carolina’s fruit and vegetable sector. Operational needs and need for collaborative efforts in tackling challenges and taking advantage of growing markets were also a key point of discussion, as well as technological needs and opportunities – echoing some of the themes from the technology and connectivity panel.
During each panel, audience members were able to participate by asking questions – a lot of the conversations initiated by rich discussion in the panels spilled over into the breaks as each attendee had the chance to ponder the topics from their own perspective. The organizing groups hope to turn this event into an annual tradition, giving farmers and agribusinesses this unique opportunity to confer on issues relevant to all of South Carolina agriculture.
