Gearing Up for Growth

Christopher LeMaster, Area Livestock & Forage Agent
Cherokee, Spartanburg, & Union Counties

Loss of Farmland is a top concern among our stakeholders as South Carolina continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Last year, over 90,000 people moved to our state (which is more than the population of the city of Greenville). Additionally, Industry is quickly relocating to the Sunbelt states. Even in Cherokee County, we are experiencing development pressure compounded by the rising average age of farmers. I don’t have to explain the importance of farmland to this group, but without farms and farmland, we increase our dependency on something we need at least 3 times a day. I appreciate the opportunities that come with this growth, but I think we are justified in our concerns about this rapid loss of farmland. There’s no simple solution; it involves advocacy, education, zoning, regulation, and, most importantly, profitable farms.  Yes, farms need to be profitable and enjoyable to survive. Farming is hard work, both physically and mentally, and many of our farmers are aging out. Nothing ages you faster than hard, unpleasant work for no money.

                My goal for 2025 is to offer classes focusing on profitability and ways to bring another farming generation on board. The classes I have planned for this year will challenge farmers to look at their farms as businesses and break their operations down into enterprises to assess profitability and viability and hopefully identify solutions for some of the drudgery of farming. I invite you to attend the Beef Market Outlook and Profitability Workshop on 3/20 and the Succession Planning for Farm Families and Conservation Easements Workshop on 8/21. Both programs will be in Pacolet for a central location to my counties (Cherokee, Union, and Spartanburg).  Additionally, we have teamed up with a few like-minded organizations to form the Broad River Conservation Partnership to offer field days to assist landowners with conservation practices such as prescribed fire, native grass establishment, and conservation easements.

                I hope to see you at one of these programs this spring. Here are a few other workshops to look forward to.