Climate-Smart Commodities Program dispersed over $850K in financial incentives to farmers

ORANGEBURG, SC – SC State University Public Service & Agriculture (SC State PSA) commemorated its one-year partnership with Climate-Smart Grown in SC, a climate-smart commodities partnership with Clemson University, during a celebratory event for enrolled SC State University farmers on Thursday, July 25, at Camp Harry E. Daniels Conference Center, in Elloree, SC.

The program recognized and celebrated the SC State University enrolled farmers who have successfully completed the program’s requirements for adopting climate-smart conservation practices, including growing cover crops, practicing prescribed grazing and nutrient management in beef cattle production and adopting no- and reduced-tillage practices, while receiving technical support from SC State 1890 Extension ag agents.

As part of the climate-smart commodities program, enrolled farmers received financial incentives based on the commodity grown, key designated climate-smart practices and the total acreage designated for that commodity and practice. SC State PSA, to date, has provided more than $850,000 in financial incentive payments to year-one enrolled farmers.

“Our one-year involvement program was a farmer-centered day, celebrating our farmers’ achievements and resilience while reflecting on the past activities and events that took place during the year-one implementation,” said Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director for SC State PSA. “We look forward to the future success of our program as we enroll more farmers throughout South Carolina for year two.”

Over 90 small-scale, under-resourced and minority farmers throughout South Carolina attended the one-year commemoration event along with SC State 1890 Extension ag agents, Clemson University and SC State PSA project management and leadership team. The event featured two panel discussions that involved open and engaging conversations on the challenges farmers experienced during the program implementation and how the program can improve in year two.

During the celebration event, six farmers received special recognition and acknowledgments for the performance/production of the best in leafy greens, peanuts and beef cattle production. Jonathan Bennet and Louis Berry from Clarendon and Orangeburg counties, respectively, received the Budding Farmer (emerging farmer) and Senior (most experienced farmer) Climate-Smart Agriculture award.

Farmers recognized during the event include:

Jason Waltz, climate-smart peanut producer, Calhoun County
Dan Garrick, climate-smart peanut producer, Orangeburg County

Louis Berry, beef cattle producer from Orangeburg County, received the Senior Climate-Smart Producer Award, joined by Chris Green, Midlands region Extension director; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA and Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director.

Jonathan Bennet, leafy green producer from Clarendon County, received the Budding Climate-Smart Producer Award, joined by Ronnie Rhodes, Santee-Wateree region Extension director; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA and Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director.

Bryant and Magaret Harrison, climate-smart leafy green producers from Anderson County, received recognition for the performance/production of the best in leafy greens, joined by Tyrone Williams, Upstate region Extension ag agent; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA and Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director.

William Weekley, climate-smart leafy green producer from Calhoun County, received recognition for the performance/production of the best in leafy greens, joined by Mark Nettles, Midlands region Extension ag agent; Chris Green, Midlands region extension director; Daniel Lumoka, Low Country region Extension ag agent; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA and Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director.

Edie McFadden, climate-smart beef cattle producer from Clarendon County, received recognition for the performance/production of the best in beef cattle production, joined by Ronnie Rhodes, Santee-Wateree region Extension director; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA; Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director and Amber Brown, Santee-Wateree region Extension ag agent.

Robert Sprowl, climate-smart beef cattle producer from Greenwood County, received recognition for the performance/production of the best in beef cattle production, joined by Curtis Hill, Piedmont region Extension ag agent; Dr. Louis Whitesides, vice president of SC State PSA and executive director of 1890 Research and Extension; Dr. Lamin Drammeh, associate vice president of SC State PSA and Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director.

“The climate-smart program gave me a great starting point, being a novice seeking guidance and getting my son established in farming operations and the industry,” said Adrien Priester, a peanut producer from Fairfax, SC. “We came from a 30-year break into the farm service, so we’re restarting to get the next generation on the right path. When the climate-smart program became available, it was the pathway forward to allow us to start the process right and be more efficient as we move forward our farming operations.”

“Climate-Smart Grown in SC has been a great asset to the farm,” said Monique Daniels, a Bamberg, SC farmer. “The practices such as growing cover crops, no and reduced tillage, as well as mulching have preserved the soil through erosion control. These practices have had a great impact on my leafy greens, allowing me to grow them into a good crop and sell them at a higher market value. Going forward with Climate-Smart Grown in SC will have a great impact in 2025 and being able to enroll new farmers in the climate-smart programs will provide so many benefits to them.”

Climate-Smart Grown in SC, a $70 million grant awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in October 2022, is the largest public partnership grant in South Carolina. SC State University and Clemson University, the only two land-grant institutions in South Carolina, administer the program. The program provides technical and financial assistance to producers to implement climate-smart production practices, measure, verify and report carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions as well as develop markets and promote the results of climate-smart commodities practices and products.

For more information on the Climate-Smart Grown in SC program, contact Dr. Chishimba “Nathan” Mowa, climate-smart commodities project director, at [email protected] or Dr. Atakora Williams, climate-smart program coordinator, at [email protected].