Policy considerations, natural resources, technology, value added, opportunities and innovations, all will be discussed during the 2025 South Carolina Ag Technology and Business Forum coming up next week in Columbia. Mallory Dow is extension relations coordinator at the Center for Ag technology at Clemson and one of the event organizers.
“The goal is really to bring ag businesses across South Carolina in different kind of industries together to talk about the challenges that everyone in the SE ag industry is facing, and kind of, what are the ways that we can all work together across different industry sectors, but also with the agencies like the Department of Ag, and also the resources at Palmetto agribusiness Council, and then that the universities have as well.”
Kendall Kirk is director of Clemson’s Center for Agricultural Technology and says the forum aims to bring together South Carolina crop and livestock production leaders to discuss current and emerging trends.
“We have all, in the organization of this thing, tried to be really intentional about standing back and saying, ‘We don’t want to be the providers of the content.’ Instead, we want to be listening. And that’s a cool thing about these groups all coming together, because as we talk and learn from and listen to industry leaders and our farmers and producers and various research leaders, we want to be aware of what we need to be doing in terms of these trends and opportunities in the ag space in particular.”
Natural resources is on everyone’s mind in ag, and Ronnie Summers, CEO of the Palmetto AgriBusiness Council, will lead that discussion.
“The natural resources we’ve broken down into really three categories energy, because that’s a huge debate in our General Assembly right now. South Carolina has had very favorable access to water for agriculture that’s being jeopardized right now. The other thing that we’re really challenged within South Carolina is loss of crop land and timberland both is great North Carolina and South Carolina is great to be growing states, but it comes with a cost.”
Seats are still available, but they’re going fast.
“There are tickets for sale on there. They’re $10, and we still have some tickets left, so we want people to sign up when they have a chance. The event is the 26th, so ideally, if people can register as soon as they can, that’s great. If we do have seeds left, we’ll allow folks to register at the door.”
The event will take place at the Phillips Market Center at the State Farmers Market in Columbia.