SC Commissioner Hugh Weathers: 2020 Meeting Season

In the ag community, January is often referred to as meeting season. Commissioner Hugh Weathers is here to tell us all about the happenings this coming new year.

• Before farmers put seeds in the ground, they head over to meetings that concern the industry, some broadly covering agriculture, and some specific to a commodity
• While each commodity has its own concerns, you’ll no doubt hear about topics like:
  • the economic outlook for the season
  • the latest research for that crop – varieties, insect and weed management, etc.
  • policy updates affecting farmers

• Here are a few important dates to keep on your calendar:
  • Cotton Annual Meeting
    • January 28^th in Santee
  • Peanut Annual Meeting
    • January 30^th in Santee
  • Watermelon Annual Meeting
    • Weekend of January 31^st in HHI
  • SC AgriBiz and Farm Expo—Florence, SC January 15-16
    • Few different tracks—Hemp Industry, Forestry, Field Crops, Fruit and Veg, Women in Ag, Youth, Livestock, etc.
    • Annual Taste of SC on Wednesday night
    • SCCSA Breakfast Thursday morning
• SC Association of Farmer Markets on January 14^th
• SC Specialty Food Association Meeting February 3^rd

Happy New Year from all of us here at the South Carolina Department of Agriculture!