The Certified South Carolina program is a cooperative effort among farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, with the Certified SC brand and label helping consumers easily identify goods that are grown and harvested or raised in the Palmetto State.

The program launched in 2006, and is the primary branding program for South Carolina.

Sunny Valley International, based in Glassboro, NJ, has been in business for more than 35 years, and is anticipating a strong domestic season in 2022, starting with South Carolina peaches.

“Right now, we are preparing for the South Carolina peach season,” said Tom Beaver, director of sales and marketing for Sunny Valley. “We will be shipping stone fruit with our partners, Belle Peaches, from May through August.”

South Carolina has a long, storied history with the peach, with records going back as far as the 1600s for peaches grown in the state.

While Georgia may be more associated with the peach, South Carolina outpaces its southern neighbor in production, growing 90,0000 tons a year compared to 40,000 for Georgia, according to the USDA.

Overall, there are approximately 15,000 acres of peach orchards in South Carolina and the numbers have remained steady over the last decade.

The spring and summer harvest in South Carolina is looking great as the calendar turns to May. The South Carolina Department of Agriculture expects a big season ahead as consumer demand for South Carolina produce is at an all-time high.

“Summer crops such as tomatoes and peppers are going in the ground,” said Katie Pfeiffer, market development coordinator with the SCDA. “There have been some cold temperatures since planting, slowing growth, but everything is expected to catch up nicely.”

The Eastern Produce Council and South Carolina celebrated their 50th anniversary together at TopGolf in Edison, NJ, on Tuesday, April 26. This meeting marked the 50th consecutive year SCDA came up to New Jersey to sponsor a meeting for the council.  Marianne Santo, EPC president and category manager of Wakefern Food Corp., welcomed the group and thanked the department for its decades of support.

Titan Farms, the Ridge Spring, SC-based peach farm, is looking forward to a great peach season in 2021.

“We are right in the middle of the heart of our peach season where we’re harvesting anywhere from 30 to 50 truckloads of fruit a day,” said Ross Williams, director of packaging operations and food safety.