Certified SC Grown program gains recognition, boosts produce sales
Certified SC Grown program gains recognition, boosts produce sales
South Carolina Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture Martin Eubanks credits South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh E. Weathers with starting the Certified SC Grown program, which makes it easy for consumers to identify, locate and buy South Carolina produce. Growers use the “SC Grown” logo only with the department’s approval, on first-quality products grown in South Carolina that meet U.S. No. 1 Quality Grade Standard or higher U.S. Grade Standards, whichever is the accepted U.S. Department of Agriculture standard for that commodity.
Weathers won a 2006 appropriation from the state legislature to begin the program, citing a consumer survey that found 90 percent of the state’s residents would buy South Carolina food products if consumers knew where to buy them. On average, the state has invested $1 million a year in Certified SC Grown and signed up more than 1,700 participants, who invest an average of $7 for every $1 in state funding for the program. Also in the program are 500 in-state retailers, including more than a dozen supermarket chains, and several out-of-state retailers.
Certified SC Grown carries the slogan, “Buy SC: It’s a Matter of Taste” (taste referring to both flavor and social responsibility by buying locally, Eubanks said).
A survey in 2008 found about 28 percent of the state’s population knew about the program; in 2015, 67 percent did, he said. Eubanks said sales of South Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables climbed from $131 million in 2006 to more than $200 million.
