Staff Report //December 17, 2020//
Seven burgeoning entrepreneurs from throughout South Carolina, including a Richland County farmer, have won a share of $30,000 in the third year of the S.C. Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship program.
ACRE, in partnership with Clemson Cooperative Extension, provides business management guidance and funding for agribusiness startups. This year’s class participated in online classes in October and November to learn how to develop a business plan and hone their marketing, finance and operational skills.
Sixteen participants pitched their business ideas this month, with seven receiving funding.
Advanced agribusiness entrepreneurs will compete for a share of $125,000 in spring 2021, according to a news release from the agriculture department.
“The future of agribusiness in South Carolina depends on new ideas,” S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said in the release. “These entrepreneurs will use what they’ve learned in the ACRE Curriculum program to build successful businesses and develop new markets in food and agriculture.”
The 2020 winners include Greg Brown, who plans to begin growing ginger and turmeric for the restaurant market at his Hopkins-are Greenleaf Farm, which currently produces asparagus and other produce.
Other awardees are: