On October 14, The Growing Local SC Food Summit was the inaugural meeting for organizations, individuals, farmers, and businesses working in the local food system to gather, connect, learn, and collaborate on building a collaborative network. The event, hosted by SCACED and the Rural Resource Coalition, and coordinated by Growing Local SC Food System Network and the SC Food Policy Council to create a cross-sector local food system network aspiring to cultivate a thriving, equitable, inclusive, resilient, and just food economy providing access to healthy food for all.

Growing Local SC is a network focused on facilitating collaboration between organizations and individuals actively engaged in supporting South Carolina’s Food System. The Network will 1) connect and cultivate South Carolina’s local food economy, 2) develop a plan centered on addressing systemic inequities in the state’s food system, 3) catalyze action to address farmland loss, 4) increase capacity of the local food system and 5) refine metrics for measuring partnerships. All organizations, individuals, and businesses working in the local food system are encouraged to get engaged.

The SC Food Policy Council strives to advance the production and consumption of healthy foods in South Carolina through education and strategic policy planning.