By Steven Bradley
Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Ag + Art Tour was already the nation’s largest free farm tour, with more than 100,000 visitors since it began, and this year’s tour will showcase the state’s cultural heritage and hard-working farmers to more South Carolinians than ever.
Recognized by the South Carolina House of Representatives last year as a “national example” of a program that champions agritourism, the 2024 South Carolina Ag + Art Tour has added nine new counties to 11 that have previously participated to feature over 150 tour sites statewide.
Clemson Extension Agribusiness Agent Will Culler, the tour’s director, said the free self-guided farm and art tour is a way to educate people about where their food and fiber come from and introduce them to local artisans, while also supporting the state’s agribusiness industry.
“We are proud of the commitment of our farms, artisans and county teams. Because of that, we can sustain continued growth,” Culler said. “One of our goals has been to give people a better knowledge of what is produced in their backyard and help them to support local businesses while making healthier food choices. This event does that by putting food and product with a face.”
Since it began in York County in 2012, the tour has added at least one new county each year, and South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers has called it a tribute to “the beauties of agritourism.”
“Blending in the art component, I just think that’s fascinating. The variety of opportunities that families have now to do that and the way it’s grown with the number of counties involved is a clear example of how a collaborative effort gets the results it receives,” Weathers said.
Tour stops include farms and farmers’ markets, and artisans on the tour range from weavers, painters, storytellers, metalworkers, and craftspeople to poets and live musical performances.
Some farms offer value-added products, such as jarred and canned foods, honey, baked goods or even farm-fresh meals. There is no fee to attend; visitors can start and stop their tour at any location.
This year’s tour includes farms and artisans in 20 counties, with different counties participating each weekend in May and June. More information about the participating farms, markets, artisans and ancillary sites can be found online can be found at www.agandarttour.com.
Source : clemson.edu