The Laurens County Chamber of Commerce is planning the first annual “Laurens County AGweek”. This weeklong celebration, running Monday, March 19 through Saturday, March 24, will highlight the important Agriculture Industry in Laurens County.
With the Clemson Extension Spotlight on Ag scheduled for Thursday, March 15 and National Agriculture Day, hosted by Agriculture Council of America (ACA), falling on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, the stage is set for this initiative to encourage the community to support Laurens County agriculture through education of importance, knowledge of abundance, and the stories of individuals in the area. The National Ag Day program encourages Americans to support Agriculture in many ways including understanding the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy. Here in Laurens County, the Chamber will celebrate a full week of agriculture to educate our community on the value of this industry in day to day life. By supporting local farmers and agriculture businesses located in Laurens County, members of the community are able to purchase many commodities locally, stimulating the local economy and supporting local families.
According to the ACA, “Each American farmer feeds more than 165 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more - and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States.” With 826 farms and 122,659 acres of farm land in Laurens County, according to the 2012 Census, Laurens County farmers are doing their part in contributing to the demand.
“Over the past few years, the Chamber and agriculture community have worked to build a strong relationship,” according to Amanda Munyan, President and CEO of the LCCC. “We are very thankful for these relationships today and we look forward to a future of working together so that the entire County benefits. We will continue the Industry and Agriculture Tour in the fall, but wanted our efforts to extend throughout the year.”
AGweek will be marketed strongly through social media platforms, as well as through a brand new website that will be launched March 19th. With statistics, helpful links, and with a growing directory of where to buy locally, this website will be the go to when it comes to Agriculture in Laurens County. “With our Think Local efforts, it is a no brainer that we encourage Laurens County residents to support our local farmers and agriculture businesses while creating a resource for locals and visitors,” added Munyan.
The Chamber continues to research and gather information from various resources in Laurens County, including Clemson Extension, Marilyn Easter of Eastglen Farms, the Laurens District 55 Agriculture Education Instructor/FFA Advisor, Melanie Birchmore, and the Clinton High District 56 Agriculture Education Instructor/FFA Advisor, Annette Bodie. These partners and others help make this initiative possible as the Chamber works to share information with the community throughout AGweek and in the future of the Ag website.
This week long celebration will end with a Great Laurens County Clean Up, a Keep Laurens County Beautiful quarterly event. This ongoing initiative has spearheaded collecting over 110 tons of trash from Laurens County roadways. According to the Chamber, this is the perfect way to end this week of celebrating a trade that depends on the land so many take for granted. Many groups have already signed up to participate in litter pick up in their chosen areas.
The Laurens County Chamber of Commerce strives to serve as the unified voice to promote, strengthen and develop Laurens County by connecting organizations, supporting businesses, and building community.
To submit information to be added to the Laurens County Agriculture website, contact Nicole Firmin at the Chamber office at 864-833-2716 or nfirmin@laurenscounty.org. To register to participate in the Quarterly Clean Up, contact Dianne Wyatt at the Chamber office at 864-833-2716 or dwyatt@laurenscounty.org.
