LushAcres Farm sits on 340 acres located on Thornwell's campus in Clinton, South Carolina. This local farm has a little bit of everything - a market, livestock, and produce! When customers visit the market, attend an event, or make any purchase, the proceeds directly support a child or family being served by Thornwell's continuum of care. (Learn more about Thornwell's mission by clicking here.) I had the opportunity to meet with Brandon Bowers, Director of Farm Operations, tour the farm, learn about the history, and hear future goals for LushAcres Farm.
The tour started at the market, where I was greeted by Kurt Fuhrman, the Market Manager and Agritourism Coordinator. Community members and tourists can purchase fresh produce, pasture-raised meat & eggs from the market. Kurt told me about the construction underway at LushAcres Farm - they have begun work on the market patio and raised gardens and the barnyard animal enclosures. They hope to complete this project by the Strawberry Festival on April 30th, 2022.
Next on tour, we drove past some of the crop fields. They grow numerous fruits and vegetables, including strawberries, sweet corn, cantaloupe, various potatoes, green beans, and much more. They are also growing some Christmas trees and plan to add tea plants to their crops soon. Jacob Koch, Specialty Crops Manager, oversees the crop rotation, planting, and plant maintenance.
During the tour, I met Morgan Spaulding, Farm Associate/Livestock Lead. In February of this year, a calf was born, making this the first birth at the Farm in 14 years. Morgan has now assisted in delivering a couple more calfs this year, and they may have a few more. The livestock on the farm currently includes red Angus cows, chickens, donkeys, pigs, and a rabbit. But, they plan to add more animals soon.
The farm has a long history; it originates back in 1875 but was reasonably dormant until 2019. LushAcres Farm has accomplished much in the last couple of years, and they have exciting goals for the future. There are events and festivals throughout the year; click here to see what they have coming up. Get sneak peeks at what's in the market on their website.
Call (864) 938-2800, visit the website, www.lushacresfarm.com/market, or stop by 1875 W. Maple Street Ext., Clinton, South Carolina 29325.
Article by: Graysen Martin
Communications and Marketing Coordinator
Laurens County Chamber of Commerce
(864) 833-2716