PalmettoPride is South Carolina’s anti-litter organization. Through numerous programs and events, our organization aims to educate the public on the impacts of litter to prevent it, enforce the current litter laws, bring public awareness to the issue, and encourage groups to take ownership of their communities to pick up. Keep South Carolina Beautiful falls under PalmettoPride’s umbrella of statewide programs targeting litter. Currently, there are 38 local affiliates within Keep South Carolina Beautiful that are supported with PalmettoPride grant funding and technical assistance.

Q&A with Mary Hannah Feeley, Public Relations & Outreach Manager:

How long has your business been working with the agricultural industry and/or community and rural development initiatives in South Carolina?

In 1999, Executive Order No. 99-20 established the South Carolina Governor’s Task Force on Litter to lead the fight against litter in our state. By 2001, the Task Force effectively established PalmettoPride as a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization that is a true public/private partnership comprised of state agencies, concerned citizens, corporate sponsors, and community and civic organizations. For over two decades, PalmettoPride has encouraged residents to celebrate the natural resources South Carolina has to offer by keeping our environmental landscapes clean and litter-free. 

With tourism playing such a key role in our state’s economy, it is vital to keep South Carolina a beautiful place to visit and to protect the natural features that make our state so special. Our rural roads tend to fall outside of regular maintenance and litter pickup schedules. We know that pickup is important, but as citizens, if we focus on litter prevention, we can maintain the beauty and safety of our roads without needing to rely on pickup. As our state’s population continues to grow, it is equally important to keep South Carolina a beautiful place to work and to live.  

The SC Ag+Art Tour encourages residents to head outdoors and discover every urban and rural corner of our state. In supporting the Ag+Art tour, PalmettoPride hopes to further cultivate an appreciation for our great state among all residents.

In what ways does your business contribute to the agricultural industry, community, and rural development, or promote Agritourism in South Carolina?

Annually, PalmettoPride awards over $500,000 in grant funding to communities and organizations across South Carolina in support of litter prevention and beautification efforts. From litter pickup crews and illegal dumpsite remediation to mural creations and tree plantings, our grant offerings in particular contribute towards community development and improvement statewide. 

In what ways do you foresee your business impacting the Agritourism industry in South Carolina in the future?

As our state’s population continues to grow, PalmettoPride will continue to invest in and lift up South Carolina’s rural communities. Litter prevention is as important to our agritourism industry as it is to our beaches and mountains. When we support local farmers and businesses and purchase locally produced goods, we move towards a more sustainable South Carolina through reducing waste that could end up in our environments. 

If someone was interesting in learning more about your services/offerings, where would you point them?

Visit palmettopride.org to get involved and become a part of a litter-free SC!

Q&A with Kyle Player, Executive Director:

How long has your business been working with the agricultural industry and/or community and rural development initiatives in South Carolina?

ACRE was established in 2018 to assist small-to-midsize agribusinesses throughout South Carolina. We provide funding, business planning, grant assistance, etc. Since ACRE’s inception, we have awarded $1,053,500 in funding to SC entrepreneurs.

In what ways does your business contribute to the agricultural industry, community, and rural development, or promote Agritourism in South Carolina?

ACRE has hosted agritourism workshops, funded several agritourism farms and helped many farms create a business plan for their next steps. In addition, ACRE has advertised for these rural agritourism farms and help them work with our network of advisors to help expand their farm. 

In what ways do you foresee your business impacting the Agritourism industry in South Carolina in the future?

As agritourism continues to grow in SC, ACRE plans to be at the forefront of assisting this expansion. ACRE has worked with the SC Agritourism Association to provide small business development grants to emerging agritourism farms, ACRE is on a grant that is going to focus on helping veterans start agritourism farms and any other ways we can help elevate the agritourism industry in SC. 

If someone was interesting in learning more about your services/offerings, where would you point them?

ACRE-SC.com, or my email distribution list (email at kplayer@scda.sc.gov to join).