STRATEGYMETRICSTAGS


Establish and Sustain SC Local Foods Network
Secure three year grant funding
Develop job description and contract for SC Local Foods Director
Retain SC Local Foods Director
Leverage established SC Food Policy Council leadership for governance support
and appointing key advisors
Outline organizational structure and develop operational processes including
engaging network director
Conduct statewide meetings gathering input and sharing framework
Develop initial network work plan and key performance indicators
Develop and maintain network website as an information clearinghouse
Develop and share annual work plans with stakeholders
Manage project budgets and grant reporting
Conduct annual network evaluation
Secure permanent, annual funding

Good Food Governance; Regional Collaboration; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Community Outreach; Public Private Partnerships; Data Collection & Monitoring; Advocacy; Public Messaging & Marketing; Food System Coordination; Funding & Investment Strategies



Increase collaboration among local food stakeholders
Develop communication strategy
Gather statewide input and organize a scheduling meeting for service providers
Develop and maintain statewide shared calendar for training and events
Identify opportunities for multi-agency, cross sector (ex. healthcare, small business development, land use, etc), and/or multi-region collaborations and funding
Coordinate with key organizations/advisors annually to develop, prioritize, and implement strategic plan goals and objectives
Support, elevate, and promote existing data/information/input gathering efforts (ex. SARE input meeting, CFSA state meeting, SCACED local food input sessions)
Explore non-traditional partnerships with other food system businesses and organizations (i.e. broadliners, food banks, etc.)
Advocate for funding allocations for local food activities at the state level
Good/Local Food Economies; Small Business Support; Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination; Alternative food distribution tactics; Labor/Food Workers; Land & Resource Use; Agriculture & Food Production; Farmer & Producer Business Support; Seafood & Fisheries; Training & Education, Agriculture; Workforce Development;



Provide leadership development for local food advocates
Coordinate with relevant organizations and industry experts to provide multi-agency training on priority topics (from technical production knowledge to operations and cultural knowledge)
Support the SC Food Policy Council efforts to establish more local food policy councils
Guide local leaders to integrate goals with statewide priorities
Workforce Development; Training & Education, General; Good Food Governance; Network/Bodies/Council (FPCs); Public Private Partnerships; Leadership/Staffing; Food System Coordination;
STRATEGYMETRICSTAGS



Build capacity for the SC Food Hub Network


Continue facilitation of SC Food Hub Network (SCFHN)
Work with potential new hubs/nodes to expand statewide opportunities and avoid overlap
Develop and administer microgrant program to support growth of hubs and nodes
Formalize SCFHN crop production plan for top 20 crops
Employ logistics funding and engage partners to improve route efficiency and increase trading
Identify key SCFHN technical assistance priorities and develop trainings in partnership with agencies
Introduce 10-15 new farmers to hubs and SCFHN each year
Engage regional hubs on potential export opportunities
Recommend state level policies to support the growth of market opportunities for farmers
Collaborate with existing agencies on marketing initiatives to highlight small farms

Good Food Governance; Public Private Partnerships; Food System Coordination; Legislation; Funding & Investment Strategies; Regional Collaboration; Food System Plan Implemenation; Agriculture & Food Production; Training & Education, Agriculture; Farm & Producer Business Support; Young, Beginning, and Small (YBS) Farmers; Good/Local Food Economies; Regional Coordination; Land & Resource Use; Culture Shift (Good Food Movement); Community Outreach; Supply Chain Infrastructure; Food Aggregation & Food Hubs




Develop, Gather, and Organize Key Metrics and Resources
Develop communication strategy
Gather statewide input and organize a scheduling meeting for service providers
Develop and maintain statewide shared calendar for training and events
Identify opportunities for multi-agency, cross sector (ex. healthcare, small business development, land use, etc), and/or multi-region collaborations and funding
Coordinate with key organizations/advisors annually to develop, prioritize, and implement strategic plan goals and objectives
Support, elevate, and promote existing data/information/input gathering efforts (ex. SARE input meeting, CFSA state meeting, SCACED local food input sessions)
Explore non-traditional partnerships with other food system businesses and organizations (i.e. broadliners, food banks, etc.)
Advocate for funding allocations for local food activities at the state level
Good/Local Food Economies; Small Business Support; Good Food Governance; Food System Coordination; Alternative food distribution tactics; Labor/Food Workers; Land & Resource Use; Agriculture & Food Production; Farmer & Producer Business Support; Seafood & Fisheries; Training & Education, Agriculture; Workforce Development;

Plan Information

CategoryDatabase entry
Plan RegionSouth Carolina
Publication Date2019
Entry reviewed by original authorYes
PDF attachmentView Full Report
Plan TitleGrowing Local South Carolina: Recommendations for South Carolina’s Food System
Webpagehttps://www.growinglocalsc.org/And https://www.scfoodpolicy.org/ 
Author(s)Governed by the South Carolina Food Policy Council, executed and evaluated by Nikki Seibert Kelley and Sara Clow (p. 1).
Author Type Network; Food Policy Council
Region Type State
Funding Sources State Government
FundersSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture;  USDA Regional Food System Partnerships grant during their second round of RFPs
Total Project BudgetUSDA Regional Food System Partnership Grant Received (Implementation & Expansion)Award Amount: $479,893 Match Amount: $133,687 Total Project Amount: $613,580 
Plan GoalsThe central focus of this publication is to act as a catalyst in continuing the growth and support of South Carolina’s local food system. The goals of this plan are two-fold, each with associated recommendations:
1) Strengthen and expand local food capacity a. Establish and sustain a local food system network for the stateb. Increase collaboration among local food stakeholdersc. Provide leadership development for local food advocates
2) increase visibility and viability of SC small farmsa. Build capacity for the SC Food Hub Networkb. Develop, gather, and organize key metrics and resources
These recommendations support the continuation of “Making Small Farms Big Business (MSFBB) to ensure South Carolina has the capacity, network, and support to advance the visibility and viability of local farms by connecting local foods to local markets” (p. 1).
Intended AudienceCommunity organizations, stakeholders, government
Plan Recommendation StructureThis publication uses the structure of its “recommendation goals” as an outline of their plan. They conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and then offers two goals with associated recommendations (5 total), each with specific activities articulated within a three-year timeline.
Catalyst for PlanLargely catalyzed by the desire to build upon Making Small Farms Big Business’s recommendations (attached) and the work of the SC Food Hub Network and the efforts of the SC Food Policy Council (SCFPC).  In 2012, the Council began hosting bi-annual full-day intensive multi-sector meetings to share on-the- ground projects, national case studies/speakers, and host regional breakout sessions. Between 2012 and 2021, the Council hosted numerous meetings including 3 full-day workshops covering “Community Development through Healthy Food Access”, “Between Farm & Fork: Development & Investment in Local Foods Infrastructure”, and “Future of Food Safety: Healthy People, Smart Business.” In 2017, SCFPC board member Nikki Seibert Kelley was able to secure multi-agency support for the creation of the SC Local Food System Roadmap project which included an informal landscape assessment of stakeholders, a statewide local food system map (GIS), and the creation of an online farmer resource guide. In 2019, the Rural Resource Coalition recruited a diverse group of local food system leaders (including several board members of the SC Food Policy Council) to participate in a facilitated strategic planning process to define the role, opportunities, and objectives of the RRC related to local food activities. Key activities identified included: the need for a state level organization and contact person for local food systems, professional development for food system leaders, training in racial equity and inclusion, streamlining of farmer training, continued support in connecting rural farmers with food hubs, and support for minority farmers.  
Creation ProcessIn the summer of 2019, Nikki Seibert Kelley and Sara Clow were asked by the SC Department of Agriculture to collaborate to provide updated recommendations from the 2013 Making Small Farms Big Business report (attached) to increase the capacity for the state’s local food system beyond the SC food Hub Network Activities (attached). The resulting proposal was circulated starting in the winter of 2019. Over the course of 18 months the concept was presented, reviewed, and adapted with the input from 18 key organizations working in South Carolina food systems. While the report garnered statewide support, the onset of the pandemic was a major catalyst in the pursuit of funding. The plan was adapted for the grant application with significant changes made to ensure the project was building off existing work and investing in project partners with the experience and capacity to center and elevate the voices of Black, Latino/Hispanic, and Indigenous food system leaders. The adapted narrative was shared with all members of the SCFPC and SCFHN for review prior to submission and again edited to address USDA reviewer feedback in October of 2020. 
Theoretical Framework(s) Employed  Other
Theoretical Framework(s): Additional LiteratureThis plan explores the importance of using a Network Framework to enact systems level change. They pull from “Farm to Institution New England: Building a Network” 2015 report to explore the importance of network building in establishing food systems change. They use Easterling’s (2012) definition of a network, where it is “a set of relationships among a group of ‘members’—individuals or organizations” who “interact with one another in ways that confer mutual benefit” (Easterling, 2012).
Additionally, this report pulls from Plastrik, Taylor, & Cleveland (2014) book, Connecting to Change the World: Harnessing the Power of Networks for Social Impact. This book explores a study of successful networks, showing that “1) process is as important as product, 2 ) relationship building and subsequent trust building are critical first steps…, and 3 ) creating shared aspiration, vision, and goals is the glue that holds people together” (p. 13). 
Further, the Consensus Building Institute (2015) builds off Plastrik 2014 to offer a framework by which movement can design and evaluate networks. Their stages are “purpose, membership, value, propositions, governance, and operating principles” (p. 13). Altogether, this report uses this literature to build a case for the importance of network building in food systems change.
Development TimelineThe plan was developed between August 2019 and July 2021 with updates made to the narrative in October 2021 to address USDA grant reviewer feedback. 
Implementation StrategyThe goals of the project are to:connect diverse stakeholders to cultivate South Carolina’s local food economy,formalize a statewide network to develop a local food system plan that will address systemic inequities in the state’s food system,establish a working group focused on developing an action plan that leverages resources to preserve farmland,build local food system capacity by increasing participation and connectivity of the SC Food Hub Network with mid-tier value chains, andestablish a collaborative model for broader work in food systems with a focus on refining metrics to measure the growth and success of partnerships.
Their strategies are within a three-year time frame, and under each goal and strategy, they list specific “activities” which range in scope. For example, “Manage project budgets and grant reporting,” or “Conduct statewide meetings gathering input and sharing frameworks” (p. 19). 
Implementation Timeline3 years
Evaluation StrategyThe Growing Local Director, Nikki Seibert Kelley is responsible for collecting all data during the project period which includes a wide range of quantitative metrics (number of farmers, local food purchasing, number of local food businesses, etc). Additionally, the project is leveraging network evaluation tools developed by Visible Network Labs to document, track, and evaluate how the network and their member’s relationships change over time during the project period.
International Development Framework(s)None
Current Plan StatusActive
Government Adoption StatusNot Adopted
Government Adoption Status (Notes)This plan was reviewed and supported by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (including as a grant partner), however, it has not been formally adopted by the government in part because this plan was not initially written with that intention.
Supplemental Documents View Supplemental Documents