Project
GrowFood Carolina
The Conservation League started its Food and Agriculture program in 2007 with the goal of protecting South Carolina’s small, family farms. Between 1992 and 1997, more than 400 acres of rural land were converted every day to urban uses, placing South Carolina in the top ten states in the nation for rural land loss. We quickly realized that small farmers lacked access to the infrastructure available to industrial farms, and were therefore unable to say “no” when a developer offered to buy their land. The Conservation League saw a food hub as critical to our work protecting rural landscapes and improving quality of life across the coastal plain.
The objective of GrowFood is to tap into the existing assets of small-scale agriculture to help create a stronger rural economy, spurring job creation, and building capacity in rural communities by connecting farm businesses to the thriving local food movement. The resurgence of small-scale agriculture presents a tremendous opportunity to positively impact the rural economy. Increased agricultural production leads to increased economic activity, and allows farmers to stay on their land for generations to come.
GrowFood officially opened its doors in 2011 at a warehouse in downtown Charleston. The hub has grown from marketing for 5 producers to more than 85, all in the state of South Carolina. GrowFood provides local farmers the sales, marketing, logistics, warehousing and distribution functions they need and that previously have been available only to large-scale industrial farms. Wholesale customers range from restaurants all over metropolitan Charleston, to Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, and the College of Charleston. Since its opening, GrowFood has returned almost $5.5 million to farmers.
How GrowFood Works
Who is Growing It
Apple Wedge
Backpocket Provisions
Barbee Farms
Black Pearl Farms
Bluebird Farm
Boy and Girl Farm
Brewton
Brickyard Point Farms
Brown Creek Creamery
Bulls Bay Saltworks
Burbage Farms
Bush-N-Vine
Busy Boys Farm
Carolina Plantation
Charleston Artisan Cheesehouse
City Roots
Clem’s Organic Gardens
Clemson University Student Organic Farm
Compost In My Shoe
Correll Farm
Cottle Organics
Crescent Farm
Crosby Gardens
Cypress Hill Farm
Dogwood Citrus Farm
DMF Farms
Eastover Nut Farm
Edisto Gold Honey
Farm 418
The Farm on Maple Ridge
Flying Fig Farm
Food for the Southern Soul
Fort Farms
Gallop Farm
Groves Manor Farm
Harmony Ridge Farms
Heron Farms
Hickory Bluff Farm
Hokuwa Oyate Farm
Horsecreek Apiaries & Honey Farms
Lively Orchards
Lowcountry Creamery
Lowland Farms
Manchester Farms
Mepkin Abbey Farm
Monetta Asparagus Farm
Murdaugh Farms
Old Tyme Bean Company
Orange Grove
Perry Lowe Orchard
Rebecca Farms
Rheaberry Farms
Rooting Down Farms
Rosebank Farms
Sea Island Citrus & Nut Farm
Shuler Farm
Silver Creek Orchard
Split Creek Creamery
Sylvan Farm
Tuten Farms
Van Dessel Farms
Vertical Roots
W&R Farms
Watson Farms
Watsonia Farms
Westwood Hart
Wild Hope Farm
Wishbone Heritage Farms
WW Kirven Farms
Find the Fork!
Downtown
167 Raw
167 Raw Sushi Bar
Anson Restaurant
Babas on Cannon
Babas on Meeting
Baker & Brewer
Basic Kitchen
Brown’s Court Bakery
Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill
Butcher & Bee
Cannon Green
Chasing Sage
Chez Nous
Chubby Fish
Church and Union
Circa 1886
College of Charleston: City Bistro and Liberty St. Fresh Foods
Cru Catering
The Daily
Delaney Oyster House
The Dewberry
Edmund’s Oast
Edmund’s Oast Exchange
Estadio
FIG
Francis Marion Hotel
Gale
goat.sheep.cow – North
Grand Marquis Crepes
The Green Heart Project
The Grocery
Handy + Hot
Hank’s Seafood
The Harbinger Café
Harken Cafe + Bakery
Harris Teeter – East Bay Street
Herd Provisions
Home Team BBQ
The Honey Hive
Huriyali Gardens
HUSK
Indaco
Lenoir
Little Palm Bar
Malagon
Melfi’s
Mercantile & Mash
Oak Steakhouse
Off Track Ice Cream
The Ordinary
The Park Cafe
Peninsula Grill
Pink Bellies
Poogan’s Porch
PPHG Banquets
Prohibition
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
Renzo
Republic Garden & Lounge
Second State Coffee
Slightly North of Broad
Sorghum and Salt
Sugar Bakeshop
Ted’s Butcherblock
Tempest
The Vegetable Bin
The Vendue – Revival
The Tippling House
Trident Technical College
Undiscovered Charleston
Verde – Downtown
Vern’s
Wild Common
Xiao Biao Biscuit
Zero Restaurant + Bar
James Island, Johns Island, Wadmalaw, Kiawah, Seabrook & Folly
AMOR Healing Kitchen
Baguette Magic
Bar George
The Beach Club
Bishop Gadsden
Blu Oyster Sushi + Seafood
CudaCo.
Harris Teeter – Folly Beach
Harris Teeter – Harborview Road
Harris Teeter – Maybank Highway
Kwei Fei
La Tela Pizzeria
Storey Farms Table
Tattooed Senorita
Wild Olive
West Ashley
Broom Wagon Coffee
Charles Towne Fermentory
Early Bird Diner
Emoji Poke
The Farm at Middleton Place
Harris Teeter – Savannah Highway
The Gathering Cafe
Ryan White Wellness Center
Whole Foods – West Ashley
Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, IOP & Daniel Island
Acme Lowcountry Kitchen
Blend Juice Bar
Crave Kitchen & Cocktails
Harris Teeter – Chuck Dawley
Harris Teeter – Houston Northcutt
Harris Teeter – IOP Connector
Harris Teeter – Isle of Palms
Harris Teeter – Long Point Road
Harris Teeter – Route 41
Harris Teeter – Tea Planter Lane
The Kingstide
The Longboard – Sullivan’s Island
Long Island Cafe
The Obstinate Daughter
OPIE Grocery Station
Post House Restaurant & Inn
Second State Coffee – Mount Pleasant
Tidal Grounds Coffee
Whole Foods – Mount Pleasant
North Charleston, Goose Creek & Summerville
Commonhouse Aleworks
Destiny Community Cafe
JackRabbit Filly
Not by Bread Alone
Paddock and Whisky
Stems & Skin
Three Sirens
State & Regional
4P Foods
Brays Island Plantation Colony
Catawba Farm and Food Coalition
Fenway’s FARMacy
Freshlist
Happy Dirt
Palmetto Pastures
Pawley’s Island General Store
Trident United Way
Columbia
14 Carrot Whole Foods
Black Rooster
Bourbon
Curiosity Coffee Bar
F2T Productions & Catering
Hampton Street Vineyard
Hendrix
Honey River Catering
Market on Main
Motor Supply Company
Primal Gourmet – West Columbia
Ratio
Sakhar Jams
The War Mouth
Twisted Spur Brewing
USC – Fresh Greene’s
Whole Foods – Columbia
Greenville
Feed and Seed Co.
Fork and Plough
Foxcroft Wine Co.
Swamp Rabbit Cafe
Hilton Head, Bluffton & Beaufort
Berkeley Hall Club
Blacksheep
FARM Bluffton
Lowcountry Fresh Market & Cafe
Nectar Farm Kitchen
Nectar Farm Kitchen – Bluffton
Sea Pines Resort
Skull Creek Dockside
WiseGuys
Savannah
Ardsley Station
Back in the Day Bakery
Brighter Day Natural Foods Market
Common Thread
Cotton & Rye
Hop Atomica
JW Marriott Plant Riverside
The Fat Radish
The Garage at Victory North
The Grey
The Grey Market
HUSK – Savannah
Local 11ten Food & Wine
Nom Nom Poke Shop
Pizzeria Vittoria
The Sentient Bean
Thompson Hotel
Mobile
Atlyss
The Bearded Florist
Beau and Brothers
Cannonborough Beverage Company
Carya Pecan Milk
The Castejóns
Charleston Farm Fresh
Chef BJ Dennis
Dine Sol-Eir
The Drifter
Fields to Families
Girl Nextdough
Green Lite Organics
Healthy Thyme Meals
Humanities Foundation
Interactive Home Cooking
Indigenius Cuisine
Iron Clay Catering
Life Raft Treats
Lowcountry Street Grocery
Lowcountry Street Grocery – Grocery Rx
Nature and Nurture
Simple Provisions
South Carolina State Head Start Association
The Stone Soup Collective
Two Wild Roses Cafe & Bakery
Ultratruffle.com
Vibrant Alkaline Vegan Meals
Weltons Fine Foods