community – Page 2 – Freshwater Coast Community Foundation

Calhoun Falls Chamber of Commerce Meeting

July 28, 2015/in Agribusiness, Education, Entrepreneurship/by Wilder Ferreira

Sally Caldwell, Communications Coordinator

July 28, 2015

ABBEVILLE— The Freshwater Coast Community Foundation (FCCF) was privileged to meet with Calhoun Falls representatives recently during a meeting discussing different ways to implement more traffic, publicity, and news in Calhoun Falls.

Starting off the meeting, Will Ferreira gave everyone an overview of what the FCCF is accomplishing and what the long-term goals are.

One of the ways that the FCCF plans to increase entrepreneurship is through educational business workshops for the community. Will, along with Matt Wiggins and Andy Johnston, will be teaching these workshops in the upcoming months. These courses will be two hours long and will hopefully repeat in the spring.

Will Ferreira, Mindy Rogers, Faye Crocker, Lee Logan, Cody White, and David Porter among others listen as Johnnie Waller, Mayor of Calhoun Falls, leads discussion about Calhoun Falls and its business and tourism potential.

The purpose of this meeting was to inspire new ideas and strategies to help the community and businesses of Calhoun Falls thrive. Discussion centered on a strategic economic development plan.

This plan included discussion on ideas such as refurbishing downtown, using the public library, a new historic attraction, gaming for entertainment, a walking/biking/hiking tour, a Frisbee golf course, road biking with a map, and a town painting/mural.

Recreational program promotion was the next topic of discussion. Calhoun Falls could implement a tour guide for marketing the freshwater coast, have a book written about the trails, or purchase an LED display sign that would easily advertise the activities going on in the town.

Immediate future plans for the FCCF and Calhoun Falls include two follow-up meetings, one of which will primarily discuss plans for the painting/mural.

Calhoun Falls is a place packed with opportunities, adventures, and community, and the Freshwater Coast Community Foundation looks forward to supporting and promoting this wonderful town.

FCCF Hosts Growers Alliance Meeting

June 16, 2015/in Agribusiness/by Wilder Ferreira

Sally Caldwell, Communications Coordinator

June 16, 2015

ABBEVILLE — The Freshwater Coast Community Food Alliance (FCCFA) recently held a meeting in which they discussed the possibility of a golf cart rental business in Calhoun Falls, a farm rental business, and what the future of farming looks like for Abbeville County.

Jason Ashley, a livestock farmer, attended the meeting and provided valuable discourse about what is required in order to maintain successful farming and also the various obstacles that are presented to local producers. Many growers are beginning to sell their products at their farms rather than in the market or through a processor in order to ensure that the customers get what they want and can pay up front. After purchasing the meat at the farm, the buyer then takes the meat to a processor and the buyer pays the processing fee rather than the grower.

The meeting discussed details of livestock farming, such as essential slaughter dates, slaughter houses, and the need for more local meat processors.

Will Ferreira, Cody White, Amanda Morgan, Jenny Mountford, Tim Hall and Jason Ashley discussing strategies for agribusiness project implementations in the Freshwater Coast Community.

The FCCFA was encouraged by the progress made by the feasibility studies and research on local farming. Once these studies are finished, the FCCF will make them available on its website www.freshwatercoastcommunity.org to promote potential agricultural business opportunities.

They also discussed the need for identifying local byproduct buyers as well as training for local butchers. This training would teach butchers how to cut meat well and ensure that the customers get exactly what they order.

Farmer’s market strategies were also discussed, such as the need for a meat market and a certification process required in order to sell at the farmer’s market.

As discussed in the meeting, the Freshwater Coast Community Foundation is taking even more steps to improve agribusiness in Abbeville County, McCormick County, and the southern area of Anderson County.

Freshwater Coast Community Foundation Hosts Inaugural Growers Meeting

May 28, 2015/in Agribusiness/by Wilder Ferreira

Sally Caldwell, Communications Coordinator

May 27, 2015

ABBEVILLE — On Thursday, the Freshwater Coast Community Food Alliance (FCCFA) held a meeting in Abbeville where they gathered together with almost 30 local farmers to discuss the growth possibilities of agricultural crops, livestock and specialty foods and what is needed to increase production and sales.

The producers from Anderson, Starr, Abbeville, Iva, Due West, Donalds, Plum Branch, Lowndesville, Calhoun Falls, Honea Path, Hodges, McCormick, and Greenwood provided FCCFA with valuable discourse concerning the growth, sales, and progress of cultivation. Each grower voiced his or her needs that come up during the growing seasons, many of these needs resounding among many of the farmers.

Each agricultural business needs certain products and buyers in order to succeed, and the Freshwater Coast Community Food Alliance’s goal at this meeting was to address those needs and to eventually meet them. The Food Alliance plans to meet again on August 27th, at 6pm at the Abbeville Extension Office 265 Industrial Park Road, Abbeville, SC 29620.

Farming in Abbeville County, McCormick Count and Anderson County has been challenging, and the purpose of this meeting was to figure out why and how the community can team with FCCF and Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service to increase agricultural business successes.

Will Ferreira, Community Coordinator of the FCCF, gestures as he discusses horticulture and local food systems with local growers.

Since the growers have voiced their needs, FCCF and Clemson Extension will work to provide farmers with the resources and publicity required to maintain a thriving agricultural community.

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