South Carolina Ag and Art Tour connects locals with local food | Functions

While Lorch’s Tea Farm in Pickens County, like Hickory Bluff Berry Farm in Berkeley County, regularly opens to the public, the weekend event is a trial for those on the fence about adding agritourism, Culler said.

Many farms are still in the process of pinning down their artist vendors, but all products must be handmade and have a regional connection, Culler said. Sometimes that includes dancing or singing and, if they’re lucky, food trucks that use local produce.

The Farmer’s Daughter will be in Hickory Bluff during the Berkeley County event on June 8 and 9, according to sales and marketing manager Karen Parker. Berries will be ready to pick, the playground will be open, there will be a variety of animals hanging out, and the ever-popular barrel train rides are ready to go.

Hickory Bluff competed with Charleston County last year and was excited to see Berkeley compete this year, Parker said. Last year they had almost twenty vendors on site and hope to have a similar setup this year.

“We always try to attract people to the farms. “It gives a broader reach to people because there’s not as much red tape, so to speak,” she said. “There’s no charge for vendor participation…I think it opens the doors for more locally owned businesses, mom-and-pop styles that can’t participate in the bigger things.”

Culler has made a point of attending an Ag and Art Tour in a new county every year since he took over the program in 2019.

“It was incredible, incredible for us to get out and see what there is to do in South Carolina,” he said.

With 177 locations and more than 500 vendors signed up this year, he’s confident there will always be more to see, even if they eventually reach every province. As more and more people move to South Carolina, he sees the tour as a great opportunity to connect residents with the state’s roots.