FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2007

South Carolina Home-Grown Pride to Take Center Stage at State House Market Day

WHAT: South Carolina is a prideful state, and it’s time we carried that pride to South Carolina’s largest industry, agriculture. However, the industry has historically been unnoticed by consumers in our state. Recent research indicates that people prefer locally grown produce and that nearly 90% of shoppers in South Carolina indicated they would purchase South Carolina grown produce if it was competitively priced and offered good quality.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture is hoping

to reflect those findings in their new branding campaign designed to educate, unify and revitalize the state’s rural economy by creating an emotional preference for all South Carolina agricultural products.

State House Market Day is the beginning of what the Department of Agriculture hopes will be a tapping of local resources, boost in state pride and an eventual increase of the per capita income for rural South Carolina.

WHO: To share the vision for an unprecedented home-grown awakening, Commissioner Hugh E. Weathers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture invite all South Carolina citizens to attend the unveiling of the future of agriculture for the state.

WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 22nd at 11 AM at South Plaza at the Statehouse:
will mark a fresh start for South Carolina agriculture at State House Market Day. The unveiling of the new branding and marketing campaign will be followed by a celebration bringing farmers, legislators, restaurateurs, business leaders and the community together to share in the true value of Certified South Carolina products.

CONTACT: Maryanne Belser at Maryanne.Belser@cnsg.com or (803) 233-2452
or Becky Walton at Bwalton@scda.sc.gov or (803) 734-2182.