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South Carolina's Specialty Foods Are Ripe for the Picking

Posted on: Monday, 19 December 2005, 03:01 CST

By Scott, Julie

Some foods are just part of South Carolina culture. Whether it's shrimp and grits, great barbecue, pecans, Carolina rice, juicy peaches, or creamy pimento cheese, South Carolina food culture is popular around the nation. And our unique edibles can be found in every county across_ the state in unique shops and local restaurants, often given as 'theme' gifts or leaving in visitors' hands.

The South Carolina Specialty Foods Association (SCSFA), through the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, is the place for entrepreneurs and small businesses with a niche in specialty food products. About 70 Palmetto State companies like Adluh Flour, Carolina Food Pros, Carolina Plantation Rice, Ultimate Gullah, and Young Pecan Company all are members.

The SCSFA's mission is to promote businesses and individuals whose purpose is the production and promotion of specialty food products in South Carolina, while making consumers aware of South Carolina's expanding specialty food industry.

Membership is open to individuals and companies for a mere $50 per year. The nonprofit organization holds four meetings annually, offering members the chance to learn about new trends and to network with other specialty food professionals.

Amanda Dew Manning, president of Carolina FoodPros and current president of the SCSFA, gets excited about the organization.

"When I taste members' wonderful products, I am immediately reconnected with generations of family cooks who took great pride in what came out of their kitchens," she said.

The producer-oriented association really takes care of each small business, with seminars and networking opportunities, business placement for member products, and the latest news on industry trends. Membership is open to anyone involved in or interested in specialty foods. SCSFA programs offer members information about starting and running a small foodbased business, insurance issues, public relations strategies, producing a product, and other interesting tidbits like bar coding for products.

The organization hosts many exciting benefit projects throughout the year to assist members with their businesses. In 2005, members were able to add to the list of vendors the Mount Pleasant location of the Whole Foods Market as well as military commissaries throughout South Carolina.

"The best thing about leading the SCSFA is the satisfaction of helping others through the process of production and helping them make one of their dreams come true, like bringing their granddaddys barbecue sauce to market," Executive Director Mary Ridgeway said.

Ridgeway knows how tiresome and complicated that can be.

"It is a difficult process, and you need to really believe in yourself to make things happen," she explained. "In fact, you often have to initially give away much of your product in sampling before you make a dime."

So, when you are looking for that unique gift for a client, coworker, friend, or family member, remember South Carolina's unique specialty food businesses.

"Our members make a number of heritage foods that stand the test of time - artichoke relish, can syrup, pralines, and stone ground grits," Manning said.

Yummy. Is your stomach growling?

For more information about the South Carolina Specialty Foods Association and its member companies, please visit www.scsfa.org.

Copyright South Carolina Business Journal Nov 01, 2005

Source: South Carolina Business Journal

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