"Over the next two years, several hundred acres of land near Early Branch, South Carolina will be transformed into greenhouses for farming. Using recycled rainwater and high-tech climate controls, farming companies will grow tomatoes, leafy greens, berries and other crops safely and sustainably. Another company locating at the site will process and package some of this produce into salad mixes, salsas and more. And with I-95 just a few miles away, trucks will easily distribute this locally grown food around the state and beyond", writes S.C. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Hugh Weathers in a guest column for the Aiken Standard.
"On Sept. 2, we announced the $314 million project called the Agriculture Technology Campus, which will create more than 1,500 jobs in Hampton County. That’s jobs for the region and benefits for all South Carolina consumers, with locally grown produce coming from our backyard and not from California and Mexico.
"I have called it the Boeing of agriculture. Not just because it’s big, but because it can be a catalyst for other agribusiness growth in the Palmetto State. When Boeing selected North Charleston in 2009, other businesses began converging on the state from across the world, helping create a local supply chain for the aerospace giant. The campus can have the same impact for farming."