Small farms, big impact
Data from the S.C. Department of Agriculture points to the substantial impact and influence of agriculture and forestry, known collectively as the “food, fiber and forestry industry,” across the state.

• 17% of the state’s economic product, or   $15.1 billion, is linked to the industry.
• The industry provides 1 in 5 jobs, a total of 460,000 full and part-time jobs, and generates $35.7 billion in gross sales, or 22.1% of the total sales in the state.
• The number of farms in South Carolina in 2005 was estimated at 24,300, with the   average farm size about 199 acres.
• South Carolina has a total of about 20 million land acres. Some 4.8 million acres are farmland and more than 12 million are commercial forests.
The statewide acreage numbers are a key factor in development and are a cause for concern for both agriculture leaders and environmental advocates.

The apportionment of acreage shows fewer than 3 million acres left for housing and industry. South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states, ranked ninth in terms of total land area developed annually, and land is being consumed at higher rates than predicted a decade ago. With the state now home to more than 4 million people and an increase of 600,000 expected by 2025 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there is a great deal of interest in farmland for urban and industrial development.

In addition to the possibility of farmlands being developed for other uses, the number of farms is declining from the effects of drought and a slowing economy.
The SCDA reports that productivity on farms is increasing dramatically, proving that when it comes to selling the crop, size isn’t everything.