Posted by Jessica Wyndham on Wed, Sep 08, 2010
Construction of Phase I of the new SC State Farmers market is continuing at a rapid pace. Farmers are transitioning over to the new SCDA farmers sheds now through the end of October, when the old market will close its doors. Wholesale vendors VB Hook and Senn Brothers Produce are already in operation at the new site in their state-of-the-art facilities. Phase I, which includes the exhibition kitchen, restaurant, bakery and climate-controlled retail space, is estimated to be completed in Fall of 2010. Check out pictures of the progress:
Entrance sign:
SCDA farmers sheds and administration building
Close-up view of farmers sheds
Farmers selling under the sheds
VB Hook and Senn Brothers wholesale facilities are open
Severt and Sons wholesale facility under construction
The Corbett Building under construction
SCDA Conference Center under construction
SCDA Laboratories are open
Keep checking back for more progress updates!
Posted by Jessica Wyndham on Mon, Aug 16, 2010
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Hugh Weathers, Commissioner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Advisory
SC State Farmers Market Begins Transition to New Lexington Site
COLUMBIA, S.C., August 16, 2010 – Vendors are now on the process of moving to the new South Carolina State Farmers Market and Agribusiness Center site on Highway 321 in Lexington County. The transition will take place in phases over the next two months in order to allow vendors to complete the construction of facilities at the new market in Lexington County. The Bluff Road site will continue to operate until October 29, 2010.
The move to the new facility is now underway as two wholesale vendors, VB Hook and Senn Brothers, are in the process of completing their buildings. They will be operating at the new site toward the end of August. Vendors in good standing will be allowed to operate under the State Department of Agriculture’s farmer sheds at the new market or remain at the Bluff Road site until October 29th.
Vendors will relocate as their buildings are completed and readied for occupancy. The final date for any operations to take place on Bluff Road will be October 29th. At that time the Bluff Road market will close.
On the weekend of October 8, 9 & 10, there will be a Fall Plant and Flower Festival at the new site. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for consumers to visit the new market and see the facilities and amenities offered.
***
Media Contact:
Becky Walton, 803-734-2182, bwalton@scda.sc.gov
Posted by Keely Saye on Tue, Jul 13, 2010
New SC State Farmers Market on Hwy 321 set to open in phases beginning August 16th
Hugh Weathers, Commissioner of Agriculture, today announced that the new South Carolina State Farmers Market and Agribusiness Center on Highway 321 in Lexington County will open in phases beginning on Monday, August 16, 2010.
The first phase will include the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Laboratory and Consumer Services facility and farmers sheds and administration building. That opening will coincide with the opening of private wholesale companies, V.B. Hook & Co., Inc. and Senn Brothers Inc. and Supersod Inc.
The next phase, planned for the fall, will include opening of several more wholesale facilities in addition to other privately owned facilities – the RV park, amphitheater, and school/tour bus drop-off as well as the Corbett Building (Stables Building C) that will house the exhibition kitchen, bakery, restaurant, and retail produce space.
Later phases will include opening of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s conference center which will coincide with the first Fall Plant and Flower Festival at the new market. Additional private facilities will be used for the sale of produce and South Carolina products, a specialty foods shop, a meat market, and a seafood market. The new conference center will house the Market News and the Grading and Inspection Services as well as serve as a venue for meetings, workshops, and other public and private events.
The SCDA has been in the process of making arrangements to close operations at the Bluff Road site. With that in mind vendors were given a 60-day written notice in May that the market would be closing and that they must indicate their plans to move to the new market or terminate their operations. Wholesalers who have indicated that they would be moving to and operating at the new market were notified that they may choose to operate temporarily at the Bluff Road site. This arrangement is for a maximum 90-day period of time for those currently in good standing. Small retailers who currently use space at the Bluff Road site and have shown an interest in moving to the new market may be accommodated in a temporary location. They would be located in the farmers sheds at the new market while the new retail facility is being completed.
A meeting for those vendors who have signed an agreement to move to the new market will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, July 19, in the conference center on Bluff Road to discuss the terms and any issues related to the closing of the old site and the opening of the new site.
Today, a written 30-day notice has been sent to all vendors, those who have agreed to move and those who have not, to notify them of the market closing in August. Those vendors who have not indicated that they would be moving to the new market or have not made other arrangements must vacate the market by noon Saturday, August 14th.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s primary responsibility is to effectively serve the farmers of our state by creating opportunities for success while making efficient use of state resources.
When all phases are complete, the new South Carolina State Farmers Market will set a new standard for a cherished American tradition. The state-of-the-art marketplace will provide South Carolina’s agricultural community a one-of-a-kind showcase, while offering area residents an attractive combination of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Posted by Keely Saye on Fri, Dec 18, 2009
Here's just a few things you can expect with the new South Carolina State Farmers Market coming in Summer 2010!
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Posted by Keely Saye on Tue, Dec 15, 2009
Holly Herrick is a woman with a diverse range of interests from fly fishing, to history, to an unwavering love of great food. Over the years, she has conducted culinary tours in Chalabre France, developed a catering business, written columns for numerous newspapers and magazines and she (of course) authored the Southern Farmers Market Cookbook.
As a tribute to the new South Carolina State Farmers Market, Holly has featured 12 recipes from her book, which highlight a delicious seasonal ingredient for each month. Practice cooking seasonally and locally now, before the market opens in June! Download your Seasonal Recipe Calendar for free right here!
Posted by Keely Saye on Tue, Nov 17, 2009
Editorial cartoonist Robert
Arial has partnered with the South Carolina State Farmers Market to create its
new logo and a billboard campaign to promote early awareness about the market,
which opens April 17, 2010.
The new logo features a
collection of South Carolina and other agricultural products in an attractive
design based on the state flag, which features a palmetto tree and crescent
moon. The historic moon has become
a slice of watermelon, and the tree is scattered with fruits, vegetables,
flowers, seafood and greens all displayed on a thick trunk of asparagus.
The new South Carolina State
Farmers Market will feature a full line of agricultural products delivered
straight from the grower to the consumer.
“Robert has hit the mark with this very innovative logo,” said George
Lee, president of 321 Lexington Associates, developer of the market.
“The logo is incredibly
creative and dynamic and has garnered endless compliments. It represents
everything we’re about as a farmers market. We absolutely love it,” Lee said.
The outdoor advertising campaign includes
a series of four editorial cartoons where a young child asks an adult about the
origins of various state agricultural products. In one cartoon, a father pushes his daughter on a swing
while she asks him, “where do azaleas come from?” Another cartoon shows a grandmother pulling her grandson
(and dog) in a wagon while he asks her, “where does organic beef come from?”
Two other conversations (in a
car and during a bedtime reading routine) ask where watermelons and green
tomatoes come from. In all four
cartoons, the wise adult answers the child, “The new South Carolina State
Farmers Market!”
"Creating
this new logo was as much fun as it was challenging, and I'm grateful for such
a wonderful opportunity," said Ariail.
Two billboards are currently
running in the Columbia market: one on Elmwood Avenue coming into Columbia from
I-126 and the other on Highway 302 heading downtown from the airport.
Arial, formerly with the
State newspaper, is an award-winning editorial cartoonist who is syndicated to
more than 600 newspapers nationwide through United Media. He has published
three collections of his cartoons. The most recent, Ariail!!!, was one of Columbia’s best-selling books in 2001.
When
it opens on April 17, 2010, the new South Carolina State Farmers Market will
set a new standard for a cherished American tradition. The state-of-the-art
marketplace will provide South Carolina's agricultural community a
one-of-a-kind showcase, while offering area residents an attractive combination
of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Located
on Highway 321 (Charleston Highway) in Lexington County near Dixiana within 1.5
miles of both I-26 and I-77, the new market features separate areas for major
wholesale vendors and the retail sale of South Carolina agricultural products.
The new market will feature a children's
play area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a
specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV park, a fish market, a
meat market, bakery and several restaurants.
The site will also be home to
South Carolina Department of Agriculture laboratories, a 200-seat conference
center and offices. The agriculture department will occupy 40 acres,
which includes a separate farmers sheds section, with the rest of the 173 acres
filled with the market’s wholesale facilities, retail space and public
amenities. The new market will be three times larger than the old one, spread
over an area the size of seven Super Wal-Marts.
To
learn more, visit scstatefarmersmarket.com or visit the market using social media
applications, including Facebook, http://facebook.com/SCFarmersMarket
and Twitter http://twitter.com/SCFarmersMarket.
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Posted by Keely Saye on Tue, Oct 27, 2009
Peaches, potatoes, turnips or tomatoes - all arrive daily by the
truckload in season at one of the largest produce markets in the
Southeast. Perennial and annual flowers and plants also sold. Located
on 50 acres on Bluff Road, across from the University of South
Carolina's football stadium, the Columbia Market includes 500 open
stalls. In the spring of 2009 the farmers market will move to a new
location.
When it opens on April 17, 2010, the new South Carolina State Farmers
Market will set a new standard for a cherished American tradition. The
state-of-the-art marketplace will provide South Carolina's agricultural
community a one-of-a-kind showcase, while offering area residents an
attractive combination of shopping, dining and entertainment.
Located on Highway 321 (Charleston Highway) in Lexington County near
Dixiana within 1.5 miles of both I-26 and I-77, the new market features
separate areas for major wholesale vendors and the retail sale of South
Carolina agricultural products. The new market will feature a
children's play area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor
amphitheater, a specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV
park, a fish market, a meat market, bakery and several restaurants.
The site will also be home to South Carolina Department of Agriculture
laboratories, a 200-seat conference center and offices. The agriculture
department will occupy 40 acres, which includes a separate farmers
sheds section, with the rest of the 173 acres filled with the market’s
wholesale facilities, retail space and public amenities. The new market
will be three times larger than the old one, spread over an area the
size of seven Super Wal-Marts.
To learn more, visit scstatefarmersmarket.com, email
info@scstatefarmersmarket.com or contact George M. Lee III of 321
Lexington Asscociates, LLC at 803-419-4020.
Posted by Keely Saye on Thu, Oct 22, 2009
Fresh, South Carolina
seafood, a meat market featuring local products and an on-site bakery are what
most people feel would have the greatest impact on customer visitation at the new
farmer’s market, according to a recent survey released by the South Carolina
Farmers Market today.
In respect to amenities
having a “large” impact on attendance, respondents rated a seafood market (59%),
a meat market (50%) and a bakery (43%).
“That’s
great news for the new market,” said George Lee, of 321 Lexington Associates,
LLC, the developer for the project. “Our plans are to not
only feature these three amenities, but also to have a huge children's play
area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a
specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV park, and several
restaurants.”
Survey results also showed
that respondents gave high ratings to an organic foods section (43%), a family
friendly retail area with heat and air conditioning (41%). The new market will include these
amenities as well.
When
it opens on April 17, 2010, the new South Carolina State Farmers Market will
set a new standard for a cherished American tradition. The state-of-the-art
marketplace will provide South Carolina's agricultural community a one-of-a-kind
showcase, while offering area residents an attractive combination of shopping,
dining and entertainment.
Fifty-four
percent of respondents indicated it was “very important” to have truck traffic
diverted away from pedestrian traffic.
“At the new market, wholesalers
will be fully accommodated in an entirely separate area from where families
will shop. Visitors can not only enjoy the convenience of drive-through sheds
for fresh produce, they can also experience the market by walking through an
area with separate shops that are heated in winter and cooled in summer,” Lee
said.
Survey
results also showed that more than 50 percent of people were eager to find out
about upcoming festivals and events planned for the new market. About 47 percent said they were most
interested in finding out what will be in season at the market. All of this will be shared on the
Market’s website at www.scstatefarmersmarket.com
as well as through social media applications, including Facebook and Twitter.
Located
on Highway 321 (Charleston Highway) in Lexington County near Dixiana within 1.5
miles of both I-26 and I-77, the new market features separate areas for major
wholesale vendors and the retail sale of South Carolina agricultural products.
The new market will feature a children's
play area, a 150-seat exhibition kitchen, a 400-seat outdoor amphitheater, a
specialty foods shop, school bus drop-off area, an RV park, a fish market, a
meat market, bakery and several restaurants.
The site will also be home to
South Carolina Department of Agriculture laboratories, a 200-seat conference
center and offices. The agriculture department will occupy 40 acres,
which includes a separate farmers sheds section, with the rest of the 173 acres
filled with the market’s wholesale facilities, retail space and public
amenities. The new market will be three times larger than the old one, spread
over an area the size of seven Super Wal-Marts.
To learn more,
visit scstatefarmersmarket.com or visit the market using social media
applications, including Facebook, http://facebook.com/SCFarmersMarket
and Twitter http://twitter.com/SCFarmersMarket.