Lexington County Agribusinesses Receive Grants for Innovative Projects from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Research Center

In a striking development in Lexington County, two agribusiness ventures have been conferred with grants having applaudable worth by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE). This recognition was bestowed upon a total of 12 outstanding businesses under ACRE’s Advanced Entrepreneurship program, with an accumulated grant amount of $200,000. Two firms among the honoured twelve call Lexington County their home.

Victors of the grant funding were chosen following a rigorous selection process. Contenders were obligated to outline convincing business plans, deliver a five-minute video demonstration, and exhibit a track record of past entrepreneurial triumphs. The awarded companies have been granted more than just monetary benefits. They now have access to an extensive network of business counsellors, along with professional help for securing additional grants at the state and federal levels.

Distinguishing Lexington on the state’s agribusiness map were the following two enterprises:

1. Crossroads Processing, launched in Leesville in 2022, embarked on their journey with a focus on deer processing. The firm soon diversified and began to process multiple types of meat, such as livestock, identifying and filling voids in the local market. Their ambitions comprise the augmentation of direct-to-consumer processing, fortifying the local meat processing infrastructure, and narrowing the chasm between farmers and consumers.
2. Heartworks Farm sets examples in the speciality crop domain, germinating tomatoes, microgreens, and cut flowers. Their intended future plan is to construct a multi-functional packing and processing edifice that encompasses a dedicated processing area, cold storage, and an adaptable space for educative workshops and farm-related events.

“Every year, I’m so impressed by the creativity, drive and diversity of the entrepreneurs who compete as part of the ACRE Advanced Entrepreneurship program,” exclaimed ACRE Executive Director Kyle Player. Established in 2018, ACRE is on a mission to detect and cultivate fresh concepts and commercial initiatives in South Carolina’s agribusiness field.

Besides the funding program, in collaboration with Clemson Extension, ACRE arranges a fall syllabus program to educate, mentor, and train nascent agricultural entrepreneurs while preparing them for the subsequent round of advanced award funding. For those keen to absorb more, ACRE’s portal offers inclusive details at www.acre-sc.com.