ACRE Curriculum Offers Agribusiness Development Training
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Hugh E. Weathers, Commissioner
Media Contact: Eva Moore, 803-734-2196, emoore@scda.sc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 11, 2022
ACRE Curriculum Offers Agribusiness Development Training
COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE), in partnership with Clemson Cooperative Extension, is now accepting applications for the fifth annual curriculum program for agribusiness innovators throughout South Carolina.
The curriculum is taught by Clemson agribusiness faculty and spans five two-hour virtual courses and an online Pitch Day. It offers an overview of business planning and management, including pre-planning, marketing, pricing, cost of production, profitability and financial statements. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their business plan to a panel of judges for the chance to be awarded one of five $5,000 grants.
“Our ACRE curriculum teaches the basics of how to run a business, and is tailored specifically to agribusinesses and taught by people who know food and farming,” says Kyle Player, ACRE’s executive director.
This is a free but competitive program – spots are limited. Applications are due Sept. 6 and can be found at acre-sc.com under Programs. Qualifying applicants must be South Carolina residents and have an agribusiness idea, product prototype or agribusiness. Priority is given to applicants from rural counties or agribusinesses that would positively impact rural counties.
Individuals selected for the curriculum program must attend virtual class sessions on Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 11, Oct. 18, and Oct. 25, as well as the online pitch day on Nov. 15.
The agribusiness curriculum program is one of two annual programs offered by ACRE. The Advanced Program, for established agribusiness entrepreneurs, awarded seven South Carolina agribusinesses a share of $150,000 of funding earlier this year.
Last year, three curriculum participants ended up winning funding in the Advanced program: Ridgeland-based regenerative farm Whippoorwill Farms, Lowcountry florist Feast & Flora, and veteran-owned Lightning Rock Land and Cattle of Walterboro.
For more information, contact Kyle Player, ACRE Executive Director, 803-734-2324 or kplayer@scda.sc.gov; or Nathan Smith, Clemson Agribusiness Program Team Leader, 803-788-5700 or nathan5@clemson.edu.
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ACRE Curriculum Offers Agribusiness Development Training [pdf]