Commissioner Weathers and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture Challenge Lowcountry Restaurants to Serve What’s Fresh on the Menu
Coastal Conservation League and Lowcountry Local First to Partner with the SCDA to Launch Program
COLUMBIA, S.C. –Hugh Weathers, Commissioner of Agriculture, and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture announced today a challenge for Lowcountry restaurants to integrate fresh, Certified SC Grown produce and products into their menu.
With the introduction of the new Fresh on the Menu pilot program, Commissioner Weathers and the SC Department of Agriculture have extended the Certified SC Grown brand to highlight South Carolina grown products and produce in restaurants while also showcasing the Palmetto State as a rapidly expanding culinary destination in the US. Restaurants that pledge to take part in the Fresh on the Menu program offer menus that incorporate 25 percent Certified SC Grown produce and products in season.
Thus far, more than 25 Lowcountry restaurants have already risen to meet the challenge to serve fresh, quality Certified SC Grown products.
"South Carolina is fast becoming a culinary destination in the Southeast and across the country," said Commissioner Weathers. "Part of that is because of our restaurants’ emphasis on locally-grown, fresh products and produce. It’s what makes our recipes better than most and it’s why we have introduced the Fresh on the Menu program to the Lowcountry."
The restaurants of Mavericks Southern Kitchens including High Cotton, Slightly North of Broad and Old Village Post House join other Lowcountry favorites - Anson, FIG, Hank’s Seafood Restaurant and Carolina’s- as some of the first Charleston-area restaurants to pledge their support to the Fresh on the Menu program.
"We welcomed the opportunity to participate in Fresh on the Menu," said Dick Elliot, owner of Maverick Southern Kitchens. "South Carolina products and produce are what make our food stand-out among the competition. Those ingredients add the freshness and goodness that separates good from great food. By our participation, I know my restaurants will only continue to provide a standard of excellence for dining in our state."
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Certified SC Grown program was launched in May 2007, and the Fresh on the Menu Program extends the reach of the branding campaign so that SC consumers can enjoy the freshest and tastiest homegrown products in restaurants that choose to participate in the program.
Working together with the Coastal Conservation League and Lowcountry Local First – two organizations that have been outspoken in their efforts to promote local produce and products- the South Carolina Department of Agriculture has formed a public-private partnership to maximize the resources of all three organizations and enable the Lowcountry to see positive results for farmers, consumers and restaurateurs.
"This is another way to help out all South Carolinians and help our largest economic sector," said Jamee Haley, executive director of Lowcountry Local First. "Our farmers see more demand, our restaurants see more demand and our consumers get the best products and produce available. Everybody wins."
"We believe in what this program will do for the coast of South Carolina and for the farming community," said Cathy Forrester, director of the Sustainable Agriculture Program for the Coastal Conservation League. "Not only does the program encourage environmentally sound living, but it also works to enhance the quality of life in our communities."
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture will kick off this program by sponsoring the Fresh on the Menu Cooking Competition at the Charleston Food and Wine Festival on March 1. Chefs from participating restaurants will put the South’s best recipes to the test using all Certified SC grown produce and products.
"The Fresh on the Menu program will continue throughout this year and the hope is to see South Carolinians continuing to demand locally grown produce and products," said Weathers. "The South Carolina Department of Agriculture wants our citizens to put their taste buds to the test. Eat at the restaurants participating in this effort and, I believe, it’s a decision you won’t regret."
For more information on the program or on the private public partnership launching the program, please contact the South Carolina Department of Agriculture or visit the Certified SC Grown Web site at www.certifiedSCgrown.com.