Digging into the Census of Agriculture from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture
By Eva Moore
South Carolina now leads the nation in collard green, turnip green, and Southern pea acreage, according to the latest Census of Agriculture.
The Census of Agriculture is performed every five years by the US Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. While USDA collects a variety of data throughout each year, the Ag Census is a good source for detailed information about what farmers are growing beyond major commodities like corn and cotton.
In the previous Census, in 2017, South Carolina topped the charts in just one crop: turnip greens.
Ashley Rawl, vice president of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development at Lexington County-based WP Rawl, is thrilled to see South Carolina in the top collard spot. WP Rawl is one of the nation’s leading growers of collards and other leafy greens, and he says his company has been on a mission to make consumers love collards. In addition to fresh bagged and bulk greens, they sell collard sauté kits — and they emphasize that collards can be cooked in just 15 minutes.
“For the last several years, we’ve been trying to get collards the recognition they’re due,” Rawl says. “Kale went through a boom several years back – and we love kale; we grow a lot of kale. But we are committed to collards having their day.”
Over at McCall Farms in the Pee Dee region of the state, collards are also an important line of business. McCall Farms sells canned collards under the Glory Foods and Margaret Holmes brands.
McCall Farms sells collards nationwide, satisfying what co-president Thomas Hunter says is broad demand for the product.
“Collards are a classic Southern staple at the dinner table,” Hunter says. “We strive to ensure consumers have the ability to purchase high-quality collards from their local grocery store to feed their family year-round.”
Hunter credits South Carolina farmers for their commitment to growing an exceptional product and Clemson Cooperative Extension researchers with pushing the collard industry forward by developing varieties with good disease resistance and high yields.
So, what does it take to be No. 1? In 2022, South Carolina grew 2,568 acres of collards, 1,980 acres of turnip greens, and 3,617 acres of Southern peas. (The USDA category “Southern peas” is also called cowpeas, and includes blackeyed peas, crowder peas, and various field peas.) However, it’s important to understand that while South Carolina grows more of these vegetables than any other state, they are not our top crops. By acreage and production value, crops like corn, soybeans, and cotton top the list. For comparison, in 2022, South Carolina farmers harvested 390,000 acres of soybeans — and the state doesn’t rank in the top 20 of soybean-producing states.
The USDA State Statistician for South Carolina, Jacqueline Moore, says the state’s surge in collard and Southern pea acreage is part of a larger trend.
“If you look at South Carolina’s vegetable acreage overall, we’re up 25 percent from five years earlier,” she explains.
Some of our competitor states are not seeing the same growth: “Florida is up 12 percent, California is only up 2 percent, and if you look at our neighbors, North Carolina is down and Georgia is down.”
Moore says she thinks South Carolina farmers have capitalized on the popularity of local food, as well as the fact that big vegetable-growing states like California are struggling with water and other resources.
“Our farmers are finding advantages where there are opportunities,” Moore says.
South Carolina also holds the No. 2 slot for peaches and kale – behind California.
Now that it’s November, South Carolina’s collard green growers are gearing up for a busy season. Rawl estimates that one-quarter of leafy green sales take place during the six-week span from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Collard greens were declared South Carolina’s state vegetable in 2011. Now, Rawl notes, “We have the acres to back it up.”
Where We Stand
Here are some of South Carolina’s other top fruit and vegetable rankings:
South Carolina’s Rank + Commodity
1 Collard Greens
1 Southern Peas
1 Turnip Greens
2 Kale
2 Peaches
5 Asparagus
5 Honeydew Melon
5 Okra
6 Plums
7 Non-Bell Peppers
7 Sweet Potatoes
8 Cantaloupe
8 Watermelon
8 Nectarines
9 Cabbage Mustard
9 Cucumbers
10 Broccoli
10 Tomatoes
10 Figs
10 Strawberries
Source link: South Carolina Department of Agriculture
by 
