Categories
Red Tape Welcome

Getting down to business: Making use of the resources in our own backyard!

The world was ours – well, at least the grant was. We were on the moon! After coming back down to Earth, however, reality was there to greet us. We had zero experience building a business from the ground up. What setbacks should we anticipate? What financial arrangements did we need to make? And scariest of all, what if our on-paper ideas simply didn’t translate to the real world?

Our growing concerns sent us scrambling for answers – and with the help of South Carolina’s Small Business Development Center, answers we found! The SBDC’s mission is to advance South Carolina’s economic development by helping entrepreneurs grow successful businesses, and with the help of Clemson University, they operate 21 centers across the state in both urban and rural areas.

Greenville’s SBDC doesn’t usually get urban farms knocking at their door, but that didn’t hinder Business Consultant Rance Bryan, who also consulted Greenville’s beloved Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery in their early days. Rance helped us clarify our goals and decide what type of business we needed to register as (an LLC). But wait, we haven’t shared the best part – this service was completely FREE. If you’re an entrepreneur (although we prefer ecopreneur), you cannot afford to overlook this resource!

South Carolina Small Business Development Centers – advancing South Carolina’s economic development by helping entrepreneurs grow successful businesses.

Liability Insurance

Thanks to the SBDC, we knew what we needed to do next: Hire a Tax Accountant and purchase liability insurance. Karen Winters, an Enrolled Agent of Winters-Smith Associates, LLC, specialized in small businesses and didn’t waste any time getting down to business. She gave sound suggestions on record keeping, opening bank accounts, and introduced us to a number of helpful tools.

After countless hours of research and analyzing quotes, our partners over at Project Host (Gardening For Good) recommended we speak to Jennifer Hincapie, the Vice President of Furman Insurance. Unlike other insurance companies we reached out to, Jennifer invited us to her office to discuss our project goals. After taking the time to understand our unique needs, the quote she gave us was the cherry on top!

With business taken care of, we were able to get back to our veggies – this time with peace of mind. If you’re interested in starting your own business, take advantage of the resources we have here in the Upstate.

Categories
Community Welcome

How it All Began

It all started with an idea

With years of experience as a chemistry teacher and an engineer, our Farm Manager, Jason Schmidt, wanted to combine his background and love of farm-fresh food to serve the Greenville Community. His idea: starting a school farm. He pitched the concept to Legacy Charter School, where feeding students nutritious, high quality meals is a top priority. Together they realized a school farm would further LCS’s mission by inviting students to help grow their own food.

 

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Lunch is served at Legacy Charter School

As they say, timing is everything. Within a week of Jason sharing his idea with the Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District (GCSWCD), a new grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) was announced. After weeks of crafting the perfect proposal, NACD’s Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant was awarded to GCSWCD in late July with an aim to promote soil and water conservation practices. From idea to reality, Legacy City Farm was born!

It’s our hope that LCF will increase community awareness around sustainable farming practices and start a much needed conversation about local food systems. The hands-on nature of school farms will teach students, staff, and the local community how to be environmental champions. LCF will also highlight the importance of public health and building strong, local economies.

City View Community

Since we’re in the beginning stages, we’re listening to what the community has to say. We’ve gone door-to-door, letting the community know about the farm. After hours of meeting new faces, we’re happy to say that Legacy’s neighbors are behind us! We’re also working to design the perfect farm layout, clear the land, and get the permits we need to start growing food. Our goal is to have students harvesting their own veggies in the fall.

 

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It’s kudzu crazy at the farm site. Clearing the land will be no easy task!
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A view of the land from 6th St.
Greenville is joining the urban farming movement that’s sweeping the nation. We can’t wait to teach students new skills and help our environment along the way!

 

Categories
Welcome

Welcome to the Farm!

Woodside City Farm

Coming Soon!

Woodside City Farm (WCF) is located in Greenville, South Carolina at 90 N 6th Street in Greenville, SC.

WCF will be a working model urban farm that utilizes sustainable practices to:

  • educate the school, the neighboring community, area community gardens, and local small farmers about soil and water conservation and
  • provide the local community and Legacy Charter School with a consistent supply of fresh produce and agricultural products.

WCF will present numerous opportunities to implement and demonstrate the latest conservation techniques in urban agriculture to residents, other community gardens, and the local active small farm community that supplies area farmer’s markets.

In partnership with:

Legacy City Farm Partners