Riley Egger, Land, Water & Wildlife Program Director
Brooke Blosser, Land, Water & Wildlife Project Manager
Emma Berry, Communities & Transportation Project Manager
Jessie White, South Coast Office Director
Grant McClure, South Coast Project Manager
Becky Ryon, North Coast Office Director
Trapper Fowler, North Coast Office Deputy Director
Government Relations
Merrill McGregor, Senior Director of Government Relations
Michael “Covey” Covington, Contract Lobbyist
Anne Peterson, Contract Lobbyist
GrowFood Carolina Program
Benton Montgomery, Director of GrowFood Carolina
Rebecca Watson, Farm Outreach Manager
Rebekah Spaid, Farm Outreach Coordinator
Deirdre Tanner, Financial Operations Coordinator
Anna Ware, Sales & Marketing Director
MJ McQueen, Sales & Marketing Account Manager
Alexander Keesler, Sales & Marketing Assistant
Austin Lucas, GrowFood Carolina Program Coordinator
Paul Haire, Warehouse Operations Manager
Shawn Parks, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Matt Mays, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Brett Hayes, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Gus Lapin, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Danielle Silvers, Driver & Warehouse Associate
Stono
Friends,
We welcome fall with anticipation for cooler temperatures, hope for the end of hurricane season, and appreciation for the bounty of harvest and family gatherings. In the coming weeks, we anticipate a focus on resilience measures, hope for positive outcomes on November referenda, and look forward to appreciating our members and partners during our 35th anniversary.
Looking back over the past year, our team’s significant victories at all levels energize us for what’s to come. From local councils to the legislature, the executive branch, and the courts, we advocated for the environment and supported local communities seeking to safeguard our coast.
This summer, Governor McMaster vetoed budget provisos that sought to undermine longstanding laws prohibiting new seawalls on our beaches. These vetoes prioritize our state’s cherished public trust resources for the benefit of all.
In May, the General Assembly designated the Eastern brown
pelican, birds who rely heavily on our coast, as the official seabird of South Carolina. Earlier this spring, we were happy that the Department of Natural Resources officially closed Deveaux Bank during nesting season for the first time.
We celebrated another special bird in June with a film screening of the Benjamin Clock documentary, Scarlet Sky and Blue Blood: Conservation of the Red Knot and Horseshoe Crab in the Southeastern U.S. The film examines the horseshoe crab and Rufa red knot relationship and the magnitude of the win secured with our partners at the Southern Environmental Law Center last spring to stop horseshoe crab harvesting on critical beaches.
Last month, a federal judge rightfully dismissed a challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authority to manage the horseshoe crab harvest in Cape Romain—another win in continuing our longstanding efforts to protect red knots.
As we recognize our 35th anniversary, we reflect on the Conservation League’s longstanding work on the coast. We acknowledge that today we make choices that will have a lasting and profound impact on the next 35 years.
Among the many decisions looming this election season, coastal communities will be called upon to ensure that
adequate tools are available to continue to protect our natural resources and landscapes.
We are encouraged that measures in Jasper County will follow the lead of Beaufort, Dorchester, and Berkeley Counties, setting aside funds for rural and critical land projects. We encourage voters in Jasper County to vote yes on this visionary proposal.
At the same time, massive highway expansion projects in Charleston and Horry Counties threaten wetlands that spawn and feed marine life in our marshes, portend more flooding and displacement of historic communities, open the door to rapacious development in rural areas, and consume the available tax revenues for the next 25 years. We urge voters in Charleston and Horry counties to vote no on these measures.
Read on for details on these and other projects. In these pages, you will see that our team continues anticipating challenges and inspiring hope by developing new solutions. Most of all, we appreciate your willingness to continue this journey alongside us. Your support and engagement are invaluable to our efforts and embolden our spirits to keep up the fight!
Faith Rivers James, J.D. Executive Director
Leaving Deveaux Bank for Our Coastal Birds
For years, we’ve advocated for coastal management that balances nesting habitat with outdoor recreation. Colonial nesting seabirds–such as brown pelicans, black skimmers, and various species of terns–require specific habitats and features to raise their young.
In South Carolina, Deveaux Bank is one of only six places that can support substantial colonies due to its nearness to food-filled sources, like vast salt marshes, and its isolated nature, which helps safeguard nests. These places face many of the same resiliency challenges as a lot of our coast, constantly eroding and accrediting at the whim of waves and tides.
This is why we advocated earlier this year for “if you love Deveaux, don’t go!”, asking people to stay off of Deveaux and leave it for the birds.
This spring, the SC Department of Natural Resources officially closed off Deveaux Bank from public access during nesting season, bringing this vital habitat in line with the protections afforded to our other seabird sanctuaries, like Bird Key-Stono and Crab Bank.
So far, the closure has been successful! Earlier this summer, biologists saw thousands of brown pelicans nestled in the dense vegetation with downy chicks, clusters of royal and sandwich tern colonies nesting eggs, Black skimmers incubating, and gull-billed terns with newly hatched eggs.
We won’t know official nesting totals until later this year, but initial observations point towards a promising season.
Preserving Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
In September, a federal judge rightfully dismissed a case challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) authority to manage horseshoe crab harvest in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
During spring migration, the federally threatened Rufa red knot stops at Cape Romain and other beaches to feast on horseshoe crab eggs, fueling its long migration from South America to its breeding grounds in the Arctic.
In 2023, the USFWS issued a decision halting the commercial harvest of horseshoe crabs in Cape Romain during the crabs’ spawning season, citing the harvest was not compatible with the purpose and mission of the Refuge.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office challenged the federal agency’s jurisdiction over Cape Romain, claiming they had no authority to protect the refuge’s wildlife, including shellfish such as horseshoe crabs, from harmful harvesting activities.
In response, the Conservation Leaugue joined our partners to intervene and defend the USFWS’s science-based decision that horseshoe crab harvesting is not compatible with the purpose and mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and that the state’s case was unwarranted. The courts agree.
The National Wildlife Refuge System was designed to protect and preserve our wildlife resources and this decision helps keep it that way.
Red knots in South Carolina / Benjamin Clock
A Brown Pelican flying above Deveaux Bank / Andy Johnson and Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Protecting Our Beaches at the State Level
Over the last 35 years, increasing coastal development, rising seas, and storm activity have challenged South Carolina’s beaches. Most recently, longstanding laws under the Beachfront Management Act have also been challenged.
Since 1988, South Carolina has had a framework for managing our state’s beaches in the face of ongoing coastal erosion and storms. In recognition of our beaches’ many benefits–especially their ability to provide public access, tourism opportunities, and habitat–the South Carolina Beachfront Management Act prohibits seawalls because they restrict the natural, dynamic movement of our shorelines. Interfering with the natural processes of our beaches exacerbates erosion, creates hazards for wildlife, impedes public access, and jeopardizes these public trust resources for all.
Thankfully, in July, Governor McMaster removed harmful provisos from the state budget that would have undone longstanding protective laws that prohibit new seawalls on our beaches and undermined the Department of Health and Environmental Control— now known as the Department of Environmental Services—which works to protect beaches.
The Conservation League is thankful for the Governor’s continued leadership in protecting beaches and ensuring state agencies are empowered to perform their basic duties of upholding longstanding laws.
We know seawalls do harm to our beaches, and while they may protect the yard or structures behind them, this comes at the expense of people and wildlife.
Vetoing these provisos makes it clear that South Carolina should not contemplate a future with a walled coastline, but instead prioritize our public beaches for the benefit of all.
Seabrook Island / J. Henry Fair with flight assistance from SouthWings
CHARLESTON
Save Our Sea Islands
Vote NO on the Charleston County Special Sales and Use Tax (Local Questions 1 & 2)
On November 5th, Charleston County residents will vote on a sales tax that prioritizes the outdated, overpriced, and destructive Mark Clark / I-526 Extension.
The I-526 Extension is the only priority project listed for this tax, meaning the money would first be spent to fund this project, draining funding from other projects. This county has higher priorities, including completing road projects that were voted on in the 2016 referendum but are yet to be finished. Although funding for the Greenbelt program—which helps fund conservation projects for land protection and establish public access to land, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure—is listed on this tax, the allocation has been cut by over half the percentage it was in 2004 when it was first established. This makes it a bad deal for Greenbelt.
If funded, the extension project would destroy 38 acres of wetlands; dump pollution into the Stono River; wipe out over 46 acres of the James Island County Park; increase suburban sprawl on rural Johns Island; and plow through the middle of historic settlement communities, displacing families who have been on the land for generations. This is not just a road, it is a threat to our environment and our Lowcountry way of life.
THE PROPOSED ROUTE
THE I-526 EXTENSION WOULD...
MAKE TRAFFIC WORSE
WHILE HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-526 IS A KNOWN ISSUE, THE PROPOSED EXTENSION WILL NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM. IN FACT, IT IS LIKELY TO WORSEN IT BY INTRODUCING MORE CARS ONTO TWO-LANE RURAL ROADS AND PUSHING CARS INTO AREAS ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO MANAGE EXISTING TRAFFIC.
DISPLACE FAMILIES & SEPARATE COMMUNITIES
MANY RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG THE ROUTE WILL BE FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND OFF THEIR FAMILY LAND. OTHERS WILL LOSE PORTIONS OF THEIR LAND AND END UP WITH A MASSIVE ROADWAY—COMPLETE WITH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND LIGHTS—IN THEIR YARD. HIGHWAYS THIS CLOSE TO HOMES CHANGE THESE COMMUNITIES FOREVER. LIKE MANY HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN AMERICA, THE I-526 EXTENSION WOULD DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT SETTLEMENT COMMUNITIES. THE PROPOSED ROUTE CUTS THROUGH SEVEN BLOCKS OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, SEPARATING FAMILIES BY A HIGHWAY.
DAMAGE THE STONO RIVER
THE PROJECT WOULD ADD TWO MORE BRIDGES OVER THE STONO RIVER, LEADING TO EVEN MORE POLLUTION LIKE TIRE PARTICLES, OIL, AND MICROPLASTICS DRAINING INTO THE RIVER AND SURROUNDING MARHSLAND. THIS WOULD ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY AND PERMANENTLY DAMAGE HABITAT FOR PLANTS AND WILDLIFE. ONCE IT’S GONE, IT’S GONE FOREVER.
EXACERBATE FLOODING
THE PROPOSED ROUTE CROSSES LOW-LYING AREAS THAT ALREADY EXPERIENCE SEVERAL FEET OF WATER DURING EVEN A LOW-GRADE HURRICANE. DURING INTENSE STORMS, THE MARSH SURROUNDING JAMES AND JOHNS ISLANDS PROTECTS COMMUNITIES BY ABSORBING EXCESS WATER FROM HIGH TIDES AND RAIN. DESTROYING THESE WETLANDS BY REPLACING THEM WITH A BRIDGE AND CONCRETE ROADWAY WILL TAKE AWAY THESE PROTECTIONS.
WIPE OUT OVER 46 ACRES OF PARK
THE BELOVED JAMES ISLAND COUNTY PARK IS DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF THE PROPOSED ROUTE. THESE FEW MILES OF ROAD WILL DESTROY OVER 46 ACRES OF THE PARK—THE EQUIVALENT OF 35 FOOTBALL FIELDS WORTH OF SPACE.
FUNNEL TRAFFIC TO RURAL ROADS & DOWNTOWN
THE PROPOSED ROUTE WILL SEND MORE CARS TO EXIT ON CALHOUN STREET, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEDICAL DISTRICT, WHERE THERE IS ALREADY HEAVY TRAFFIC AND SOME OF THE WORST FLOODING. ACCORDING TO A TRAFFIC STUDY, THIS STREET ALREADY OPERATES AT ITS MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF CARS EVERY DAY; IT SIMPLY CANNOT TAKE MORE.
NO to
our
islands, Stono
& settlement communities AT THE END OF THE BALLOT, VOTE NO ON LOCAL QUESTIONS 1 & 2
County Special Sales And Use Tax Question 1
County Special Sales And Use Tax Question 2
In Horry County: Fix it First, Don’t Make it Worse
Vote NO on the Horry County Special Sales and Use Tax (Local Question 1)
This November, Horry County residents will vote on a transportation sales tax that would last for 25 years and cost $6.35 billion. The bulk of funds would go toward building new, unnecessary, and destructive roads instead of improving existing roads and bridges in need of repair.
The negative effects of these new highway projects—I-73 and the SC Highway 22 Extension—would be permanent and far-reaching.
The SC Highway 22 Extension, formally known as SELL, would be a 28-mile, 4-lane highway. The route for this road is only tentatively planned, with 16 options. No matter what, this highway would open western Horry and Georgetown Counties to sprawling development, destroying some of the region’s most pristine areas. Voters are being asked to vote on a road that is only tentatively planned with no clear route but definite damages.
Interstate 73 would cost over $2 billion, but this tax would only cover $450 million of that. Horry County would need billions in additional state and federal funding. Since this seems far-reaching, the tax dollars of Horry County residents for the next 25 years are much better spent fixing existing roads. Horry County is growing too fast to be able to predict now what will be needed in 25 years.
Protected wetlands on the Little Pee Dee River under threat from potential road projects / Becky Ryon with flight assistance from SouthWings
VOTE NO to protect communities and wetlands
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BALLOT, UNDER LOCAL QUESTIONS, VOTE NO, OPPOSED TO QUESTION ON QUESTION 1
LOCAL QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1 I approve a special sales and use tax in the amount of one percent to be imposed in Horry County...
Yes, in favor of question No, opposed to question
HORRY COUNTY: ON THE BALLOT
HORRY COUNTY ELECTION: VOTE NO
I-73 would cut through the Little Pee Dee River and the Little Pee Dee Heritage Preserve. Earlier this year, the Little Pee Dee river was named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers because of this threat.
Both I-73 and Hwy 22 Ext. would worsen flooding in communities already struggling with flooding impacts.
Both I-73 and Hwy 22 Ext. would create additional traffic issues across the county. New roads in rural parts of the county mean new development and new traffic. Hwy 22 Ext. would also send cars into already congested intersections.
Hwy 22 Ext. would open rural western Horry and Georgetown counties to sprawling development.
I-73 would take land from family farms in Dillon, Marion, and Horry Counties.
Hwy 22 Ext. would directly impact two settlement communities: Bucksport and Burgess. At least 10 of the 16 proposed routes would bisect these communities.
Hwy 22 Ext. would put a bridge across the Waccamaw River, adding pollutants into the river and damaging hundreds of acres of protected wetlands in the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge.
Little Pee Dee River downstream of Davis Landing / Becky Ryon
Putting the Breaks on a Destructive Energy Bill
The Conservation League played a leading role in preventing the passage of omnibus energy legislation that would fast-track the development of a massive, multi-billion-dollar gas-fired power plant and undermine regulatory oversight of electric and gas utilities.
Put simply, this bill is bad for ratepayers. It’s bad for our land, waterways, and vulnerable communities, as well as for our transition to cleaner energy sources.
House Bill 5118 would also essentially direct the Public Service Commission–our state’s energy regulator–to approve a large gas-fired plant on the Edisto River in rural Colleton County near Canadys, which would also require a new pipeline to be constructed through the
ACE Basin, one of the largest areas of undeveloped wetlands/uplands ecosystems remaining on the Atlantic Coast.
Bill H.5118 passed in the House in March, and in May, a significantly scaled back version was passed by the Senate. The House did not concur with the Senate amendments, and the bill was referred to a conference committee of senators and representatives to consider potential compromises.
The Conservation League team will continue to promote constructive reforms and minimize harmful provisions as the General Assembly continues its efforts to pass omnibus energy legislation in the next legislative session.
Improving Energy Costs for South Carolinians
It was a long, hot summer, and many South Carolinians felt the heat of higher electric bills.
Since last summer, all of our state’s major electric utilities have filed rate increase requests, which are raising energy costs for households and businesses across South Carolina. The Conservation League is working hard to oppose inequitable rate increases while making the case for more low-cost renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.
In July, we reached a settlement in Dominion’s rate case related to these issues. The settlement includes a lower rate increase than originally requested and $3 million in shareholder funding to expand Dominion’s existing low-income Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program. In addition, the company agreed to propose a new program that will provide energy-saving home
upgrades to assist households with high energy usage. We also reached an agreement to scale back Dominion’s initially proposed changes to its optional Time-of-Use rates, which will protect customers’ ability to save money with rooftop solar.
On the local level, we’re setting the stage for future clean energy by supporting reasonable solar zoning ordinances. We recently urged the Clarendon County Council to revise its draft solar ordinance to enable responsible solar farm development.
We’re also working with solar farm developers across the coastal plain to secure the inclusion of conservation mitigation measures. This includes building wildlife-friendly fencing, adding plants that support pollinators like bees and butterflies, and supporting environmentally friendly site designs.
In addition to speaking out against higher electric bills, you can save money by switching up your modes of transportation. Switching to greener options could save you thousands of dollars per year and drastically cut your carbon footprint.
Fueling a pickup truck could cost about 400% more than the cost of charging an electric vehicle and emit about 650% more carbon dioxide.
Despite rising electric rates, charging an electric vehicle at home is still far cheaper than the cost of fueling up at the pump.
Want to go even greener? Try riding one of CARTA’s new electric buses, or opt for zero emissions by riding a bike or walking.
Ways to Give to Support Conservation
BECOME A COASTAL GEM
Join our group of Coastal GEMs (Giving Every Month) who provide year-round sustaining support for our conservation programs. Giving a recurring monthly donation is a hassle-free way to protect the health of our coast and communities all year long.
INCLUDE CONSERVATION IN YOUR ESTATE PLANS
Join the Coastal Legacy Society by including the Conservation League in your estate plans. By naming the Coastal Conservation League as a direct or contingent beneficiary of specific assets, a portion of your estate, or your residual estate, you can help ensure we have the resources to continue protecting our coast for generations to come.
GIVE STOCKS OR APPRECIATED ASSETS
Donating stocks, bonds, or other appreciated assets can also potentially provide you with significant tax benefits. By donating appreciated securities that you’ve held for more than a year, you may be able to take a charitable tax deduction for the market value of the securities and avoid paying capital gains tax on the appreciation.
QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS
If you are 70½ years old or older, you can make tax-free donations directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to the Coastal Conservation League. These Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) can satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year, up to $100,000, without adding to your taxable income.
CONTRIBUTE FROM DONOR ADVISED FUNDS
Donor Advised Funds allow you to make a charitable contribution, receive an immediate tax benefit and then recommend grants from the fund over time. By giving through a Donor Advised Fund, your money can be invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend grants to the Conservation League at your convenience.
To learn more about how to give, scan the QR code or visit coastalconservationleague.org/ways-to-give
Nature walk in Yemassee / Rachel Hawes
MEET US OUT THERE!
OCTOBER
Banning Thick Plastic Bags in the Lowcountry
When single-use plastic bags were banned in the City of Charleston in 2018, many locally owned businesses made the switch to non-plastic alternatives like paper. But some big-box chain stores took advantage of an unknown loophole and began offering thick plastic bags.
Thick plastic bags, like the one pictured below, are often advertised as reusable, making them allowable under the ordinance. Despite being advertised this way, research by College of Charleston and Citadel scientists in the Charleston area showed that thick plastic bag litter in our estuaries has increased in recent years, due in large part to this loophole. When they end up in estuaries, thick plastic bags degrade into microplastic particles that are then injested by marine wildlife.
In 2023, the City of Charleston became the first municipality to close this thick plastic bag loophole. Taking effect in July 2024, businesses phased out their supply of these thick plastic bags and transitioned to an alternative. The towns of Mount Pleasant and James Island and the City of Folly Beach followed suit this year.
The Conservation League is focused on expanding this effort across the coastal plain, including in Horry, Beaufort and Charleston counties, hoping to see more municipalities take critical steps in eliminating plastic litter from our communities and waterways.
Over the past decade, municipalities across South Carolina’s coastal counties have passed various ordinances to reduce sources of single-use plastics, including Styrofoam to-go containers, straws, utensils, and plastic bags.
A paddle trip on the Waccamaw River / Rachel Hawes
A thick plastic bag found in the marsh in Beaufort / Grant McClure
JASPER COUNTY ELECTION: VOTE YES
Prioritizing Land Protection in Jasper County
Vote YES in Jasper County and support local conservation
CLEAN WATER, SAFE ROADS
A proposed Special Sales and Use Tax on the ballot in November has the potential to protect the environment and quality of life for Jasper County residents–helping to manage rapid growth, mitigate flooding, safeguard wildlife, improve infrastructure and more.
Voting yes supports $94 million of funding to establish Jasper County’s first local conservation fund to protect water quality and open land.
BALANCE RAPID GROWTH
By protecting more land, we can make sure we are building in the right places as the county continues to grow. By protecting wetlands and woodlands along the Savannah River and in the Port Royal Sound watersheds, risks from flooding are also reduced.
BUILD ON PAST SUCCESS
There is a huge opportunity in Jasper County to connect the nationally significant protected areas of the ACE Basin and the Savannah River. Recent conservation easement successes, like what partners have done to protect the 4,400-acre Gregorie Neck property and 12,000 Slater Buckfield assemblage, have laid the foundation for connecting these iconic landscapes.
PROTECT LAND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
Jasper County’s natural resources are the backbone of its economy. Preserving and protecting land will help the region become more efficient, safe and prosperous.
JASPER COUNTY: ON THE BALLOT
Vote YES on Jasper County Questions 1 & 2 to support road repairs and protect local water quality and natural resources. Yes
LOCAL QUESTIONS
JASPER COUNTY SPECIAL SALES AND USE TAX QUESTION 1...
JASPER COUNTY SPECIAL SALES AND USE TAX QUESTION 2...
VOTE YES IN
Boys fishing in the swamp / Grant McClure
Cows grazing on family farmland / Emma Barnes McClure
CLEAN WATER, SAFE ROADS
JASPER COUNTY
A Legacy of “Living with the Land” in the Lowcountry
GrowFood Carolina Grower Highlight:
Sidi Limehouse & Rosebank Farms
Sidi Limehouse has “lived with the land” of Johns Island his entire life–fishing, hunting, and growing lots of fresh produce.
Established in 1988, Rosebank Farms was one of the first farms to partner with GrowFood Carolina, making Sidi one of the first GrowFood farmers. He approached GrowFood in the early days of 2015 with an extra batch of potatoes, so beginning a fruitful and enduring relationship. Sidi’s partnership has helped to strengthen GrowFood’s offerings over the years, bringing a diverse product mix and an impressive scale of production that further enables GrowFood to serve restaurant and retail partners.
Sidi’s father purchased about 3,000 acres in 1938, and today, Sidi continues his family legacy on 100
acres. While pressures to sell to developers can be strong, Sidi has persisted, and his presence is everywhere on the farm to this day; met with waves and smiles from fellow farmers and visitors. As he drives around the farm, monitoring when crops are ready to be harvested, he also shares wisdom and tells stories of his childhood growing up in the great outdoors of the Lowcountry.
Seabrook Island’s beach / Google Earth
On the marsh shore today, Sidi’s once-family home now serves as the real estate office for an up-and-coming housing development. The
A tractor tills the land of Rosebank Farms / Emmi Palenbaum
Top: Sidi Limehouse at Rosebank Farms in 2022 / GrowFood Carolina staff
Right top: A sign welcoming visitors to Rosebank Farms on Johns Island / Emmi Palenbaum
Right bottom: Schuler Farms peaches at the Kiawah River farmstand / Emmi Palenbaum
development sits next to an extravagant wedding venue and a newly opened 72-room boutique hotel with pristine views of the Kiawah River.
In addition to protecting his family land and livelihood, Sidi has also stood as a strong advocate for surrounding wildlife and the landscapes he grew up immersed in. The battle to develop Kiawah Island first began in the 1960s, around the time that Sidi was serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Sidi has defended Captain Sams Spit—just off the Kiawah coast—time and time again as it has come under threat from large development. In more recent years, he has testified in Columbia and appeared at hearings to show his support for that beautiful sandy inlet that joins the Kiawah River to the Atlantic Ocean.
Rosebank Farms plants over 40 different crops annually, including squash, collards, and yellow watermelon. Over the years, Sidi has sold more variety to GrowFood than any other farmer. While every year is different on the farm, heirloom tomatoes, sunchokes, and snap peas remain the most popular to customers. As the heat builds in South Carolina, Sidi says
Buy Local with Weekly Produce Boxes
After taking almost a full year off, the popular GrowFood box program is back!
Each week our GrowFood team curates a box of produce featuring the best local picks, or an a la carte set of offerings. Depending on the season, the weekly boxes feature strawberries, yellow watermelon, or an assortment of peppers, alongside options to add delicious cheese, local eggs and other fresh, in-season produce.
There’s no subscription or commitment; simply take a look each week and order as-is or build your own!
While you’re purchasing your own box, considering donating fresh and local produce to others in the community through our Soil to Sustenance fund.
the product range continues to expand; but not without challenge. Storms and drastic fluctuation in temperatures have made crop yield and volume difficult to predict.
Rosebank Farms produce is sold through GrowFood Carolina, and at their farm stand at the entrance of the Kiawah River community. Here you’ll find fresh items brought directly from the farm, including blooming arrangements of flowers and colorful vegetables each season. Next time you’re admiring the views of the Sea Islands, stop by to say hello to Sidi and pick up some farmstand favorites.
Scan here to sign up to get the weekly box list in your inbox!
Environmental Advocacy Checklist
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Help support this work by donating to the Conservation League Walk, bike, or take public transportation to work one day
Attend a City or County Council meeting
Get a professional home energy audit to learn how you could be saving more energy—and more money—at home
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WE ADVOCATE TO PROTECT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA’S COAST FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
