KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — The Ag + Art Tour has been touring around South Carolina since the beginning of May and stopped in three Midlands counties so far. This Saturday and Sunday will highlight farms in Kershaw County.
Annually, from June 4 to next June 3 of the next year, Quite Content Farm in Camden prepares for the Ag + Art Tour to welcome the community into a space they do not normally get to see.
"It's good because they start getting an understanding of what it's like to have to be a farmer... it's a labor of love," said farm owner Stephanie Tetterton.
In welcoming the community to their farm, they are hoping to make people more aware of the issues farms like Quite Content face on a day-to-day basis.
"I think for me, it's people understanding how much it costs to grow fruits and vegetables, Tetterton said. "You know when people started arguing about things being $4 a pint or complaining that eggs were costly? It really does cost a lot to obtain our blueberry bushes and to have labor maintaining and mulching them, so it's important for people to understand that there is a large cost to farming and helping them understand why prices are the way they are."
For Goat Daddy Farm over in Elgin, the feeling is similar.
The goat dairy farm also works as a 501-C3 animal sanctuary that provides a space for the community to come in and learn about animals. But during the Ag + Art Tour, they are hoping to show people more than furry faces.
"There's kind of a shock factor when people see the prices that local farms are charging for their products, but what they don't see is the long hours that go into it," said farmer Joas Verwers. "Secondly, we're not farming on a large scale so there's more time and effort and more attention going to each animal that we raise, they are more than just a product to us."
More than the cute animals people can meet or fruits and vegetables they can pick, farms in Kershaw County are hoping this weekend that people can see beyond the pastures and understand the real issues they face in serving their community.