DATE: 1/19/2007

CONTACT: Jody Martin, 843-661-4800, ext. 115; jamrtn@clemson.edu

WRITER: Tom Lollis, 803-284-3343, ext. 241; tlollis@clemson.edu

Adding value to crops will get good look at R.A.I.N Conference

FLORENCE – “Value Added Products for Retained Profit” will be the major theme for South Carolina farmers during R.A.I.N. Conference III Jan. 25-26 at Clemson University’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center at Florence.

R.A.I.N. is an acronym for Research, Agriculture, Industry and Nature, according to Jody Martin, the Clemson Extension agent who coordinates the S. C. Muscadine Initiative, which includes a one-acre demonstration vineyard at the Pee Dee REC.

“Discussions and presentations during R.A.I.N. III will focus on the advantages of the newly formed statewide growers’ cooperative, the Carolina Agri-Solutions Growers Association,” he said.

“Speakers will talk about muscadines and other botanicals and the vision of where we are headed in the future,” Martin said.

The two-day meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, with pruning demonstrations and production information. A wine tasting and social begins at 5:30, followed by a dinner and keynote address by Rep. Dwight Loftis of Greenville. S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers will be the featured speaker on Friday.

The S.C. Tobacco Growers Association annual meeting will begin at 3:15 Friday afternoon and the organization will hold a dinner and social beginning at 5:30 p.m.

No registration fee is required. To register contact Kathlene Sullivan at 843-349-6547.

The conference is co-sponsored by the South Carolina Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Coastal Carolina University, Clemson University, Francis Marion University, Hyman Vineyards and Integrated Environmental Technologies.

For more information about the conference, go to www.scmuscadines.org or contact Martin at 843-661-4800, ext. 115. The registration form is on the web site.

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