Traveling through Lexington County, you’ll pass road construction, billboards announcing new housing developments, signs marking future sites of shopping centers, manufacturing buildings, and public works improvements.
And an occasional sign in front of a working farm. Of South Carolina’s 46 counties, Lexington has lost most of its agricultural land over the last 20 years: 29,000 acres converted into other uses from 2001 to 2016.
But even as subdivisions keep going up, the resiliency of farmers remains. During June, the county will celebrate its agricultural legacy with its first Ag & Art Tour. The tour will include eight businesses — either working farms or businesses — that still provide local goods and produce.
This is the first time Lexington County is formally participating in the tour. Lake Murray Country was the host for farms in the county during past tours, but this is the first effort to include a range of farms, explained Kassidy Roof, who is organizing the tour through her role at the Lexington Soil and Water Conservation District.
“Most of the farms that we have in Lexington County sell at local farmers markets, or they have their own farm stand on site,” said Roof. Statewide, 20 counties now are hosting Ag & Art tours, coordinated by Clemson Cooperative Extension. Tours will be staggered throughout weekends beginning in June.
Tours of Lexington County farms are scheduled, rain or shine, June 15-16. On this free, self-guided tour of working farms in Lexington County, you’ll find local artisans who will be selling their goods. Some of the artisans will demonstrate their crafts in person.
Andrea Williams has had her dairy goat farm, Fire Barrel Farm, for about 10 years. She makes soap with goat milk from the three different breeds on the farm. Williams will have a variety of vendors, who will be selling everything from blueberries to artwork. Artisans will demonstrate blacksmithing. The Lexington County Beekeepers Association will have a bee demonstration set up at the farm, with a working hive that you can observe. Clemson Extension Master Canners will be on hand to talk about upcoming canning classes.
The farm sells eggs, and soap, and has soap-making classes. It has a small store where you can buy soap, honey, pork, pickles, crafts, vegetables, and other items.
With a 1900s-era cottage and residents such as a donkey mule and a peacock, there’s plenty of charm on the farm, but it’s the site of hard work by generations of families for more than 100 years. “People think it’s easy and it is not. It’s a lot of hard work,” said Williams, who runs the farm with her boyfriend, R.B. Roberts in Swansea.
Other sites on the tour include Meador Acres Chestnuts in Pelion, which will have a petting zoo. Utopia Farm in Leesville will have live music. Lexington County Museum will have historical farming demonstrations.
After seeing the farms and meeting the people, Roof hopes that they will get a sense of how important agriculture is to Lexington County. “This is where your food comes from. This is the process that goes behind it. These are the local families, and we want you to support them and see their hard work,” Roof shared. For the full schedule visit the Ag & Art website.
Participating Venues:
Fire Barrel Farm
Hollow Creek Distillery
Lexington County Museum
Locklair Farm
Loveland Coffee
Meador Acres Chestnuts
Seven Oaks Plant Shop
Utopia Farm