ACRE Nurtures Innovation in SC Agribusiness – Eight Years In, the Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship Is Still Looking Ahead

When Kyle Player moved back to South Carolina from Washington, DC to help launch the Agribusiness Center for Research and Entrepreneurship (ACRE), she thought she’d be working with a lot of agriculture technology startups.

Instead, ACRE has turned out to be much more.

Feature Image: Barrier Island Oyster Co. was an early participant in ACRE’s Advanced program. Credit: Jared Bramblett.

“We’re working with more industry segments than I expected, and also more age ranges — we have participants from college students to post-retirement,” Player says.

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture created ACRE in 2017 with the goal of advancing agribusiness in the state. Since then, ACRE has awarded more than $1.4 million to 131 entrepreneurs, funded 49 industry-driven research projects, and led dozens of business workshops throughout the state.

Launched with an allocation from the South Carolina General Assembly, ACRE has continued its work with the help of grants from USDA Rural Development and the Duke Energy Foundation, and the ongoing support of the Legislature.

In addition to agriculture technology companies, ACRE has helped entrepreneurs develop businesses involving dairy farming, food distribution, livestock, oyster farming, produce farming, ag education, value-added products, and more.

Some notable participants over the years include Covered in Cotton, a Pee Dee family farm business that developed a local supply chain for its high-end cotton textiles; Project Victory Gardens, which helps train military veterans to start a post-retirement career in agriculture; nationally famed heritage pork producer Peculiar Pig Farm; award-winning goat dairy Split Creek Farm; and Sakhar Jams, which makes artisanal products using South Carolina fruit — a prime example of a value-added business that supports local agriculture.

The centerpiece of ACRE is its two business development programs. One track helps guide beginning entrepreneurs through creating a business, including marketing, financial planning, value-added processes, legal requirements, state and federal grant opportunities, and writing a business plan. Upon completing the program, each participant has the chance to compete for one of seven $5,000 grants.

The other track is for experienced entrepreneurs, those who already have a business plan and proof of concept. South Carolina entrepreneurs selected for the program pitch their business to a panel of judges, competing to earn business mentoring and funding. The awardees can be granted up to $25,000 for their company or product. (Applications for the 2025 Advanced program are open through March 7.)

More than one-third of those who participate in ACRE’s beginning program end up applying and getting accepted to the advanced track.

Thousands of dollars would certainly be a boon to any budding agribusiness. But participants tell Player that the support and business training they get through ACRE is key.

“It’s not just about the money,” Player says. “People are finding lots of things valuable besides the funding.”

Some evidence of ACRE’s impact comes from a recent survey of past participants. It showed that 51 percent of participating businesses have added new jobs after ACRE, an average of 1.95 jobs per company. Those aren’t huge numbers, but they show that ACRE is helping entrepreneurs succeed and grow.

ACRE continues to till new ground. Four years ago, ACRE partnered with Dr. Najmah Thomas to create the Career Pathways program, which incentivizes young professionals to explore careers in agribusiness. And last year, Player worked with South Carolina FFA to create a high school-level ACRE Pitch Day, which recently had its second successful event. The Center also funds agriculture research in South Carolina, working with businesses to develop crops that thrive in South Carolina and other key technologies.

To learn more about ACRE, visit acre-sc.com.