|
See also: South Carolina Food Festivals ; Chitlin, Chitterling
SOUTH CAROLINA Food Facts & Trivia
FARMS & FARMERS
South Carolina: land area: 19,255,034 acres.
Farmland is 4,889,339 acres or 25.4% of total land.
Organic agriculture accounts for about 122 acres.
Number of Farms: 25,867
Principle Farm Operators:
Men: 21,782 Women: 4,085
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
[2007-2008 latest available data]
POPULATION & HUNGER
South Carolina has a total population of: 4,679,230
Urban population: 3,589,835
Rural population: 1,089,395
Food insecure households*: 14.8%
Households with very low food security*: 4.4%
*Food insecurity - Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Very low food security - At times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money and other resources for food.
(2013 - USDA Economic Research Service: www.ers.usda.gov )
(Population & Food Security data: 2011)
South Carolina is known as The Palmetto State and The Rice State.
In 2011 South Carolina adopted the South Carolina Pecan Festival in Florence County as the ‘’Official State Pecan Festival’.
The largest Gingko farm in the world is in Sumter, South Carolina.
Johnston, South Carolina is known as the ‘Peach Capital of the World.’
In 2011 South Carolina adopted Collard Greens (Brassica oleracea) as the Official State Vegetable.
In 2010 the Mule (Equus asinus x Equus caballus) was adopted as the Official State Heritage Work Animal.
In 2009 the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) was adopted as the Official State Duck.
In 2006 the Boiled Peanuts was adopted as the Official State Snack Food.
In 2001 Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) was adopted as the Official State Grass.
In 1995 Tea was adopted as the Official State Hospitality Beverage.
In 1984 the Peach (Prunus persica) was adopted as the Official State Fruit.
In 1984 South Carolina adopted Milk as the Official State Beverage.
In 1976 the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was adopted as the Official State Wild Game Bird.
In 1972 the White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was adopted as the Official State Animal.
In 1972 the Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) was adopted as the Official State Fish.
In 1939 South Carolina adopted the Palmetto Tree or Cabbage Palmetto (Inodes palmetto) as the Official State Tree.
An annual Chitlin' festival known as the 'Chitlin' Strut' is held every year in Salley, South Carolina. The main focus of this festival is the preparation and consumption of large amounts of chitterlings ('chitlin's') -- otherwise known as boiled hog intestines.
The festival began in 1966 because the mayor was looking for a way to raise money for new Christmas decorations for the town of Salley.
The festival's popularity has grown steadily from 1,000 people when it started to an average crowd of 40,000 to 60,000 people today, who eat more than 10,000 pounds of chitlin's!
Library of Congress Local Legacies Project
|
