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South Carolina Farms and Ranches: Agriculture History, How Farms Make Money and Strategy

Guide updated November 2026

South Carolina farms numbered 22,633 in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, working 4,553,922 acres at an average of 201 acres each. Those farms sold $4.43 billion of products, up 47 percent from 2017, and 64 percent of that came from livestock, poultry and their products, led by a poultry and egg sector worth about $2.5 billion.

South Carolina agriculture at a glance
Farms and land in farms22,633 farms on 4,553,922 acres; average 201 acres (2022 Census of Agriculture)
Top commoditiesPoultry and eggs, nursery and greenhouse, vegetables and melons, cotton, soybeans, fruits and tree nuts
Market value of ag products sold$4,427,204,000 in 2022, up 47 percent since 2017
State agriculture departmentSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture
Land-grant extensionClemson University Cooperative Extension
Farm BureauSouth Carolina Farm Bureau Federation

Agriculture in South Carolina: A Short History

South Carolina's agriculture grew out of coastal rice, indigo and long-staple cotton, and later upland cotton and tobacco, before the boll weevil and changing markets pushed farmers toward diversification. Today the state's census figures show a very different picture: poultry and eggs, nursery and greenhouse products, vegetables, fruit and a smaller but still significant cotton crop. Cotton and cottonseed sold $214.8 million in 2022, and tobacco sold $22.8 million.

The census also shows how much the structure has shifted. Between 2017 and 2022 the number of farms fell 9 percent while average sales per farm rose 61 percent, to $195,608. Family farms were 96 percent of operations, 952 farms had 1,000 acres or more, and 2,263 farms sold $100,000 or more. Nearly half of all farms (10,917) sold under $2,500, so the state has a very large number of small and part-time holdings alongside a small group of commercial operators.

How Farms in South Carolina Make Money

Poultry, eggs and livestock

Livestock, poultry and products were 64 percent of 2022 sales. Poultry and eggs alone brought in about $2.51 billion, and the state counted 54,050,467 broilers and other meat-type chickens at the end of 2022. Cattle and calves sold $112.9 million, hogs and pigs $87.2 million and milk from cows $44.5 million.

Crops, produce and nursery

Crop sales were about $1.61 billion. Nursery, greenhouse, floriculture and sod led at $289.9 million, followed by vegetables and melons at $222.1 million, cotton at $214.8 million and fruits, tree nuts and berries at $167.4 million. Soybeans (407,466 acres) and corn for grain (339,299 acres) were the largest acreage crops.

Direct sales and agritourism

Only 8 percent of South Carolina farms sold directly to consumers in 2022, but the model is strong in profiled operations such as Strawberry Hill USA, Bush-N-Vine Farm and Cotton Hills Farm, which pair u-pick, stands, cafes and fall events with their crops.

Agriculture Strategy for South Carolina Farms

Soils, water and climate

South Carolina spans the sandy Coastal Plain, the Sandhills, and the red-clay Piedmont. Coastal Plain soils suit cotton, peanuts, vegetables and poultry houses but often need irrigation and careful fertility management, while Piedmont fields favor peaches, pasture and hay. Cropland totaled 1,950,175 acres and woodland 1,758,440 acres in 2022, so timber is a major land use. Hurricanes, late spring freezes that threaten peaches, and summer drought are the main weather risks, so plan irrigation capacity, windbreaks and frost protection in advance.

Production and risk

Because poultry is contract-driven, a grower's risk centers on the integrator contract, house upgrades and litter management, while crop growers manage price and weather risk through crop insurance and rotation. Local Clemson Extension agents and the state's USDA service centers can help match NRCS conservation programs such as EQIP to practices like cover crops, nutrient management and irrigation efficiency. Diversified fruit and vegetable growers should separate high-value specialty crops from commodity rotations so one disaster does not take down every enterprise.

Technology and inputs

Large operations such as Titan Farms show the value of grading technology and packing infrastructure, while cattle seedstock programs such as Yon Family Farms rely on genetic tools like EPDs, artificial insemination and embryo transfer. Smaller growers can often capture part of the benefit through shared equipment, custom hire and extension-led variety trials rather than buying every machine themselves.

Farm Business Strategy in South Carolina

Margins and markets

Net cash farm income was $1.47 billion in 2022, up 81 percent, but production expenses also rose 33 percent to $3.18 billion. Growers should price in input costs, labor and packaging before committing acres. Wholesale relationships with retailers, as at Titan Farms, reward scale and consistent grading, while direct sales reward location and storytelling.

Land, credit and succession

Of the state's operators, 15,549 producers were 65 or older in 2022 compared with just 2,977 under 35, so succession is a major issue. Beginning farmers can look to FSA loan programs, Farm Credit lenders and the Clemson New and Beginning Farmer program, while retiring owners should explore written leases, estate planning and conservation easements. Yon Family Farms shows how a business can grow with rented ground, since most of its 4,258 acres were rented when Clemson reported on it in 2018.

Marketing and diversification

Certified SC branding, farm stands, cafes and school tours extend the season for fruit and produce growers. Seedstock producers can combine production sales with private treaty and consumer tours. Whatever the model, the common thread in the elite South Carolina operations is a clear customer, whether a national retailer, a commercial cattleman or a family looking for a pumpkin patch.

Farm Insight: South Carolina Trends to Watch

Three trends deserve attention. First, higher revenue per farm: average sales per farm rose 61 percent between 2017 and 2022, though costs also rose. Second, succession pressure as older farmers retire and fewer young operators enter. Third, the continuing strength of poultry and the nursery sector, which together account for much of the state's farm revenue.

For farmers considering expansion, the profiled operations suggest starting with a defined market, building the packing, breeding or retail capacity to serve it, and adding second enterprises that use the same land and labor in different seasons.

South Carolina farmers get to tell the world about peaches, pecans and poultry houses, and the occasional hurricane takes the conversation in another direction. If you like farm satire that keeps its sense of humor in a Lowcountry breeze, farm.FM offers farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes written with real respect for the people who work the land. We promise the jokes are as sweet as a ripe Ridge Spring peach, and just as hard to bruise.

The outlet behind those laughs, farm.FM, is the nation's first satirical farm site, complete with Tractor Tunes country music for farmers. A farm.FM humorist's archive shows what a week of it looks like.

Elite Farms and Ranches in South Carolina

These 5 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.

Elite operations in South Carolina

Who to Contact in South Carolina: Agriculture Offices and Associations

South Carolina Farming FAQ

How many farms are in South Carolina?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 22,633 farms on 4,553,922 acres, with an average farm size of 201 acres.

What is South Carolina's biggest agricultural sector?

Poultry and eggs, with about $2.51 billion in sales in 2022, out of $4.43 billion total market value of products sold.

Which farms are profiled in this directory?

This guide links to Titan Farms, Yon Family Farms, Cotton Hills Farm, Strawberry Hill USA and Bush-N-Vine Farm.

Where can a new South Carolina farmer get help?

Start with Clemson Cooperative Extension, the Clemson Growing Forward program, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the local USDA Farm Service Agency office.

South Carolina farms range from Piedmont fruit stands to coastal poultry houses and seedstock ranches, and the operations profiled below show how scale, branding and diversification can work. Explore the individual profiles to see how each one earned its place among the state's best.

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