The federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the 1890 Institution Capacity Building Grants Program (CFDA 10.216) totaling $585,402 aims to support South Carolina State University in developing and implementing an integrated teaching, research, and extension model to bolster the digital commerce capabilities of small farm-based businesses in South Carolina. The key activities under this award include:
Conducting research to identify challenges faced by small farm-based businesses in adopting and utilizing online marketing and sales platforms.
Establishing an Agribusiness Digital Commerce Center to recruit, train, mentor, and encourage farmers to market and sell directly to customers using the internet.
Developing and implementing a new course in Agribusiness Digital Marketing and E-Commerce to train the next generation of agribusiness leaders in the use of digital commerce technologies.
This project directly addresses the critical needs of small, family-owned farms in South Carolina's leading agribusiness industry by enhancing their participation in the online marketplace through technology-enabled solutions. The award period runs from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027.