An independent agricultural landscape study for South Carolina, conducted by
USC's Hazards Vulnerability and Resilience Institute (HVRI) in partnership with The Good Fruit Foundation.
The statewide Your Voice survey opens Monday, September 21st and closes October 30th so take the survey now to make your voice heard.

Row crops have different cost structures than specialty crops. Specialty crops face different market pressures than forestry. Forestry has different capacity hurdles than livestock. Livestock has different consumer nuances than fiber markets. You know your own story, your hurdles, and what is impacting your operation in ways that are distinct and real.
Yet for all our differences, we share common ground. Regardless of size, season, or sector, every producer needs viable markets and resilience against rising input costs.
In a state this agriculturally diverse, where challenges are increasingly complex and fragmented, real-time input from individual producers is the most powerful and credible tool available to ensure that the evolving landscape of policy, research, and support is actually built to serve the people working and stewarding the land.
Getting baseline data through Your Voice is like setting your AB lines: alignment and repeatable precision for the future. What matters most to you can shape the systems and policies that will affect multiple generations to come. The statewide survey is open from September 21st through October 30th.

South Carolina's agricultural producers have never had a comprehensive, independent study dedicated to documenting their real experiences—until now. This study is independent, nonpartisan, and completely anonymous. No one will know who you are or what you answered.
It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. Your inputs can shape decisions for generations.
In agriculture and forestry, we do not operate without guidance. RTK—Real-Time Kinematics—is a precision GPS technology that keeps every pass accurate and aligned. Sharing your voice works the same way. It gives policymakers the precise, grounded data they need to make decisions that actually reflect what is happening in the field.
About 15 to 20 minutes. The questions cover your operation, the challenges you face, the factors that shape your decisions, and your long-term outlook. There are no right or wrong answers—just your real experience.
No. The survey is completely anonymous. No one will know who you are or what you answered. If you choose to provide your contact information at the end for the gift card drawing or to receive results, that information is collected on a completely separate system and is never linked to your survey responses.
Right now, there is no comprehensive, independent baseline of what agricultural producers across South Carolina actually face, need, and experience. This study is designed to change that. Just as you would not plant a crop without first taking soil samples, policy and programs should not be built without knowing what is actually happening on the ground. Your voice becomes part of that foundation—data that your representatives and decision-makers can point to when advocating on your behalf.
Your responses will be combined with those of other producers to create an independent, evidence-based picture of what agricultural producers in South Carolina are actually experiencing. Results will be made publicly available and shared with policymakers, researchers, and agricultural organizations so that decisions about programs and resources are grounded in what producers are actually dealing with—not assumptions.
Every good study starts with a solid foundation. Before expanding statewide, we are running this pilot in four South Carolina counties (Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Hampton) to test and refine the survey instrument, ensure the questions resonate with producers on the ground, and establish a reliable baseline. The insights we gathered during this phase directly shaped how the statewide study was designed. Getting it right here means getting it right everywhere. The pilot results will be published later this fall.
Yes. This study has been reviewed and approved by the University of South Carolina's Institutional Review Board (IRB Study #786 (Pilot) and IRB Study #1310 (Statewide). The IRB is an independent committee that ensures research involving human participants meets strict ethical standards, including protections for your privacy, voluntary participation, and the right to stop at any time without penalty. Participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. Your decision to participate or not has no effect on your employment, professional relationships, or access to any services or programs. If you have concerns about your rights as a research participant, you may contact the USC Office of Research Compliance at (803) 777-6670.
This study is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF; Award #2316128), a federal agency that supports independent scientific research. That means no corporation, commodity board, or political group is paying for this. The findings belong to the public. The Good Fruit Foundation, a South Carolina nonprofit, serves as our community partner, helping ensure the study reflects the real needs and experiences of producers on the ground. Any findings expressed are solely those of the research team and do not represent the views of the NSF.


This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, Award #2316128. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the researchers and community partners involved in this project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Copyright © 2026 The Good Fruit Foundation, Inc.
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