Ag organizations in SC host an annual Congressional Staff Tour where in state staff for the congressional delegations tour agribusinesses and hear firsthand about issues the industry faces.

• SCDA along with Palmetto Agribusiness Council plans and hosts a two day tour and we rotate areas around the state.
• This is our 8^th year and we were up in the Hartsville, Bethune, and McBee area
• Staff from Senators Graham and Scott’s office, Congressman Timmons, Fry, Norman, Wilson, Clyburn, and Congresswoman Mace, and Biggs were represented on the federal level.
• From the state level, we had staff from Senator Climer and Representative Hixon’s offices, chairs of the ag committees in our state.
• From partners in the industry: SC State University, SC Farm Bureau, SC Forestry Commission, SC Poultry Federation, and ArborOne has people attend as well.
• We started off at Sonoco where the group heard from Roger Schrum, Interim Head of Investor Relations and Phillip Davis, Director of Engineering in the Global Sustainability space.
• GreenGas USA, a company that helps farmers, food processors, municipal, and industrial sources monetize waste streams and RNG buyers decarbonize energy intensive operations with renewable energy and for carbon buyers provide high-quality climate solutions, partnered with Sonoco and was there to talk about the partnership and the good work they are doing not only in SC, but also throughout the US.
• From Sonoco, we headed to Bethune to visit Cal Maine Foods, an egg facility. Cal-Maine is the largest producer and distributor of fresh shell eggs in the US. In SC, Cal-Maine has feed mills, processing and packaging facility, pullet facility, shell egg production, and egg products processing facilities.
• We finished the tour at McLeod Farms in McBee, SC. This family farm does it all from peaches and strawberries to row crops and bakery items and seasonal family fun activities. Kemp, 4^th generation, and his son Spencer, 5^th generation, incorporate new technologies and emphasize precision ag to improve production of berries and sustainability.
• We always love to bring staff out of the office and onto farms and into facilities to really help grasp the concepts we so often discuss with leadership. It helps connect the dots and really strengthens relationships.