The South Carolina Department of Agriculture hosted the Eastern Produce Council’s 52nd annual meeting April 30 at TopGolf in Edison, N.J.
Theresa Lowden, EPC president and executive vice president of JOH Mid-Atlantic, thanked the SCDA contingent who made the trip and the EPC membership in attendance, according to a news release.
South Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers kicked off the department’s presentation by remembering former EPC executive director John McAleavey and his contributions to the EPC and its SCDA relationship that spans five decades. He said seeing familiar faces in the crowd, as well as new ones, is a sign of a thriving organization, the release said.
SCDA Marketing Director Chris Whitmire introduced Chris Yonce of the South Carolina Peach Council, Jade Collins of the South Carolina Watermelon Association and Eric McClam of the South Carolina Specialty Crop Association, who gave brief updates on their crops and encouraged people to support the stat’es produce, the release said.
Other attendees included SCDA’s Market Development Director, Fred West; Market Development Manager Michael Cranford; and Chad James of the South Carolina Specialty Crop Association.
Prior to the SCDA-sponsored meeting, the EPC’s 2024 Leadership Class attended an informational and interactive seminar on Food Safety led by Meredith Melendez, from Rutgers University’s Cooperative Extension, according to a news release. This marked the second leg of a four-part program for the participants.
