ag-formation

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE                                  Telephone (803) 734-2210

D. LESLIE TINDAL, COMMISSIONER                                        Becky Walton, Director of Public Information

P.O. Box 11280, Columbia, South Carolina 29211                                            bwalton@scda.state.sc.us

www.scda.state.sc.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2001

COLUMBIA---The peak season for South Carolina grown fruits and vegetables is here and reporters at the Fruit and Vegetable Market News Service want everyone---especially consumers---to know what’s available.

Consumers everywhere in the state are calling to ask what is available at the market now. One lady asked, “Where can I get sweet corn? Is there any at the Columbia State Farmers Market?”

As a representative of the media, you can help people like her find out what’s available. Just call the Market News Service at 803-253-4040 for a recorded message. Or, to schedule live phone reports for your programming, call 803-737-4497. Or, if you prefer, simply provide the phone number for the recorded message (803-253-4040) to your readers, listeners, or viewers.

If you decide to access the information from the recording, the first message will be a summary of that day’s report. The second message will be a longer, detailed listing of commodities available, volume, type of containers, varieties, and prices. Call in the morning for the previous day’s report and in the afternoon for the current day’s report.

Price and availability vary throughout the day, but the information reported by the Market News Service for South Carolina grown produce includes the prices quoted for buying in bulk wholesale at 9:00 a.m. each day. Because availability varies throughout the day and since a truckload of sweet corn can sell out in less than 10 minutes, consumers need to be there early, especially during this peak season!

In addition to the recorded message and the availability of live reports, the Market News Service also provides information through the SC Department of Agriculture website. Just log on to www.scda.state.sc.us and click on Produce available at the Columbia State Farmers Market. You will be taken directly to the current Columbia Market News Report.

For specific information about the Greenville State Farmers Market, call Jack Watson, Market Manager, at 864-244-4023 or about the Pee Dee State Farmers Market in Florence, call Betty Boykin, Assistant Market Manager, at 843-665-5154.

A summary of yesterday’s Columbia market news summary is included in this advisory.

COLUMBIA---South Carolina fruits and vegetables available at the Columbia State Farmers Market today, June 20, 2001, include:

• a moderate supply of butter beans, round green beans, half runners, and Kentucky type beans, cantaloupes, sweet white corn, cucumbers, greens (collards, mustard, spinach, turnips, and creasey greens), peaches, squash, vine ripe red tomatoes, and watermelons,

• a few apples, beets, cabbages, eggplants, nectarines, purple hull peas, peppers (banana type, jalapeno, long hot, cubenelle, and finger hot), bunches of green onions, and tomatillo, cherry, and plum tomato varieties, and

• a light amount of bell peppers and a very light amount of honeydew melons.

For a detailed listing of volume, varieties, and prices, call the SC Market News Service at 803-253-4040.