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Garlic Farms in South Carolina

11 Garlic farms in South Carolina

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Whenever you visit your neighborhood supermarket, you’re likely to encounter only a couple of garlic types. However, a trip to your local garlic farm will avail a chance to experience the variety of garlic species, each with their distinctive tastes and bulb sizes. Tours at a garlic farm are an excellent way to understand the diversity of garlic. Additionally, they provide a direct experience of learning how to cultivate garlic for optimal produce.

If you are thinking of bringing your family to a true working farm, here are 9 must-visit farms to experience true garlic farming. But before we get to the farms, let’s give you a small overview of garlic.

About Garlic

Garlic is a root vegetable also known as allium sativum. There are two basic garlic varieties: soft neck garlic and hard neck garlic varieties. Soft neck varieties include artichoke, silverskin, or Italian garlic while hard necks include Roja, German Red, Creole, and Music

To allow full development, plant your garlic in the fall. Earlier fall planting dates are ideal to allow for proper vegetative growth. Plant garlic on raised beds. Plant your garlic seeds in well-drained, fertile, loamy soils rich in organic matter. Ensure the planting area receives full sun.

How to Grow Garlic?

To plant garlic, you must first break the head of garlic into separate cloves. When planted, each clove grows into a bulb. Plant larger cloves if you want to harvest large bulbs. Smaller cloves yield small bulbs. Do not remove the clove’s outer skin when planting. Plant the cloves with the tip facing up and the base facing down.

  • Mulching: Immediately after planting, add a 6 to 8-inch layer of organic mulch across the bed. Mulch helps your soil retain moisture. Avoid using hay or straw as mulch as it can cause stem rot in humid or moist climates. Instead, consider using compost. You may also need to add organic matter to amend the soil’s alkalinity.
  • Harvesting: Start harvesting when the leaves begin to turn yellow in early summer. When harvesting, use a spading fork or your hand to lift the entire plant. While at it, be careful not to bruise the bulbs. After harvesting, thoroughly air-dry the bulbs in a shaded area for two to three weeks before putting them in storage.
  • Storage: Store your garlic bulbs in a mesh bag or braid the stalks for hanging. When stored in a well-ventilated, cool, and dry location, garlic can keep for six to eight months.

11 Must Visit Garlic Farms in South Carolina

Now that you have a better understanding of garlic, we’ve pulled together several farms throughout South Carolina where you can learn more about farming garlic and everything that goes into growing these savory bulbs.

Whippoorwill Farms SC

Whippoorwill Farms SC is a small true working, biodiverse, and regenerating farm that was established in 2015. This farm is located in the heart of the Lowcountry, just a short drive from Savannah, Georgia, and Bluffton, South Carolina. Here, everything they do is for the betterment of our planet. They strive to grow all their plants and animals through regenerative and organic practices to ensure they are restoring the natural ecosystems for years to come and not destroying them.

This 40-acre farm offers its customers fresh, all organically raised and grown butchered chicken, pork, and rabbit, as well as fresh eggs and seasonal vegetables. Other than garlic, you will also get to see cucumbers, eggplants, green onions, fresh-cut flowers, eggs, ducks, and chicken. Whippoorwill Farms SC also nurtures its community through on-farm educational and enrichment opportunities for both adults and children.

Whippoorwill Farms SC Contacts

Fabel Farms

Fabel Farms is a small family-owned and run farm located in the Cedar Creek community of Upper Richland County. This farm grows different types of organically grown fruits and vegetables including cherry tomatoes, green garlic, carrots, cucumbers, radish, strawberries, sweet spring onions, and potatoes among other things. For garlic lovers, you can expect to find the Green German Hardneck garlic variety.

Fabel Farms Contacts

Crazy Chic Heritage Farm

Crazy Chic Heritage Farm is a family-owned farm located in the midlands of South Carolina. This first-generation family farm is nestled in the midlands of South Carolina. This farm raises Dexter cows, Dwarf and Kiko goats, Kune Kune Pigs horses, honey bees, and a variety of chickens. They also grow three different types of garlic including Porcelain garlic, Purple Stripped garlic, and Elephant garlic. Visit their farm to enjoy some farming workshops, and educational classes, or sign up your kids for their kids’ camps.

Crazy Chic Heritage Farm Contacts

Doko Farm

Doko Farm is a small sustainable farm that specializes in pasture-raised heritage meats. This farm has been family owned since 1839. At this farm, they strive for sustainability. Their animals are grazed rotationally in different patches so that they never run out of fresh organically grown pasture. In their garden, they do not use chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. They practice crop rotation to keep off pests and diseases. They use cover crops and compost to amend the soil. Doko Farm is known for growing the Great Elephant garlic.

Doko Farm Contacts

  • Website: www.dokofarm.org.
  • Location: 2101 Cedar Creek Rd, Blythewood, SC 29016, United States
  • Contact: +1 803 873 7739
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Rating: 5/5 (Facebook Reviews)
  • Total reviews: 18

Old McCaskills Farm

If you’d like to experience the true southern charm, this is the place to be. Old McCaskills Farm is a family-owned farm operated by Kathy and Lee McCaskill. While their garlic may not be grocery store pretty, they are organic and farm fresh. You can visit this farm on Fridays to enjoy some homemade lunch. Their menu includes some of the tastiest garlic mashed potatoes, marinated slaw, key lime cakes, and meatloaf.

Old McCaskills Farm contacts

Wild Hope Farm

Wild Hope Farm is a certified organic farm owned by the Belk Family. This farm sits on 220 acres of land in Chester, South Carolina. The last few decades have seen the Belk family transition the land from forest to dairy farmland. Their goal is to replenish the eroded soils to transform them into an organic operation through no-till tomatoes, techniques. Out of the massive 220 acres, they farm on 12 acres. Here, they grow a range of vegetables and flowers including garlic, pumpkin, and pepper.

You can enjoy their fresh produce through their Community Supported Agriculture program on Saturdays at the Matthews Farmers Market.

Wild Hope Farm Contacts

Boondock Farms

Boondock Farms is an Agritourism farm located in Jackson, South Carolina. This farm offers fresh produce and a community farmers market. Their goal is to provide fresh produce to their community through organic farming and sustainable living. From Italian garlic to Swiss chard, and garlic scapes to tomatoes, kale, fresh eggs, and tomato pies, you can find it all at the Boondock Farms. They offer big garlic bulbs that are grown without any chemicals. Their farmers Market store is open Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Several farmers, food vendors, and artists participate in the farmer’s market.

Boondock Farms Contacts

Legare Farms Inc

Legare Farms is a bustling 300-acre family farm that was established in 1725. This ninth-generation farm is located on the Stono River near Charleston, SC, and is rich in both tradition and history. This farm provides fresh, all-natural food products to their community and features unique family events all year long. They also raise heritage-breed pork, beef cows, and laying hens. Legare Farms Inc operate a CSA program for their vegetables. They also have a very active Agritourism program, including a farm summer camp, Pumpkin Patch in October, rent a chick program, and many field trips.

Legare Farms Inc Contacts

  • Website: www.legarefarms.com
  • Location: 2620 Hanscombe Point Rd, Johns Island, SC 29455
  • Contact: +1 843 559 0788
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Rating: 4.6/5
  • Total reviews: 124 Facebook Reviews

Rambling Rosa Farm

The Rambling Rosa Farm is located in Dacusville, South Carolina. Previously a horse farm, this seven-acre farm now grows organic vegetables. How they grow their herbs and vegetables is guided by health principles. Their goal is to enhance and not interfere with natural processes in the soil. As such, they use no chemical sprays or chemical fertilizers in their farming practices. You can pick your fresh produce on the farm in Greenville or get it delivered to your doorstep.

Rambling Rosa Farm

Callywood Farms

Callywood Farms is a family-owned and run farm located in Westminster, Sc. This farm sits on 15 acres of rich wooden land. It offers its community animal welfare-approved forest-fed pork, pastured chicken, and heirloom vegetables that nourish your body, excite the taste buds, and give back to the land. The property is lush with lots of water and vegetation including three natural springs, one of which has been turned into a pond.

Callywood Farms Contacts

Crescent Farm

Crescent Farm is a small first-generation family farm. This organic vegetable farm is located in Clinton, South Carolina. Crescent farm was established in 2014. It is run by Margie Levine alongside her daughter. This family believes in agriculture and the impact working lands have on the community. The farm is USDA Certified Organic. They grow all their crops without the use of chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides. They use a combination of mechanical cultivation and handwork to control weed pressure. They also use crop rotation, rock-based fertilizers, and cover crops to enhance the soil quality and encourage healthy plant production. Here, they grow a variety of certified organic herbs, vegetables, and flowers.

Crescent Farms Contacts

Overall, South Carolina is blessed with some of the most spectacular farms in the country offering scrumptious farm meals, fun activities for all ages, and fantastic southern climates. Visit any of these farms to enjoy garlic to your heart’s content.

Sources

https://southcarolinaconnector.com/2021/07/05/boondock-farms/

https://ofrf.org/farmer-stories/wildhopefarm/

https://agriculture.sc.gov/agritourism-farms/boondock-farms/

https://www.localharvest.org/doko-farm-M27508

https://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/expert-tip-how-to-grow-garlic/