SHC Project Team
Southern Heritage Crops: Developing Economic Potential In A Geographically And Culturally Unique Market Niche For Small And Medium - Sized Farms is a multi-year, grant project, funded by a USDA-NIFA-AFRI Foundational & Applied Science award. This project involves an interdisciplinary team of research and Extension professionals from both Clemson University 1862 Cooperative Extension and South Carolina State University 1890 Research & Extension; Clemson University College of Agriculture; and the College of Humanities at the University of South Carolina. The team includes social scientists, agricultural production scientists, and humanities professionals. Key team members are outlined here.
R. David Lamie – Professor of Agribusiness and Rural Development, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Clemson University. PD and Project Director.
Dr. Lamie is responsible for the overall execution of project activities. He will lead the marketing research effort and oversee the development of the extension outreach effort. dlamie@clemson.edu
Stephen Kresovich - Robert and Lois Coker Trustees Endowed Chair of Genetics Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Public Service Activities, Genetics, and Biochemistry Department. Co-PD.
Responsible for identifying, acquiring, and optimizing SHC varieties required to fit into a sustainable southeastern production system. Where needed to improve the varieties of interest for yield, stability, and quality, Kresovich will undertake separately-funded breeding and genetics studies to a ascertain the genetic controls of particular agronomic traits of SHCs. skresov@clemson.edu
David Shields – Distinguished Professor of History and English, University of South Carolina; Chair of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation; Chair of Slow Food USA, Southern Region Ark of Taste. Co PD.
Dr. Shields serves as primary liaison to the Southern region Slow Food Ark of Taste project; project advisor; speaker at grower and other stakeholder meetings; field trip planning; and co-author/editor/reviewer of practical published works focused on production and marketing best practices. His forte is in helping producer groups to develop the “story” associated with SHCs, embedding them in the rich cultural and historical milieu surrounding each of them. dshields@mailbox.sc.edu
Brian Ward – Research Scientist, Clemson University; Organic Vegetable Specialist, Plant and Environmental Sciences Department, Coastal Research and Education Center. Collaborator.
Training and technical assistance on producer best practices and in-service training for agents and specialists. bw@clemson.edu
Richard Boyles – Cereal Grain Breeding and Genetics; Clemson University PeeDee Research and Education Center. Collaborator.
Assisting in the development of producer guides for targeted crops. In-service training for agents and specialists. rboyles@clemson.edu
Daniel Anco - Extension Peanut Specialist and Assistant Professor, Clemson University, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Edisto Research and Education Center. Collaborator.
Assisting in the development of producer guides for targeted crops. In-service training for agents and specialists. danco@clemson.edu
Chad Carter – Extension Associate, Clemson University, Food Systems and Safety. Collaborator.
Assessment of the food processing and related “hard” infrastructure and development of related publications and presentations. ctcarte@clemson.edu
Michael Vassalos – Associate Professor, Economist, Clemson University, Agricultural Sciences Department.
Collaborator. Assisting in the development of survey instruments for producers and consumers; co-author of related publications. mvassal@clemson.edu