Allendale farmers join Salkehatchie delegation at state conference

Tyler O’Neal, Rachel Oswald and Joe Oswald were among the Salkehatchie Young Farmers and Ranchers who traveled to Charleston and joined more than 400 young farmers, ranchers and agriculture supporters for the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference. For Allendale County, the trip was more than a state gathering. It put local producers in the same room with peers from Bamberg, Barnwell and Hampton counties, where the real value came from swapping ideas that can shape farm decisions back home.

The 2026 conference ran Feb. 6-8 at the Charleston Marriott under the theme “Planted with Purpose.” The agenda mixed policy, leadership and production training, starting with a welcome session from Charleston County Young Farmers and Ranchers chair Emery Tumbleston and South Carolina Farm Bureau President Harry Ott. State Rep. Gary Brewer and American Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Scott VanderWal also addressed attendees, while breakout sessions, a producer panel and a keynote session with Dr. Milt Lowder rounded out the program.

One of the most practical sessions was Lowder’s “Better Never Rest,” which fit the conference’s broader push to turn young farmers into stronger business leaders. South Carolina Farm Bureau describes its Young Farmers and Ranchers program as a network for members ages 18-35 focused on networking, education and leadership development, and the American Farm Bureau Federation says the effort is designed to build skills in public speaking, issue advocacy, business development, media training and service. Those are the kinds of tools that matter in a county where agriculture remains a major part of the local economy and where young producers often have to decide whether they can make a living close to home.

Sally Harrison, chair of the State Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, said the program encourages participants to stay focused on purpose, leadership and community, while also building ties with ag businesses and people facing similar operational questions. Harrison was elected state chair in December and will continue leading the program through 2026. The next conference is already set for Greenville in 2027.

The county-level stakes are clear in the USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, which counted 126 farms in Allendale County and about $16.4 million in commodity sales. That is the kind of base that makes leadership pipelines important, especially as the Salkehatchie cluster sends younger producers into a larger statewide network. Attendance also appeared to be growing, with more than 350 young farmers and ranchers at the 2025 conference in Hilton Head and more than 400 in Charleston this year.