Bill > H3214

This resolution establishes a three-year pilot program from 2026 to 2029 that will create three public school-based community canneries in South Carolina, where local residents can bring their homegrown produce to be professionally canned for personal use. The State Board of Education and Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service will jointly oversee the program, providing research-based canning instruction and industrial-grade equipment to help families safely preserve fruits and vegetables. Participants will be required to sign an agreement not to sell the canned goods, and the facilities will have limits on how much each family can process. The canneries will maintain schedules and records of usage, and by January 1, 2029, the board and extension service will evaluate the program's performance and recommend whether to continue and expand it through permanent legislation. The resolution draws on historical precedent from the 1920s, when community canneries were common during the Depression and World War II, and aims to help South Carolinians preserve locally grown food and maintain nutritious food supplies beyond the growing season. The program will take effect upon gubernatorial approval and is subject to General Assembly funding.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Education

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3214&session=126&summary=B