About Us
ACE Basin Growers is a nonprofit 501c3 with a two pronged mission to assist local farmers in being more successful and to get fresh fruits and vegetables to people with limited access in rural communities and food deserts.
ACE Basin Growers is a 501 c3 established to operate as a food hub for agricultural producers in the Edisto River watershed and ACE Basin Counties of South Carolina.
The entity was formed by the Center for Food Marketing and Agribusiness through the efforts of the Small Business Development Center and SC State School of Business funded by USDA/NIFE.
Any Agricultural Producer is eligible to be a member of ACE Basin Growers. There are no fees.
Deandria Bennet
Foodshare Coordinator
Deandria is the Foodshare Orangeburg program coordinator and helps promote and develop the food box program. Deandria has a strong back ground in customer relationships and excels at working with people.
Business Consultant with 20 years in small business operation and ownership, including food service and food products. Specializes in marketing and funding of business. Owns livestock farm.
Business Consultant specializing in agricultural marketing, buying food and farm safety. As a farmer/land-owner myself I am very familiar with the challenges the Ag. community faces.
Dr. Keli Feng
Marketing Professor
Dr. Feng Specializes in Supply Chain Logistics and serves as the PI of the grant program.
Board of Directors
Sloane Steedley
Secretary
Farm Outreach
Agribusiness Consultant
Jim Johnson, MBA
President
Region Director SBDC
Jennifer has a background in food service having owned a restaurant and catering business. She was an educator for many years and has a Masters in Education from U of SC. She understands farming well as she grew up around agriculture.
Anna Zacherl
Orangeburg County Library Director
The Orangeburg County Library is a Countywide system with libraries in Orangeburg, North, Holly Hill, Elloree, Springfield, Santee, a bookmobile, and book deposits for senior citizens at several locations
Ashley Page
USC School of Public Health
Growing COB
Ashley is a research associate at the USC School of Health and performs great work on the South Carolina Food Policy Council and through Growing COB.
Lara Buss
Saltcatcher Farms
Lara Buss works for Southeast Housing and Community development on a number of community projects in Bamberg County to include a community gardens and a working farm.
Stacie Darr
Owner, Yonderfield
Stacie owns the event venue Yonderfield in Bowman, SC and an event management business out of Charelston. She has extensive experience in event managment.
Dr. Haile Selassie
Ex Officio
Agribusiness Dept. Chair
Dr. Sellassie is a veteran Agribusiness professor in the School of Business
Ian Dillinger
Instinct Earth
Owner and operator of Instinct Earth Farm in Walterboro, South Carolina