Chalmers Carr, III of Ridge Spring Named South Carolina Farmer of the
Year for 2005
MOULTRIE, GA –
Chalmers R. Carr, III was one of the last people you would
ever expect to see “turning to farming” for a living.
After all, he grew up as “military brat,” moving from state to state and
even out of the country occasionally. His first “taste” of farming came
at ten years of age when he spent the summer working on his mother’s
family farm. Before long, that love for farming was born and by the time
he graduated from high school he was managing an uncle’s peach packing
shed.
It was onto Florida after graduating from Clemson University and where
his uncles helped him get his feet on the ground by leasing his first
operation, which he purchased in 1992.
In 1996, he returned home to South Carolina (Ridge Spring) and today is
the largest producer of peaches on the East Coast and has been selected
as the Lancaster/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year for South
Carolina in judging conducted by the Clemson University Extension
Service. He was nominated by Greg Henderson of Edgefield, SC.
Carr now joins seven other Southeastern state winners as a finalist for
the prestigious Lancaster/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year
Award for 2005, which will be presented during the Sunbelt Expo in
Moultrie, GA, on Tuesday, October 18.
As the South Carolina state winner, Carr will receive a $2,500 cash
award and an expense paid trip to the Sunbelt Expo from Swisher
International of Jacksonville, FL, a jacket and a $200 gift certificate
from the Williamson-Dickie Company, a commemorative fireproof home safe
from Misty Morn Safe Co., and a $500 gift certificate from Southern
States. He is also now eligible for the $14,000 cash award that will go
to the overall winner and the use of a Massey Ferguson tractor for a
year from Massey Ferguson North America.
Swisher International, through its Lancaster Premium Chewing tobacco
brand, and the Sunbelt Expo are sponsoring the Southeastern Farmer of
the Year Award for the 16th consecutive year. Swisher has contributed
over $650,000 in cash awards and other honors since the award was
initiated in 1990.
After selling his farm in Florida and returning to South Carolina in
1996, he and his wife Lori managed the largest peach operation in the
state for three years. He leased his current operation in 1999 and
completed the purchase of it in 2001.
Today, his peach orchards cover almost 2,600 acres and produce 350
bushels per acre, making him the largest peach producer on the East
Coast. His total operation of over 4,680 acres also includes 80 acres of
watermelons, yielding 39,500 pounds per acre; 50 acres of peppers,
yielding over 1,425 bushels per acre; and 10 acres of eggplant, yielding
1,900 bushels per acre.
A sales agent is used to market over 90 percent of his fruits and are
sold to such chain stores as Publix, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Wal-Mart,
Albertson’s and Bi-Lo.
“We take a lot of pride in having our peaches and vegetables in many of
the country’s top chain stores,” said Carr. “We ship in a one-half
bushel black box as our main shipping container under the name of Titan
– ‘America’s Peach.’ We also have one and two layer tray packs. Plus, an
individual price look up (PLU) sticker is placed on every peach that
comes through the packing shed.
“The combination of our marketing efforts along with a history of
consistent quality has given us strong product recognition and consumer
demand,” he added.
Carr and his wife Lori Anne have two children, son Chalmers R. Carr, IV,
age 8 and daughter Carly Anne, age 7.
Previous state winners from
South Carolina include Clifton Earl Thrailkill of Fort Lawn, 1990;
Charles Snowden of Hemingway, 1991; Robert Connelly Sr. of Ulmer, 1992;
Henry Elliott Sr. of Andrews, 1993; Ron Stephenson of Chester, 1994;
Greg Hyman of Conway, 1995; Randy Lovett of Nichols, 1996; David Drew of
Mullins, 1997; Jerry Edge of Conway, 1998; Blake McIntyre III of Marion,
1999; Ray Galloway of Darlington, 2000; W. R. Simpson of Manning, 2001;
Gill Rogers of Hartsville, 2002; Harold Pitts of Newberry, 2003; and
Clifton Earl Thrailkill of Fort Lawn, 2004. Ron Stephenson of Chester
was selected as the Southeastern Farmer of the Year in 1994.
Carr’s farm, along with the other seven state finalists, was recently
visited by a distinguished panel of judges. The judges for this year
include Dr. John Wilson, retired state program leader for Agriculture
and National Resources for Mississippi State University; Eric Raby, Vice
President Marketing – Massey Ferguson North America; and Rogers
Reynolds, retired executive with Farm Credit.
For more
information about Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award, contact Bobby
Batson, 704-788-7025 or
bbatson@swisher.com.
Spearman Enterprises is honored to work with Titan Farms to
assist them in meeting their consumer driven Technology needs.
