ACE FOOD HUB

ACE Food Hub is a program of ACE Basin Growers, a 501c3 non profit organization established in 2019.  The mission of ACE is to assist small-medium size agricultural producers in South Carolina to make them more successful and sustainable by providing valuable marketing and business services and supporting programs that promote local food system development that supplies fresh fruits and vegetables to underserved populations.  ACE was initially established through the efforts of South Carolina State University School of Business and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC).  ACE continues to utilize the SBDC and other agricultural service providers to educate and assist farmers.  

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ACE  established a Foodshare Food Box program in Orangeburg County in collaboration with the Orangeburg County Library and several other organizations.  The food box program is a part of the Foodshare South Carolina program.  The Foodshare food box program focuses on supplying  fresh fruits and vegetables to low income citizens by accepting EBT cards and using the South Carolina Healthy Bucks program.  Foodshare Orangeburg covers all of Orangeburg and Bamberg counties.  ACE in collaboration with Foodshare SC also operates the Veggie Rx program.  Local physicians in Orangeburg prescribe patients a Foodshare Box to be picked up every two weeks.  The program follows the patient over the course of six months to measure improvements from eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  Every Foodshare box contains local produce based on availability.  

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The ACE Food Hub aggregates local produce and food products and sells them through the Foodshare box program, Veggie Rx Porgram and to its retail and wholesale customers.  The food hub hosts a website at www.acefoodhub.org where it also sells foodshare boxes and ala carte items to cash paying customers.  ACE purchases goods from local farms that have completed an approval process.  Farmers may deliver goods to the food hub or in some cases ACE will pick up from the farm. The nonprofit mission of ACE drives the organization to serve the farmer while simultaneously helping folks in need.