South Carolina’s award-winning Ag + Art Tour returns to Kershaw County on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9. For the third year, visitors and residents alike will have the opportunity to explore local handmade and homegrown experiences at a variety of farms and agricultural-related venues throughout the county. According to tour organizers, many of the county’s traditional sites will once again participate including Old McCaskill’s Farm in Rembert, Boykin Mill Farm in Boykin, Goat Daddy’s Farm in Elgin, Quite Content -- an urban garden farm in Camden -- and the Kershaw County Farmers Market in downtown Camden.

Kershaw County’s Ag + Art Tour received the 2018 Olde English District Tourism Commission Attraction of the Year award. This year, event co-chairs are Jason Southers of Goat Daddy’s and Stephanie Tetterton of Quite Content, with both farms tallying more than 2,000 visitors during last year’s weekend.

“We are seeking to add other sites to expand the variety of offerings in Kershaw County during this year’s Ag + Art Tour,” Tetterton said in a press release. “Farm site registration is underway now. Participation is completely free of charge and farm and agricultural-related sites can visit our farm recruitment website at www.agandarttour.com/farms to learn more and register to participate.”

Tetterton said the deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 20.

“Visitors love to learn what makes each farm special, whether interacting with animals or learning how seedlings grow from farm to table,” Southers said. “An extra special treat is the experience provided by the variety of artisans at each location who tell stories, paint pictures, make jewelry, sell homemade jams and jellies, honey, baked goods, provide music and dance, and demonstrate modern and vintage gardening techniques.”

Southers said artisans seeking to participate in this year’s event can email their interest and details to classicallycarolina@camdensc.org.

“Agriculture is vitally important to our state and our county,” Kershaw County Administrator Vic Carpenter said; the county is a lead sponsor for the local 2019 tour. “The Ag + Art Tour in Kershaw County is one way we can help more people connect with this important part of our economy.”

The city of Camden is also a tour sponsor, and other sponsorship opportunities are available.

According to City-County Tourism Development Director Suzi Sale, sponsorship funding is needed to support the advertising and promotion of the event.

“The farms go to great expense of resources, time and effort to make the event happen in Kershaw County. Additional funding is required to ensure the co-op advertising support of the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour Program. Having adequate sponsorship funding enables us to make the tour completely free of charge for participating farms, artisans and tour goers alike,” Sale said.

Businesses and organizations wishing to be a sponsor for Ag + Art Tour/Kershaw should email classicallycarolina@camdensc.org to request details and offer support.

The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour has been cultivating handmade and homegrown South Carolina experiences since 2012. The Ag + Art Tour is the nation’s largest free self-guided farm tour featuring local artisans and farmers markets in different counties each weekend in June. To date the tour has welcomed over 30,000 visitors statewide throughout the month of June.

For more information, visit www.agandarttour.com and follow details about the Kershaw County tour on Facebook at @agandartkershaw.