Voters will choose a successor to Hugh Weathers; none of the candidates responded to The Island News questionnaire
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
For the first time in more than two decades, South Carolina voters will elect a new commissioner of agriculture when they head to the polls Nov. 3.
Four candidates are seeking the statewide office: Democrat DeShawn Blanding, United Citizens Party candidate Chris Nelums, Republican Cody Simpson and Libertarian Michael Sullens.
The winner will succeed Republican Hugh Weathers, who has led the South Carolina Department of Agriculture since 2004 and is not seeking another term.
The Island News sent all four candidates the same 10-question questionnaire addressing the future of agriculture in South Carolina, including farm profitability, farmland preservation, food safety, disaster preparedness and emerging technologies.
None of the four candidates submitted responses.
The candidates
Blanding, of Manning, is a fourth-generation farmer and agricultural policy advocate. His background includes work on agricultural policy in Washington, including service as a policy analyst for the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
Nelums, the United Citizens Party candidate, is a businessman who previously sought the office in 2022.
Simpson, a fifth-generation farmer from Clarendon County, previously served as an agricultural adviser to Gov. Henry McMaster and as South Carolina executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency. He won the Republican nomination following a four-candidate primary and runoff election.
Sullens, the Libertarian candidate, is a restaurant operator from Anderson whose public campaign statements have addressed food safety regulations, small businesses and farmland preservation.
What does the agriculture commissioner do?
Although the office is often associated primarily with farmers, the commissioner oversees a state agency whose responsibilities extend to businesses and consumers throughout South Carolina.
The Department of Agriculture promotes South Carolina-grown products, supports agricultural businesses and helps producers access domestic and international markets.
It also oversees food safety inspections at restaurants, grocery stores and other food establishments, along with programs regulating commercial weighing and measuring devices, including gas pumps and scales.
The commissioner serves a four-year term and oversees the department’s operations, programs and regulatory responsibilities.
Issues facing the next commissioner
One of the central challenges facing South Carolina agriculture is the loss of working farmland to development.
As residential, commercial and industrial growth continues, farmers face questions about land availability, property values and the ability to pass agricultural operations to future generations.
The department also plays a role in helping farms remain economically viable as producers contend with the costs of equipment, fuel, fertilizer, transportation and labor.
Those concerns formed part of The Island News questionnaire, which asked candidates how they would improve farm profitability, expand markets and help small and beginning farmers access land, financing and technical assistance.
Disaster preparedness was another focus.
South Carolina farmers face threats from hurricanes, flooding, drought, freezes and animal diseases. Candidates were asked how they would improve emergency planning, disaster assistance and communication with agricultural producers.
Food safety and consumer protection were also addressed, including how the department should conduct inspections, enforce regulations and help businesses understand compliance requirements.
The questionnaire additionally asked about agricultural labor shortages, water availability, soil health and the responsible use of pesticides.
Agriculture and emerging technology
The newspaper also asked candidates how they would approach artificial intelligence and the expansion of data centers.
Artificial intelligence offers potential applications in agriculture, including monitoring crop conditions, managing irrigation, identifying pests and improving production efficiency.
At the same time, the technology raises questions about cost, cybersecurity, ownership of farm data and whether smaller producers can access the same tools as larger operations.
Data centers present a separate set of land-use and resource questions.
The questionnaire asked candidates how the state should evaluate the location and incentives for data centers, particularly when projects could compete with farms and surrounding communities for land, water and electricity.
Candidates were also asked how infrastructure costs associated with those developments should be allocated.
Looking ahead
The next commissioner will take office at a time when South Carolina’s agricultural industry faces competing pressures from development, production costs, changing technology and the need to maintain a safe and reliable food supply.
The office’s responsibilities extend beyond rural communities, affecting food businesses, consumers and local economies throughout the state, including Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Although none of the four candidates submitted responses to The Island News questionnaire, voters will have the opportunity to choose among Blanding, Nelums, Simpson and Sullens in the Nov. 3 general election.
Candidate questionnaire
The Island News sent the following questions to all four candidates for South Carolina commissioner of agriculture. No responses were received.
1. Farm profitability and markets: What would you do to improve the economic viability of South Carolina farms and agribusinesses? How should the department expand access to local, national and international markets while helping producers manage rising input and transportation costs?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
2. Farmland and development: South Carolina continues to lose working farmland to development. What role should the department play in farmland preservation, succession planning and balancing agricultural production with private property rights and community growth?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
3. Disaster resilience: How should the department prepare for and respond to hurricanes, flooding, drought, freezes, animal disease and other emergencies affecting farms and the food supply? What improvements are needed in disaster assistance and communication?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
4. Food safety: The department regulates retail and wholesale food establishments and other parts of the food system. How would you ensure inspections are consistent, risk-based and transparent while helping businesses understand and comply with the rules?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
5. Weights, measures and fuel quality: The department inspects gas pumps, commercial scales and other measuring devices. What staffing, technology and enforcement practices are needed to ensure consumers receive the quantity and quality they pay for?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
6. Small and beginning farmers: What would you do to help small, beginning, veteran and historically underserved farmers obtain land, financing, technical assistance, processing capacity and market access? How would you measure whether assistance reaches intended producers?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
7. Water, soil and environmental stewardship: How should the department address water availability, soil health, pesticide use, nutrient runoff and protection of natural resources while keeping farms productive and regulations workable?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
8. Agricultural workforce: Farmers and food businesses report difficulty finding and retaining workers. What state or federal policy changes, training programs or partnerships would you support to address labor needs while protecting workers and lawful employers?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
9. Artificial intelligence and data centers: Artificial intelligence could help producers improve yields, manage inputs and respond to weather, pests and markets, but it also raises questions about cost, cybersecurity, data ownership and access for smaller farms. What role should the Department of Agriculture play in supporting responsible agricultural AI?
Data centers can also compete with farms and communities for land, electricity and water. How should the state evaluate their siting and incentives, protect agricultural water supplies and farmland, and ensure their infrastructure costs are not shifted to other users?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
10. Priorities and qualifications: What do you believe you would bring to the Department of Agriculture, and what should voters know about your priorities for farmers, agribusinesses and consumers during the next four years?
Candidate responses: None submitted.
Editor’s note: The Island News invited all four candidates for South Carolina commissioner of agriculture to complete the same questionnaire. No completed questionnaires were received before the deadline. The absence of a response should not be interpreted as a statement of any candidate’s position on the issues raised.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.