Cold Storage Cost Share Program

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association offer the Cold Storage Cost Share Program through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Members of the South Carolina Specialty Crop Growers Association may receive reimbursement up to $750 for purchasing and installing up to two (2) CoolBot cooler systems. Nonmembers may receive reimbursement up to $325 for installing one (1) CoolBot cooler system. The CoolBot utilizes a traditional window-unit air conditioner, multiple sensors, a heating element, and a programmed micro-controller to cool a room to 36°F without freezing up.

Must be a South Carolina farmer growing specialty crops (fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops including floriculture). Must have attended a food safety workshop hosted by SCDA or Clemson Extension within the past two years; sign an affidavit that the cold storage unit will be used solely for specialty crops; provide primary source receipts; provide photos of the completed unit; enable an on-site audit; and provide follow-up data at six and twelve months. Must obtain a State of SC vendor number. SC Specialty Crop Growers Association members may be given preference.

Complete the Cold Storage Cost Share Program Participant Application, including receipts for all expenditures and a notarized affidavit. Return to Anne Nidiffer, SCDA Marketing Specialist, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, PO Box 11280, Columbia, SC 29211, or anidiffer@scda.sc.gov.