South Carolina agriculture included cotton, tobacco and indigo in the 1600's. As Virginian colonies fully supplied European markets with tobacco, South Carolina looked for other opportunities and discovered them with rice. Rice became the first major export crop from South Carolina. Prior to the Civil War, half of the rice produced in America came from Georgetown County alone. The Civil War began in 1861 and most rice plantations were either destroyed in the war or sold by their impoverished owners who could not pay the taxes. During the 1800's, markets again changed with cotton blanketing the landscape and providing the foundation for a vibrant textile industry. Cotton covered the countryside like snow from year to year, until finally reaching a record high of 2.8 million acres in 1918.

Just a decade before the 20th century was ushered in, a new cash crop was beginning to make its comeback on a few farms. Tobacco acreage began a steady increase in the 1890's, and kept climbing until it reached a record high in 1928 at 148,000 acres. Today, tobacco remains the number one cash crop for the State, although soybeans currently account for the largest portion of acreage, well above any other crop.

Livestock and poultry production are primary contributors to the State's agriculture. Nursery and greenhouse production has also grown rapidly, as well as a thriving timber industry.

South Carolina takes claim to the sweetest, juiciest peaches in all the Southeast. Although Georgia is occasionally referred to as the "Peach State," South Carolina generally ranks second only to California in national peach production - with Georgia following at #three.

There are as many diverse types of agriculture as there are family and social traditions in the Palmetto State. South Carolina can boast about having the only tea plantation in the contiguous 48 States. Many different types of vegetables are also raised, along with fruits and pecans. Agriculture is the foundation for many interesting festivals, such as the Okra Strut, the World Grits Festival, the Rice Festival, the Chitlin' Strut, and several festivals featuring peaches, watermelons, shrimp, oysters, and catfish. South Carolina is called home to many major horse events, such as the Aiken Triple Crown and Carolina Cup in Camden.