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Special to the Daily Journal/Messenger

The mission of the Upstate Locavore group? To eat locally and eat fresh!

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Jessica Nelms

Some members of the Upstate Locavores gather in front of some locally grown produce. "It saves money, it's great for our farmers and it's great for our local economy. Not to mention it's a way to stick to your health plan," said Ellie Taylor.

CLEMSON — Its first year anniversary is fast approaching and co-brainchild behind the reason for celebration couldn’t be more thrilled.

“It feels like we’ve been doing this forever,” said Ellie Taylor, “green pusher” and local-everything activist. “It’s something that we saw a need for and it’s just blossomed, no pun intended.”

Taylor is part of an organization called Upstate Locavores, a group and forum for people to join and discuss a very hot topic: eating, buying and supporting our local vendors and farmers.

The South Carolina Botanical Gardens just hosted “Garden Fest,” an informational event where amateurs and avid gardeners learned how to improve and grow their own produce right in their own backyard.

“It was a huge success,” Taylor said. “It’s the most local eating you can do, from your doorstep. We want the desire to garden to be re-kindled.”

Of course, “growing your own” will save you money and keep you informed on exactly what you are eating, but the idea behind the Upstate Locavores goes beyond seeding your supper.

The group hosts potluck dinners where everyone brings a dish that has at least one locally grown or produced product in it. After each beautifully assembled and healthy dish is sampled, the group delves into where the community can buy locally. And keep in mind, fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t the only food items you can buy fresh in your own ZIP code, Taylor said. The next Upstate Locavore potluck dinner will be at 6 p.m. on May 21 at Holy Trinity Church in Clemson.

“We’re talking cheese, meats, fish and everything else you can think of,” she said. “The biggest problem we face is that people just don’t know where to find them. That’s why our group has really taken off.”

Want a great place to start? Take a look at these options to begin your local shopping spree:

Happy Berry Farm: 510 Gap Hill Road, Six Mile, (864) 868-2946. It offers blueberries, blackberries, figs, grapes and other fruits/vegetables in season.

Sustainable Agriculture Project, Clemson University: www.clemson.edu/sustainableag. Offers organic vegetables, fruits and flowers in season by Community Supported Agriculture subscription or at their campus market.

Denver Downs Market: On the right side of Route 76 before the I-85 intersection on the way to Anderson. Local vegetables and fruits in season. Other local and regional products include South Carolina shrimp, grits, cornmeal, honey, beef and eggs.

Kathey’s Produce: On Route 76 on the right at the next intersection past Old Stone Church. Features seasonal produce from own farm and from adjacent states when possible, plus local grits and other products.

Hochstetler’s Country Store: 1470 S. Walnut St. (Corner of Wells Highway and Friendship Road), Seneca. (864) 882-3040. It offers local raw milk, buttermilk and chocolate when available. Beef, goat meat and goat cheese. Seasonal produce.

Redmond Brothers: Downtown Seneca, near post office. Own seasonal produce and other local foods.

Happy Cow Creamery: At 332 McKelvey Road in Pelzer. www.happycowcreamery.com, (864) 243-9699. Offers milk, local hog sausage, chicken, eggs, organic fruits/vegetables in season.

Bee Well Honey Farm and Market: 205 Hampton Ave., Pickens, on Route 8. (864) 898-5122. Fruits and vegetables (some organic), local honey products and more.

Harmony Dairy: 827 Purple Haze Drive,Westminster. (864) 647-6141. Licensed raw milk from free-range cows. No hormones, herbicides or pesticides.

M&M Dairy: 470 Dairy Farm Road, Westminster. (864) 710-1663. Raw whole milk sold on the farm.

Rose Hill Plantation: 1906 Three Bridges Road, Easley. (864) 859-6556. A you-pick farm featuring some hard to find varieties -- such as lemon cucumbers. Other local food products such as Happy Cow Milk, butter, cheeses, Split Creek Goat Cheeses, fudge and local organic raw honey, salsa and chow-chow, jams and ice cream toppings. Some hot sauces from the Columbia area, coffee, local chicken and eggs, etc. (864) 306-0303.

Upstate Food Co-op: 404 John Holliday Road, Six Mile. (864) 868-3105. Some local, organic produce in season, local goat cheese, eggs and bread. Other organic and conventional products and bulk items. Discount based on hours worked at the co-op.

Barefoot Farms of Belton: 293 Belton Road, Belton. 864-380-2202. Range-free turkey, chicken, and brown eggs. Chemical-free seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Oconee Bells Farm: 100 percent organic and sustainable practices. Variety of fruits and vegetables at stand across from farm. 646 Seed farm Road, Westminster, 29693

Split Creek Farm: 3806 Centerville Road, Anderson, 29625. (864) 287-3921; On-site store with goat cheeses, goat milk, goat meat, and some range-free eggs.