Lowcountry Local First

06/01/2026

🌽🍅 Eat Drink Local Season is still going strong, and there's no better time to visit your local farmers market or discover a new favorite. June brings peak harvests of sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, okra and more!

🎓 This month we're excited to celebrate the graduating class of the Spring 2026 Community Business Academy. Interested in starting or growing your own business? Join us for an upcoming information session to learn more about the Fall 2026 cohort, designed specifically for aspiring food entrepreneurs. Plus, we're hosting a lineup of meetups designed to bring together solopreneurs and creatives so be sure to join us!

📅 Our June calendar is packed with member and community events celebrating Pride Month, Juneteenth, and so much more. Let us know what we missed and what you're most looking forward to this month in the comments!

Find more information at https://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org/events/

05/27/2026

We’re excited to share something BIG for our local business community...

Lowcountry Local First has officially launched the Lowcountry Kiva Hub!

This new initiative helps small business owners across the Lowcountry access 0% interest, fee-free loans up to $15,000 to start or grow their businesses - because affordable, flexible capital shouldn’t be out of reach.

Through Kiva, entrepreneurs can access:

💡 Loans funded through community support, not collateral or credit scores
🤝 Hands-on technical assistance throughout the application process
🌱 Connections to local resources, mentorship, and business support

We’re proud to help create more pathways to opportunity for local entrepreneurs. Think this could help take your business to the next level? Learn more at lowcountrylocalfirst.org/invest-local

05/26/2026

👩🏽‍🏫 Learn more about the Community Business Academy by joining us for a virtual information session on Wednesday, May 27.

The 2026 fall cohort, hosted at the , will focus on the fundamentals of launching and running a food-based business. The program will be led by seasoned industry professional Rashunda Grant of . While the curriculum highlights food entrepreneurship, individuals from all industries are encouraged to apply, as the core business principles are broadly applicable.

Learn more at the link in our bio! 🔗

05/26/2026

👩🏽‍🏫 Learn more about the Community Business Academy by joining us for a virtual information session on Wednesday, May 27.

The 2026 fall cohort, hosted at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, will focus on the fundamentals of launching and running a food-based business. The program will be led by seasoned industry professional Rashunda Grant of The Carolina Cookery. While the curriculum highlights food entrepreneurship, individuals from all industries are encouraged to apply, as the core business principles are broadly applicable.

Sign up: https://poln8.pollensocial.com/pnkMsk

05/22/2026

📣 Are you a local business owner or manager? We want to hear from you!

Take the Local Business Survey at the 🔗 in our bio.

Our goal is to support you and tailor our tactical support and advocacy priorities to help you and the broader local business community succeed. To do this, we need your input.

Your feedback will provide critical data that helps us understand current challenges, identify growth opportunities, and shape future policy to improve our business landscape.

Thank you for all you do!

05/20/2026

Thank you to each and every sponsor who helped make the 18th annual Chef’s Potluck possible! Because of your generous support, along with ticket sales from our incredible community, we were able to raise over $60,000 to further support our work and mission.

A special thank you to our Co-Presenting Sponsors, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group and David Thompson Studio, as well as our wonderful host, The Porter Room at Holy City Brewing, for helping to bring this unforgettable event to life.

We’re deeply grateful to partner with businesses who believe in celebrating our local food system and supporting impactful community events. ❤️

05/19/2026

BIG NEWS FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES WHO GIVE BACK! 🤝🎉

We have a big milestone to celebrate! On May 18th, Bill S715 - the “Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act” - was officially signed into law, and it’s a win for our local independent business community.

We know how much Lowcountry businesses love supporting local causes, hosting charity drives, and giving back to the community. But until now, navigating the dense regulations and red tape surrounding charitable fundraising could be a major headache for a small team.

Bill S715 changes the game by raising exemption thresholds and slashing unnecessary bureaucratic paperwork. Now, your business can champion the causes you care about with fewer administrative hurdles and less legal red tape!

Changing the burdensome law took collaboration, and we want to send a huge thank you to: 🙌 for their partnership in this. 💼 The Secretary of State’s Office team for working to modernize and simplify the process. 👑 Representative Wetmore and Senator Sutton for introducing and championing the companion bills that brought S715 to life.

What’s next? What regulation is over-burdensome for you as a local business owner? Let’s chat!

05/19/2026

05/15/2026

Still making weekend plans? The tastiest party in town is this Sunday, May 17 at The Porter Room at . Tickets are almost gone so grab yours now and and join the celebration of our local food system!

Use the promo code (yum26) for $20 off tickets. Link in bio 🎟️

👩🏽‍🍳 Chef Tastings • 🌅 Beautiful Views • 🎶 Good Tunes • 🦪 Dock Oysters • 🍻 Local Libations • 🎟️ Raffle Prizes • 🐐 Petting Zoo • 🫧 Kid’s Zone • 🕺🏽 Awesome Vibes