NACD Southeast Regional Conference

There’s something for everyone.

From a revitalized downtown ranked among “America’s Ten Best” by Forbes Magazine featuring the one-of-a-kind Liberty Bridge, to our quaint shops and boutiques, Greenville is a showcase destination. You’ll find fabulous restaurants, a world-class collection of museums, galleries and theaters, and some of the most beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains in the world. Greenville truly has something for everyone!

Grow Smarter.

It isn’t just an idea. It is how Conservation Districts should think about the future. The 2017 NACD Southeast meeting will focus on how Districts are growing the future of conservation in their states and how these efforts can shape agriculture in the United States for future generations. How do we keep up to date in the modern world while staying true to our roots? How does technology fit into the equation? Are tried and true methods the way to go? Join us in Greenville, South Carolina to discuss these questions and more. Sessions will include a combination of breakouts on topics of interest and tours that showcase the Upstate of South Carolina.

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Cost and Logistics

REGISTRATION: Cost to attend the entire conference is $350 and includes most meals, conference sessions, and a tour. Spouse/Guest registration is $300 and includes all conference meals and a tour.

ROOM RATE: Lodging is not included but has been negotiated at a rate of $125.00 +tax. This rate includes complimentary parking, WiFi in guest rooms, fitness center, pool access, and airport shuttle. To reserve your room, call Marriott Group Reservations at 1-888-256-7924 and use code “ACD” (SCACD Conference 2017) or book online by clicking here.

Deadline for registration is July 24, 2017.
Anyone registering after this date will be charged the $400 in-person registration fee.

Cancellation policy: Cancellations must be made in writing.  There will be a $30 non-refundable fee for processing cancellations.  No refunds for cancellations after July 24, 2017.

Tours

Registrants may select one  tour to attend on Tuesday afternoon. When registering, please note your first, second, and third choice of tour as they will fill up quickly. Tours are assigned on a first come, first served basis, so reserve early!

Conservation Then and Now
Soil Health & Agricultural Research – Clemson University Research and Education Center

Nowhere else will you be able to visit the birthplace of conservation in the US and learn about the latest in conservation techniques in the same afternoon.

Mr. John Parris, local Conservation District historian extraordinaire, will provide a riveting presentation on conservation district beginnings in SC.  Upstate SC is the home of many conservation firsts including the first NACD office in the land, some of the first demonstration sites in the country, and the first farm plan in the nation.

New and innovative work at Clemson University Simpson Research and Education Center will also be highlighted to show how far conservation has come.  Dr. John Andrae will host a tour of his latest test plots including results for cover cropping.  Learn about a birthplace of conservation in the US and see the latest research showing how far we’ve come. Wear walking shoes, sun/rain gear

Jocassee Gorges Natural Area Preserve Tour  (Limited to 32)

Driving along SC 11 in the northwestern-most corner of South Carolina, it’s easy to miss the Jocassee Gorges area, an unspoiled wilderness, named by National Geographic Magazine among “50 of the World’s Last Great Places.” Beyond the blacktop are 50,000 acres of lush forestlands boasting one of the highest concentrations of waterfalls in the eastern United States. A dozen rivers plunging through the steep, forested slopes created the area’s rugged gorges and its many impressive waterfalls. Included on this tour is a stop at Twin Falls, with a moderately difficult trail walk up to the falls. The name Jocassee, according to Native American legend, means “Place of the Lost One.” This protected land, once the hunting grounds of the Cherokee Indian Nation, is indeed a special place worthy of National Geographic’s designation as a “destination of a lifetime.” But it’s the Jocassee Gorges’ dramatic landscape that will take your breath away. In as little as a mile, the elevation abruptly drops 2,500 feet from a blue wall of mountains to the rolling hills of the Piedmont. This topographical phenomenon is known as the Blue Ridge Escarpment.
Wear walking shoes, sun/rain gear.  Short trail walk with moderate difficulty (steps and roots)

SC Botanical Garden and Geology Museum Tour 

This will be a great tour! The South Carolina Botanical Garden in Clemson, SC is a diverse 295 acres of natural landscapes, display gardens and miles of streams and nature trails. With distinguished education/outreach programs and a nationally recognized nature-based sculpture collection, the South Carolina Botanical Garden is a premier site for experiencing nature and culture.

The South Carolina Botanical Garden is home to an official American Hosta Society Display Garden, a 70-acre arboretum, miles of nature trails and streams, a butterfly garden, a wildflower meadow and many specialty gardens. The Garden is also home to over 300 varieties of camellias, as well as an extensive collection of hollies, hydrangeas, magnolias, and native plants.

The Bob Campbell Geology Museum  houses a collection of more than 10,000 minerals, rocks and fossils from locations in South Carolina and across the globe. The museum features a wide variety of geological and paleontological exhibits and is an invaluable resource for science students, teachers, researchers, and anybody interested in exploring Earth history.

Wear walking shoes, sun/rain gear

Urban Farming At Its Best  

Greenville is home to some fantastic new urban farms!  On this tour, we will be highlighting two farms that are specifically designed to feed the food deserts in Greenville.  These farms are transforming our community by growing fresh foods, developing successful youth entrepreneurs and feeding inner city schools.

We will visit Mill Village Farm where they use innovative strategies like hydroponic growing in a greenhouse, mobile markets, and are building a state-of-the-art processing facility.

When we visit Legacy City Farm [NACD Urban Agriculture Grant project], we’ll learn about what it takes to go from an empty and overgrown urban lot to a working farm. Explanations of urban farming challenges like land acquisition, soil contamination, and GAP certification will be covered as well.
Wear walking shoes, sun/rain gear

Spouse/Children Tour – Greenville Museums
For many families, the notion of spending vacation time visiting museums evokes visions of dusty hallways and “Quiet Please” signs. Not in Greenville, South Carolina, though.

Start with the Upcountry History Museum, which opened in 2007 and explores three centuries of Upcountry South Carolina through permanent and traveling exhibits – many of them interactive – in a 45,000 square-foot public space. “We have family-friendly exhibits that trace the history of the Upcountry,” director Dana S. Thorpe says. “But we’re not just about the Upcountry.” Additions include a look at the 2016 presidential campaign; “Our Lives, Our Stories: America’s Greatest Generation,” a 2,000 square foot exhibit on World War II and the Great Depression; and “Searching for the ’70s,” a traveling Smithsonian exhibit that traces America’s environmental awakening and focuses on Greenville’s Reedy River, once polluted by the textile industries but now “the front door of the community,” Thorpe says.

If you’d like The Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth.
A short walk away, the Children’s Museum of the Upstate is the definition of “user- and kid-friendly,” with 19 permanent exhibits that entertain while also teaching about everything from grocery stores to banks to TV stations and even the space shuttle. Visitors (adults must be accompanied by their children) can shop in the “Baby Bi-Lo,” use a mock ATM, run a TV studio camera, even “pilot” the shuttle into space.

Wear walking shoes, sun/rain gear, light sweater for air conditioning

Transportation

BY AIR: Greenville Spartanburg Airport is 15 minutes from the Marriott Greenville. Complimentary airport shuttle available.
DRIVING TIMES: Greenville is conveniently located on Interstate 85 in the Upstate of SC.

• Asheville – 1h, 15m
• Charlotte – 1h, 40m
• Atlanta – 2 hr, 15m
• Knoxville – 2h, 45m
• Savannah – 3h, 45m
• Louisville – 6h, 15m