Food system issues highlighted at upcoming farm tour

By Mike Switzer

Published May 7, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

Mike Switzer, host of the South Carolina Business Review

Agriculture is big business in our state and we are continuing to learn that small-scale, sustainable farming is becoming a significant portion of that business. And some of that growth is due to efforts from organizations seeking solutions to local food system issues. Mike Switzer interviews Andy Smith, a volunteer and board member at the Oconee Food Council in Upstate S.C., host of the upcoming OCONEE GROWN 2025 Farm Tour.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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