South Carolina Market Bulletin: History, Free Online Access, Content and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
The South Carolina Market Bulletin has been a voice of agriculture in the Palmetto State since 1913, making it one of the oldest state market bulletins in the South. Published by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, it offers free classified ads for land, livestock, hay and farm equipment, along with agricultural news, events and the Commissioner's Corner column. In 2026 the department made it free to read online for everyone.
| Since | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Origin | Began as a section of The State newspaper |
| Publisher | South Carolina Department of Agriculture |
| Frequency | About twice a month |
| Access | Free online since 2026; print by mail $15 a year |
| Editor | Eva Moore |
| Official website | Agriculture.SC.gov |
History of South Carolina Market Bulletin
The Market Bulletin began in 1913 as a specialized section in The State, the Columbia daily newspaper, before becoming a standalone publication of the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. It predates the market bulletins of West Virginia (1916), Georgia (1917) and Mississippi (1928).
For more than a century it has connected buyers and sellers of farm goods across the state, from Upstate cattle farms to Lowcountry produce growers, while carrying department news and legislative updates. The South Carolina State Library preserves issues in its digital collections as state documents.
In February 2026 the department removed the digital paywall, opening the Bulletin online to the general public without a subscription. It cited a larger marketplace for buyers and sellers of equipment, livestock and services, and simpler operations with less effort spent on subscription management and technical support.
South Carolina Market Bulletin Today
Classified ads remain free, covering dozens of agriculture-related categories from land to livestock and hay to farm equipment. Recent issues were dated September 3, September 17, October 1, October 15 and November 5, 2026. Readers who want paper copies can still have the print edition mailed for $15 a year.
Beyond classifieds, each issue carries agricultural news, event listings, legislative updates, department news releases and the Commissioner's Corner, a regular column from South Carolina's Commissioner of Agriculture.
What South Carolina Market Bulletin Is Publishing Now
Free farm classifieds
Land, cattle, goats, horses, poultry, hay, seed and equipment listed by South Carolina farmers and landowners, under policies the department publishes.
Commissioner's Corner and news
The commissioner's column and department releases on programs, regulations, animal health and markets.
Events and legislation
Calendars of farm events and updates on agriculture bills at the State House.
South Carolina Market Bulletin Editors and Staff
The department's Market Bulletin page lists these contacts:
- Eva Moore - Editor
- Janet Goins - Ads and Circulation
Ads and circulation questions go to marketbulletin@scda.sc.gov, per the department's page.
Who Reads South Carolina Market Bulletin
Readers are South Carolina cattle, poultry, hay and produce farmers, timber and hunting landowners, small homesteaders and rural families. The state's agriculture runs from broilers, turkeys and cattle to peaches, cotton, soybeans and forestry. Nationally, 116,617 farms sold $3.3 billion directly to consumers in 2022, according to USDA NASS, the kind of local trade the Bulletin has supported for a century.
Any publication that started life as a section of a daily newspaper in 1913 has seen its share of odd swaps, from mules to peach baskets. farm.FM mines that vein with farm satire about Lowcountry heat, farm humor about Upstate hay deals and ranch humor for cattle folks along the Savannah River. The farm jokes there are free to read, just like the Bulletin now.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
South Carolina Market Bulletin Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- South Carolina Department of Agriculture: Market Bulletin - issues, ad policies and contacts.
- SCDA: Department expands Market Bulletin access - the 2026 free-access announcement.
- Tega Cay Sun: Century-old Market Bulletin moves to open access - news coverage of the change.
- South Carolina State Library: Market Bulletin collection - digitized issues.
- USDA NASS: 2022 Census of Agriculture - direct sales and farm data.
South Carolina Market Bulletin FAQ
How old is the South Carolina Market Bulletin?
It dates to 1913, when it began as a section of The State newspaper.
Is the South Carolina Market Bulletin free?
Yes, it has been free to read online since 2026, and classified ads are free; mailed print copies cost $15 a year.
Who edits the Market Bulletin?
Eva Moore is editor; Janet Goins handles ads and circulation.
What can I advertise?
Agriculture-related items, from land and livestock to hay and farm equipment, under department policies.
After more than a century, the South Carolina Market Bulletin is open to every reader and still free to every farmer with something to sell.