Are you a 'Palmettovore'?

Tomatoes, squash, peppers and sweet corn are among the produce in season at Dempsey Farms on St. Helena Island. Passing motorists stop to pick from the acres of tomatoes. A few of those customers are chefs. And they're starting to get recognition for the fact that those fried green tomatoes on the menu, for example, are coming from the farm down the road.

Plums in Beaufort is one of the latest restaurants to sign up for the Fresh on the Menu program -- part of the Certified South Carolina program for locally grown products.

To qualify for the program, more than 25 percent of a restaurant's menu has to come from local ingredients. At certain times of the year, such as now, when the growing season is at its peak, as much as half of Plums' menu is local, said Chip Dinkins, director of operations for Plums and its sister restaurant, Saltus.

"We get as much as we can locally," he said.

The S.C. Department of Agriculture rolled out Certified South Carolina in May 2007, a rebranding of an older eat local campaign intended to give local farmers a boost. A year later, Fresh on the Menu was introduced. More than 200 restaurants have signed up statewide in that time, 35 of those in Beaufort County.

The Certified South Carolina logo can be found anywhere from tomatoes in the supermarket to the window sticker at a restaurant. The products vary from meat to shellfish to fruits and veggies -- even the nonedible, such as turfgrass.

The campaign came after agriculture department studies showing that the vast majority of South Carolinians would buy produce from in-state given all else was equal; even if the price were high, half of those residents said they'd still buy local.

The agriculture department recently rolled out the "Palmettovore" campaign. It's a play off the term "locavore" -- a person who only eats foods grown within 100 miles of where he or she lives. June was declared Palmettovore Challenge Month to try to get more people to eat locally.

The benefit is threefold, according to the agriculture department: locally grown products are fresher, meaning better tasting and healthier; local products support the local economy; and local products don't require as much transport, helping cut the use of fuel.

Dinkins said Plums and Saltus get their produce, shrimp and meats from a variety of Lowcountry farmers, depending on the season. The restaurants recently held a Locally Grown Wine Dinner with Dempsey Farms and Seaside Farm to showcase local food.

"As far as our chefs are concerned, fresh produce is the best," Dinkins said. "It ensures quality."

Whether the program is actually helping is the next question. The agriculture department is waiting on a study from Clemson University to see what type of impact the program is having, said spokesman Stephen Hudson.

Davey Dempsey, a third-generation owner of Dempsey Farms, said he's encouraged by the campaign but still waiting to see if it can help his business.

"People are starting to recognize the signs and the stickers and all that," he said. "It's been big in Charleston, but it's spreading down here. It's a good idea, and I think people will start recognizing it more often."