The presence of GrowFood Carolina is impossible to miss in Charleston: Its trucks and sprinters constantly criss-cross the area; its name is mentioned by countless restaurants as a proud partner and purveyor. Launched by the Coastal Conservation League in 2011, the food hub nurtures local, small-scale agriculture by connecting growers to the larger market. Now more than a decade in, a change in leadership marks the start of a new chapter.
In July, director Anthony Mirisciotta announced his departure after nearly four and a half years, and longtime team member Benton Montgomery was named as his interim (and later official) replacement.
The transition came naturally: Montgomery was one of the nonprofit’s first employees. “I’ve been in these walls for so long, and I care so much about this group of growers,” Montgomery said.
After graduating from the University of South Carolina, he moved to Charleston for a role with All In Entertainment, the former proprietor of the Music Farm. Montgomery spent the next four years wrangling talent and driving between venues across the Carolinas.
“I was ready for a daytime role,” he said of his eventual career change. When a Charleston City Paper article announced the formation of GrowFood Carolina, he reached out about a job. “It seemed like something objectively good for the state itself.”
Change, pivot, grow
In those early days, the small operation was all-hands-on-deck.
“It was just myself, Bob Tremayne and Sarah Clow. I learned what I could from the ground floor,” Montgomery said.
In time, his focus shifted from making deliveries in the food hub’s single Kia Soul to grower communication and routing, and GrowFood became a real force — not only for growers, restaurants and markets in Charleston, but in Columbia, Greenville, Savannah and beyond. “I saw the second cooler go in, then the third,” he said. “The big truck, the sprinters. I watched us change, pivot, grow.”
Today, GrowFood’s operation is a far cry from its Kia Soul days. In December 2022, the headquarters moved from its original Morrison Drive location to a 12,000-square-foot facility on Harmon Street, where capacity has increased exponentially.
“We’re not the new kid on the block anymore,” said Montgomery, whose responsibilities now feature more operational oversight. Still, he benefits from the 1,000-foot view: “As a logistics junkie, the puzzle of it all is fun,” he said. “There’s always a new route, new growers, new schools. I’m constantly thinking about how to make it all work.”
New goals, refreshed commitments
Entering this new era, Montgomery’s goals for GrowFood include a refreshed commitment to the organization’s hometown. “I want to refocus on the Charleston area, because for so long we’ve been in growth mode,” he said. “I think there’s a lot more we can do right here.”
One way this will take shape is through a more robust direct-to-consumer model, still in development. “We want to be more than a wholesale operation,” Montgomery said. “Whether that’s a regular box program or a true farmer’s market approach, we want to connect more local folks to produce from our growers.”
Restaurants have always been part of the GrowFood fabric, but building and sustaining these relationships takes a conscious effort, too. “We’re constantly reinvesting,” Montgomery said. “As new programs pop up, we have to be forward-thinking to ensure our growers still offer something special.” As the culinary scene evolves, partners like chef Mike Lata have been vital advisors.
“He’s been a great resource for asking questions, whether about labor situations or other shifts he’s seen.”
In recent years, GrowFood has also evolved its outreach department, partnering with food access projects in the Lowcountry. “Outreach wasn’t our focus for a long time — it was getting into the restaurants and stores,” Montgomery said. “Creating the funds to do this has been one of our biggest shifts. It gets our staff and donors engaged and keeps us involved in the community and its needs.”
The Headstart Program is one such avenue. Each week, GrowFood sources and distributes some 700 produce boxes to students at 13 area schools. “It’s a huge game changer, because it allows us to buy from growers in bulk,” Montgomery said. “Take collards, for instance. Most restaurants aren’t going to come to us for those. But now we’re able to get organic collards from Joseph Fields for the students, and we can serve both the kids and the product.”
The long-term investment that earned Montgomery the role is also what makes his work so rewarding. “I’ve got long-standing relationships with these growers,” he said. “We’ve had a couple pass away; with others I’ve seen their kids grow up and go off to college. I’ve gotten to see a lot of life.”
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