Sapelo Island off the Georgia coast is as large as Manhattan, yet it has only 50 full time residents. The majority of the land is held by the state of Georgia. The salt-water Geechee who reside on the island dont wish to have their land and culture eradicated by development. The community matriarch, Cornelia Walker Bailey, and community friend Doc Bill Thomas took one special resource--the Sapelo Island red pea--and initiated, with the help of Linton Hopkins a project to cultivate and market this pea. Yesterday a group of people were invited onto the island to discuss possibilities. These included Dr. Brian Ward of Clemson University who will be doing seed security backup for the red pea at the organic research facility at Charleston, Slow Food America allies Matthew Raiford, Althea Raiford, and Jovan Sage, entomologist extraordinary Buford Merle Shepard, Glenn Roberts, president of the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation, food journalist Allston McCrady , and myself. I was particularly curious to see whether the island might be suitable for a revival of the cultivation of arrowroot, dates, citrus, and purple stripe sugar cane that occurred when the Spalding Plantation dominated the island in the 19th century. The island community has a set of significant challenges facing it if it wishes to preserve its unique traditions while ensuring an economic future. When the residents have determined a way forward, we will aid them, and support the Sapelo Island Geechee Red Pea project in the meantime.
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 15:33:06 +0000
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