Chefarmer Matthew Raiford of Gilliard Farms is working to change the way that we look at food and assisting fellow POC to get more involved in farm to table meals. This sixth generation farmer is sharing his passion for growing food and building communities with dynamic food sources. By creating more farms and personal grow spaces, Chef Matthew believes that this will create a stronger connection with the how and where our food comes from.
We’ve shared stories of people connecting with their culture through food exploration in Thankful for Native Chefs, so this story is right up our alley.
Chef Matthew and his wife, Tia, have partnered with the nonprofit Jubilee Justice which works to support Black land ownership and stewardship.
On top of this, he is bringing to light the impact of black farmers in the creation of the rice trade in the US. His ancestors come from rice-growing regions of Ghana and Cameroon, and their heritage is termed Gullah Geechee. The impact of his enslaved black ancestors farming the first US rice fields will not be lost.
Read more about this awesome man and his cause in this article from HuffPost.
