While taking the From Seed to Shoreline training, I discovered the book club All Booked Up Coastal Reading Club. The club “provides an opportunity for educators to read and discuss books focused on the environmental and natural resources topics”. I decided to join the club and the book selection at that time was, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, a call to action that combines memoir, Indigenous storytelling, and scientific writing. Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, examines the relationships people have with the land from a traditional and scientific view, prompting us to do the same.
I listened to an audio version of the book and found it very interesting and that left me looking forward to the next book selection. I received the complimentary free first book as a new member in the mail as promised. The book is Rice by Nikky Finney.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
“In Rice, Nikky Finney explores the complexity of rice as central to the culture, economy, and mystique of the coastal South Carolina region where she was born and raised. The prized Carolina Gold rice paradoxically made South Carolina one of the most oppressive states for slaves and also created the remarkable Gullah culture on the coastal islands. The poems in Rice compose a profound and unflinching journey connecting family and the paradoxes of American history, from the tragic times when African slaves disembarked on the South Carolina coast to the triumphant day when Judge Ernest A. Finney Jr., Nikky’s father, was sworn in as South Carolina’s first African American chief justice. Images from the Finney family archive illustrate and punctuate this collection. Rice showcases Finney’s hungry intellect, her regional awareness and pride, and her sensitivity to how cultures are built and threatened.”
Nikki FinneyThe front cover of Rice.
Other books that have been read and discussed so far: J. Drew Lanham’s The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, Mary Roach’s Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, Will Harlan’s Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island, and Marcia Myers Bonta’s American Women Afield: Writings by Pioneering Women Naturalists. Authors often join the meetings for an in-depth discussion of their books. I’m still working in reading as many of the books previously discussed, thus far I’ve been able to listen to Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’sLove Affair with Nature. There’s more great reading ahead!
My farm is hosting an event to mark the Emancipation Proclamation reading and celebration at Camp Saxton in Port Royal on Thursday, January 1, 1863.
In November 1862, Dr. Seth Rogers, a medical doctor practicing at Worcester, Massachusetts, volunteered to serve in the United States Army as a surgeon for the black soldiers of the First South Carolina Volunteer Infantry.
Miss Charlotte Forten, a Negro abolitionist and teacher from Philadelphia, who was teaching freed slaves at nearby St. Helena Island in 1862 and 1863. She attended the Emancipation Day ceremonies and shared many of the details in her journal.
Mrs. Frances (Fanny) Gage, who the fall of 1862, with her daughter Mary went to the Sea Islands where she became Superintendent at Parris Island. During her tenure, Fanny became close friends with Clara Barton. Based on Clara Barton’s diaries, Fanny was a strong influence and expanded her views on both women’s and black rights. She was a spokeswoman at several of the key events at the Sea Islands, being the only woman to talk at the Emancipation Proclamation
This event will showcase the program and the emotional impact that it had on those attending. The dramatic retelling along with the close likeness of the surroundings and atmosphere, and the food served during the event will help you gain a deeper perspective and appreciation of the occasion and its significance in history. Join us under the oaks, around the campfires for a program that teaches and reminds us of a remarkable event.
Tickets are available through the link in our farm website
Last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, after the Grace and prayer of thanksgiving was ended in a unison of “Amen”, my mom reminded everyone that this coming Sunday, today, would have been the 63rd anniversary of her marriage to my father, Rudolph Glover Sr.
Today we acknowledge that beautiful union and blessing that together they were to us. Mom retold the story of their meeting on the campus of South Carolina State College now university. God allowed tennis to bring them together . The courts during the time of their time there were across from Earle and Miller Halls and adjacent to the student center. Duke’s Gym was also across the street. My dad hit balls in my moms direction she recounted to get her attention and cause her to look in his direction. Of course she ignored him, so he began to send messages to her by his sister Lillian who knew mom from a class they took together. Eventually the two spoke but Rudy learned Barbara was already engaged, what was he to do? He did not give up, but as a gentleman he graciously pursued her. Before long the engagement was over to the soon to be commissioned ROTC cadet and the romance with Rudy began.
They eloped and later had a beautiful ceremony with family in my grandparents home in Anderson, SC. Rudy and Barbara Glover we thank God for bringing them together and starting a family that includes me and brother Rudolph Reggie Glover as our children. Thanks for being an example of a marriage and parenthood.
For the past few months we’ve hosted events on our farm about the life and work of Dr. George Washington Carver. In our October series we look at Dr. George Washington Carver as a mycologist, to share information about his mushroom collections and fungi research. In addition we hope to introduce and build the skills needed to identify local south eastern mushrooms especially those in our local lowcountry communities. The class will be a combination of presentations and outdoor experience to look at physical identification features, likely locations, and the seasonal occurrence of mushrooms.
Attendees will be provided information about how to grow mushrooms using indoor kits, use of mushroom plugs in logs and cultivating in hardwood chip beds or mulch. Tour the property with presenters and look for and practice identifying mushrooms. Chef and Forager Alex Curtis @acurtcooks will share her knowledge as a licensed forager and prepare the meal for the event, vegan choices will be available. Also presenting will be William “Bubba” Green owner of Mycelium Connection, he will share about his experience from mushroom hobbyist to experts and make demonstrations of growing mushrooms.
Allow me to introduce Alex Curtis (IG: @acurtcooks) Alex is a an enthusiast of trees and of all things nature and food. She has been foraging for wild foods her whole life, and cooking professionally for a decade. Some of her earliest memories are gathering bins full of black walnuts with her father in Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC, and climbing mulberry trees and catching crabs with her mom in South Carolina. On her father’s side, Alex comes from North Carolina tobacco and watermelon farmers, who migrated to DC, never completely leaving their agricultural roots behind them. Her mother, along with many of Alex’s 12 aunts and uncles, are dedicated preservationists, with a few professional chefs and master gardeners among them. Alex’s interest in mushroom foraging began when her sister started a mushroom farm in DC, Good Sense Farm. Since then, she has been a student, grower, and overall huge fan of the exciting world of mushrooms, seeking to spread the word about the power of mycology to transform the environment, the economy, and also the dinner table. When she’s not in the woods, Alex also enjoys painting, playing music, and telling jokes. She is also the recipient of four laurels from the international film festivals and script awards.
Meet Bubba. In an article about Bubba in the Charleston Mercury, writer Charles W. Waring III wrote, “More than 40 years ago, William “Bubba” Green III started riding around the grounds of Middleton Place where his family lived and his father worked. In rural surroundings interwoven with many threads of history, he saw all the flora and fauna and eventually became one of his father’s assistants on the driven deer hunts, where he learned much about the habits of wild creatures.”
“Bubba also witnessed his father as a caterer and heard him speak about Gullah cuisine, the way in which the woods and waters have so much to offer for our health and how good human relations are a reflection of nature in balance. He learned the importance of careful observation, respect for the voices of wisdom and belief to embrace the best in others.”
“Centered now at The Woodlands Nature Reserve on the west side of HWY 61, the student has become the professor, and Bubba, at age 45, is now the man to see if you want to learn about growing your own mushrooms, buy some for your restaurant or acquire a few for your home kitchen. Before he kicked the mushroom business into high gear, he was regularly visiting with his famous father at The Gullah Grub Restaurant in St. Helena near Beaufort.”
At the Fall Mushroom Event you will hear Bubba’s beginning in the world of mushrooms as a hobbyist and his interest became a passion that grew into a business. He will share how you can grow mushrooms at home and along with the Joneses demonstrate mushroom growing methods. Join us for an afternoon of learning on the farm.
The class is open to individuals, and families with children. There will be handouts and a special take home activity for children.
Camping spaces are available for travelers through @hipcamp , where we are listed as “Friendly Fowl Farm”.
As the month of November nears an end for 2021 I’ve completed a piece for Native American Heritage Month. This month has been designated as one to recognize the ancestry and history of Native People in the United States. It’s also meant to celebrate and appreciate the culture and traditions of Indigenous Americans in this country. I grew up hearing about my family history, my ancestors and traditions both on my maternal and paternal sides of the family and not long ago was informed of evidence of Indigenous ethnicity in my family. I’ve always had an interest in expanding the knowledge of my family and hearing that we have another part of our ancestral background I began to search even more.
Cherry Townsend Fulton and her daughters shortly after the death of her husband Rev. I. H. Fulton.
After my father died July 3, 2021 my brother Reggie and I looked through many of dad’s papers and photos and came across many items we had not seen before. Our father was a historian and held on to many letters, photographs, and articles related to our family. I came across a notebook with a group of papers that held the answers to many of the questions I had about the family. This blog post contains quotes from those papers and from a book with family history compiled by my great aunt Lee.
My paternal grandmother Gladys Fulton Glover and her sisters, Mildred, Frances and Lenora actually contributed to a family history journal that began with entries by their mother Cherry Townsend Fulton whose penn name was Charity Blume. Cherry Fulton was my great grandmother. She was born in Charleston, SC to Rev. James Richard Townsend and his wife Harriet Weston Townsend both were the Charleston area. Charleston is where the Gullah and Native Catawba heritage of one side of my family began.
Cherry recorded as much of our family history as she could. She began with the story of her paternal grandmother Nancy a Catawba Indian girl who was taken from her house and taken to Charleston, SC where she was forced into a marriage of a White man. It isn’t clear how he came to know who she was or why he was in the Upstate near the Catawba People but some how this occurred. Nancy ran away from this White man and the marriage. It seems she was unhappy and likely mistreated. She ran away and found safety and protection in a new marriage with a Black man named Benjamin Townsend. Together Nancy and Benjamin had two children, both sons; Richard and Benjamin.
Rev. James Richard Townsend my great great Grandfather. Cherry Townsend Fulton
Richard Townsend had two children, Margaret and Richard Jr. Richard Jr. married Julianne Brown, the daughter of John Brown, their children were Alonzo Gray Townsend and James Richard Townsend and a daughter Mrs. A. G. Townsend Grant. I’m in search what her initials stand for.
James Richard Townsend was the father of Cherry Townsend. Alonzo Gray Townsend was her uncle. Both brothers attended Avery Institute in Charleston, Alonzo was in the first graduating class. Both brothers became United Methodist Episcopal pastors and pastored churches throughout the state including Centenary in Charleston and Trinity in Orangeburg.
Alonzo Townsend went on to attend Howard University in Washington D.C. during the ReconstructionEra and once the University of South Carolina began admitting Blacks he transferred and completed his degree there in 1876. Years latter in 1936, Rev. Townsend gained national prominence as the best known graduate of USC when the alumni of the school refused to grant him the gift of a gold tipped cane to which he was entitled as the oldest living graduate. Many newspaper articles were written about the incident often referred to Rev. Townsend as “part Negro”.
Rev. Alonzo Townsend’s first wife Emma Harlan Townsend died he remarried. His second wife Ocala was of also Native heritage.
There are other stories of Native family members but not documented as well as this one. My 23 and Me results offer confirmation by showing the percentage of indigenous ancestry I have. Most people say, “ I know I have some Indian blood in me, look at my cheekbones”. Others are often heard to say “I’m part Cherokee “. Well, the most I know is that I have Catawba ancestors. I don’t say it to claim a novelty or to be something other than Black, I love how God made me. I know that I also have White ancestry through the stories, documents and photographs. I don’t mention that to suggest it betters me or my personhood, it’s a fact that is well documented in my family. My paternal great grandmother Alice Moorer Glover was the daughter of plantation owner Captain John Moorer. That’s a whole other great story. Most people have a mixture of ancestry somewhere in their family tree.
As I ponder the account of Nancy Townsend, I’m so sorry that she was taken from her family and Tribe of the Catawba Nation in the Upstate of SC and forced into a marriage or to live in arrangement with the White man who took her. Native people suffered many degrading things, their women were often trafficked and abused.. I’m glad that she was able to escape and found refuge, protection and love with Benjamin Townsend. I am so pleased to know that the fruit of their marriage eventually brought forth children and descendants that eventually included my grandmother Gladys Fulton Glover and my dad Rudolph. I don’t know a lot about the Catawba, I’ve watched programs about their clay pottery but now I’ve begun doing some research. I wonder what life was like when she was a child up until she was stolen away. Who were her parents and other family members? Did she have siblings? My percentage of Catawba isn’t a high number but it’s there and I do have a great deal of respect and appreciation for them for without Nancy, I would not be here! I celebrate this part of my family history and the members I’ve been introduced to through by great grandmother’s writings and those of her daughters.
In closing, I have shared a number of photographs from Aunt Lee’s book about her great uncle the Rev Alonzo Gray Townsend. Also, while doing this research I came across more information about a s of Alonzo and Emma Townsend, his name was Benjamin T. Townsend. He was born in Orangeburg, SC while his father was working there. Later the family moved to a small community in Anderson County where Rev. Townsend served at Deep Creek United Methodist Episcopal Church. Benjamin died there and was buried at the church cemetery.
As we work on the farm to fulfill orders for Thanksgiving, and the winter holidays approach memories of traditions arise and fill my thoughts. The gathering of family and friends at the appointed home, of foods prepared beforehand joining with the dishes on stovetops and in ovens on the special day. The tables for the younger and the one for the elders. The tablecloths and runners bedeck the table along with knives, forks and spoons atop folded napkins, and the glasses in just the right place. So often not fancy decor but those passed down from one generation to another that hold special meanings. The platter from a grandmother bought for a wedding gift or the first holiday meal in that house. The gravy boat with the chip, the funny salt and pepper shakers shaped like pumpkins or turkeys that make an appearance annually and would be missed if they somehow were not there.
“Come ye thankful people come” is the call of the hymn, and we have come together to acknowledge that we are surely thankful people! We shuffle to gather around the tables and hold hands to say grace, “Father, we thank you for this food we are about to receive, and for the hands that prepared it. May this food nourish our bodies, from time to time, for Christ sake. Amen.” It’s an offering of thanks led by that elder family member, usually a grandfather or grandmother to show that we don’t believe it’s by any accident that we have been allowed to be present or have food of which to partake. We are reminded that God provided our ‘daily bread’ throughout the year and there was a bounty during the harvest that year. We show our appreciation for the farmers and grocers and all those in between who contributed toward the meal we will receive.
“Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home; all is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin. God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied; come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.”
My dad at the head of the table.
Following the meal there is fellowship during the clean up as cousins lend their hands toward the putting away of food, washing dishes and getting the table ready for dessert. The younger kids play games while adults watch the football games or chat from room to room. What a special time!
After Thanksgiving we knew in three days the Advent season began. At church there was the large Advent wreath with greenery and candles. There was a gladness and reverence for the lighting of the candle preceded and followed by special readings and recitations that were familiar. The excitement of joining in with everyone as we affirmed our belief and trust in Holy Scripture and Truth found therein. The liturgy and creeds said at an early age with some stumbling and without much understanding, but gradually, overtime they were said with more confidence and acceptance, until they became familiar and assuring that I do know what and in Whom I believe. The repetition and memorization planted truth in my heart that grew and took root. The call and response of prayers and verses really did affirm my faith. The feeling of community and unity that I felt was only tradition became more than an exercise but a source of strength that was now a deep part of me. When I realized that I was recounting Bible truths and doctrine that strengthened and built me up in the faith.
Each year now I look forward to Fall to celebrate God’s faithfulness, His new mercies to me and the supply of my needs and those of my family. Each season of Advent He prepares my heart to celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus; God with us. The four Sundays of worship and liturgy remind me of the condition of the world and why Jesus came to be the Savior. I’m reminded through daily Advent readings and songs, the lighting of the candles that cause me to focus on His second coming.
These traditions are gifts given to me by my parents, grandparents, and other family members. As we celebrate Thanksgiving and Advent this year in anticipation of Christmas, whether together or virtually, the rich traditions will continue to lead us to the Word of God as a guide and a source of stability and hope. The liturgy will serve as a pattern not to be strictly adhered to but to give an example of a celebration of Truth. As we say the words with meaning and confidence, we’ll be reminded of our loving family members gone on before us and of the Savior who came to be with us to rescue us from the darkness. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” Isaiah 9:2 ESV We have prepared to celebrate Advent this year with a chosen devotion and with great expectation and anticipation look forward to a joyous time of worship.
Last October, our friend chef Chef BJ Dennis gave us a call to ask if it was okay that he recommended his friend chef and author Michael Twitty, stop by to interview us for a piece he was working on. We said sure, we were familiar with Michael’s work. A few years back we attended a workshop he taught during the Sustainable Agriculture Conference put on by Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. We loved the workshop and bought a copy of his book, The Cooking Gene, and went to his book signing. We became acquainted with BJ Dennis when he prepared the food for the first SC Black Farmers conference in Charleston, put on by Germaine H. Jenkins and the staff, and volunteers of Fresh Future Farm .
We follow BJ on instagram and after many messages about our mutual interest in food, history, Gullah culture and food-ways, traditions and farming, we met. We have grown tremendously from our interactions with BJ as he introduced us to more chefs and farmers with the same interests.
On the day Michael Twitty arrived we were pleased to be reacquainted with him and to meet his friends and traveling companions, chefs David and Tonya Thomas, who are husband and wife. They are top chefs in Maryland and David was the Chopped Grand Champion 2018. They were the founders of Ida B’s Table in Baltimore who recently launched the H3irloom Food Group, ‘a new culinary enterprise offering catering for events as well as smaller get-togethers’.
Left-Tony and Belinda Jones and Michael Twitty Right-David and Tonya Thomas
They were on a tight schedule with no time for a meal but after we exchanged greetings we offered our guests some cool water infused with lemongrass, cucumber, mint and rosemary for it was a rather warm day. Michael sat down with me to discuss the article and gather information while Tony gave David and Tonya a tour and offered samples of the produce. Altogether, we had an enjoyable time together. Michael was very interested in how we added agritourism to our farm, our inclusion of camping through Hipcamp, and now offer our Gullah Campfire Supper with Stories and Songs. During the suppers we are usually joined by our relative and neighbor Mr. Robert Middleton, a former student of the Penn School, Army veteran, local historian and for many years a docent at the York W. Bailey Museum. Mr. Middleton tells stories of his family growing up here on the island, and leads songs from the praise house and local churches. Tony and I share our Gullah heritage as well as our own stories with a mixture of some of our favorite local songs, a few are from the collection, Slave Songs of the United States, “Originally published in 1867, this book is a collection of songs of African-American slaves. A few of the songs were written after the emancipation, but all were inspired by slavery.” The majority of the songs were collected from properties on the Sea Islands of South Carolina while the authors, also abolitionists, Allen, William Francis; Ware, Charles Pickard; Garrison, Lucy McKim were housed at Coffin Point Plantation here on St. Helena Island.
On occasions we lead walking tours front the farm to the Coffin Point Praise House or drive our guests to Penn Center and other points of interest. Either here or at the praise house, we have the opportunity to share the faith of the local people and their trust in God and His Word. The songs reflect their belief in God’s love and faithfulness along with the hope they had in His ability to deliver them just as He did Moses and Daniel. Before leaving we were told to be on the lookout for a message about a visit from a photographer.
In November, just before Thanksgiving, we were paid a visit by photographer Olivia Rae James from Travel and Leisure to take some pictures of us and the property. We had a great time with Olivia, she has a wonderful personality and was quite pleasant. We walked around the property and talked with her as she took photos from different spots and we also offered her tastes of the produce during the walk. She told us the article was expected to be in the February issue of the magazine for Black History Month.
Last week we received a link with copies of the photos taken by Olivia for the article. A few days later a friend tagged us in a post with a link to the article. In the article, one of the photos from here is of Tony holding fruit from the jelly palm or Pindo palm. One of our favorite photos from our farm is of the majestic oaks with the setting sun taken from one of the spots we offer campers. We are grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to share our culture, history and our work on the farm with our community and visitors. To be included in the article along with such well known preservers and trend setters in Gullah culture and food traditions was indeed an honor. You can see that one never knows how a single meeting, participating in an event or a post on social media can lead to a great opportunity. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:8 NKJV
Pray for Snow For my grandchildren in Jackson, Mississippi From Oma! Belinda Glover Jones
January 11, 2021 Inspired by Izzy’s determined prayer for snow.
Pray for Snow
The weather presenter said there could be snow I will pray for snow The temperature is getting colder I will pray for snow The clouds are coming closer now I will pray for snow They are gray and getting darker I will pray for snow
Another day and they’re still talking more about snow Last night I prayed for snow I can’t wait until it comes Last night I prayed for snow In school I drew pictures of a snowman Last night I prayed for snow I thought about Frozen, Elsa, Anna and Olaf Last night I prayed for snow
Today’s the day the snow should come I’m ready for the snow My sisters and brother hope for it too I’m ready for the snow And then tonight outside it’s here I’m ready for the snow We jump and shout and even scream I’m ready for the snow Will it still be there in the morning I’m ready for the snow
This happy day we go out and play Thank God for sending snow It’s not that much but we don’t care Thank God for sending snow We run outside with hats, boots and gloves Thank God for sending snow Make snowballs and have a fight with dad Thank God for sending snow
We’re so happy, it’s so much fun Thank God for sending snow Mom records this special day, a happy, snowy day Thank God for sending snow! Inside we warm up with a mug of cocoa Thank God for sending snow!
The holidays can be filled with indoor activities revolving around video games, board games, cooking/baking and eating. My family participated and all of those activities as we enjoyed time together for the Christmas break. I played the Trouble game with three of my grandchildren who began to catch on to the rules and strategies of the game. On Christmas Day they received the “Hungry, Hungry Hippo” and “Crocodile Dentist” games and had such fun playing.
Christmas Eve all eight adults had a fabulous, fun-filled evening playing “Taboo” before watching a movie together. Each day the grandkids played “MarioKart” on their new “Switch” system and were shocked to discover that their youngest aunt had a Switch and a number of games. There were several video game matches, most with at least two players and up to six with multiple controllers.
On the second day of Christmas we put up our tent for the grandchildren. The kids joined us outside to explore the property and gathered firewood for our campfire for all of us to roast marshmallows that evening. Before going inside for hot chocolate we took a walk around the property to identify plants. They collected dried okra pods to take back home and plant for the next spring and summer. They also got dinosaur kale , radish greens, romaine lettuce, and a mustard green leaf. We usually go on family camping trips and the kids wanted to pretend we were camping on the Christmas break. They learned the kind of wood needed to start a fire from tender, kindling, and larger pieces of wood. Observing nature when it’s cold outside is great fun. After the walk we looked forward to the family campfire near the tent which for a while was like a playhouse
On the third day of Christmas the grandchildren helped feed the farm animals and collect eggs followed by a walk along the trail. We collected acorns, pinecones moss, magnolia leaves , and firewood . We observed mushrooms, leaf shapes, leaf colors, along with acorn shapes and colors. The kids asked if there is a children’s museum here and I replied, this is your personal outdoor children’s museum. I offered to take them to the York W. Bailey museum on the Penn Center Campus where I have volunteered as soon as their family makes a return visit when the museum reopens.
Scooping feed for the animals.
Kids walking the trail.
It is a wonderful pleasure to share our property with our grandchildren, to teach them about the environment and the flora, fauna and fungi. We also have the opportunity to share the same information with school groups, homeschool families and our camping guests when they book through Hipcamp. Our name on Hipcamp is “Friendly Fowl Farm”.
I’m trying to return to and improve my sketching in an attempt to keep a nature journal like Dr. George Washington Carver. Asclepias tuberosa, butterfly weed, is a SC native species of milkweed. We have beautiful milkweed in the farm. Monarch butterflies lay eggs on the milkweed leaves and the caterpillars eat the leaves. Later the butterfly returns to feed and lay eggs so the cycle continues. The seeds of the milkweed are encased in pods held together with the silky fluff that allow the seeds to float in the wind. This fall on the farm we are offering a nature class to include observation, identification, classifying, journaling and collecting with the intent of sustaining and preserving and looking for the Fibonacci sequence in nature. Observation in nature is a wonderful skill and builds appreciation of the flora and fauna.
Our nation is suddenly surprised by many things, the recorded murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, the tenacity of the Black Lives Matter movement, the protests and riots and the requests and demands to have confederate monuments removed and US military based renamed. The confederate flag is not the only symbol of the confederacy. The statutes in southern states, the flags inclusion in state flags and state emblems is a reminder of the secession of those states from the Union. The south became an enemy of the Union primarily if not solely based on its purpose to maintain and perpetuate the evil of “human chattel enslavement”. “This system, which allowed people — considered legal property — to be bought, sold and owned forever, was supported by the US and European powers in the 16th – 18th centuries.”
My home state, the state of South Carolina, though it has removed the Confederate battle flag from the state capital building in Columbia, continues to promote, encourage and celebrate Confederate Memorial Day, also known as Confederate Heroes Day, or Confederate Decoration Day.
This day celebrates the act of secession, the evils of slavery and the ideologies of that system. It offers a day off work for state employees in recognition and celebration of this “holiday”. What an affront and insult to people the confederacy enslaved and treated inhumanly.
This state is now putting forth a bill to remove the statute of former governor “Benjamin Ryan Tillman (August 11, 1847 – July 3, 1918) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as Governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator from 1895 until his death in 1918. A white supremacist who opposed civil rights for black Americans, Tillman led a paramilitary group of Red Shirts during South Carolina’s violent 1876 election. On the floor of the U.S. Senate, he defended lynching, and frequently ridiculed black Americans in his speeches, boasting of having helped kill them during that campaign.”
I’m glad this is being put forward but isn’t it about time?!?! I don’t understand and can even say I’m appalled by the recent comments of Dr. Ben Carson, regarding the demands to rename American military bases so they no longer bare the names of confederate military officers. He says “We need to move away from being offended by everything, of going through history and looking at everything, of renaming everything,” Carson said, although he did not mention military bases named after confederate soldiers specifically. He pointed to universities that historically had relationships with slavery, asking rhetorically: “Should we go and rename those universities?”
He also said “To now change that would be having exactly the opposite effect. We have to recognize that we have a history and to try to hide that history is probably not a smart move,”. I don’t suggest we “hide” our history, it is still the responsibility and obligation of our schools and educational institutions to teach our nation’s history correctly.
The history of Native People, Black People and other minorities in this country has been excluded from and or minimized in history books and not widely represented as landmarks or monuments for decades, only in recent years are they being sculpted and erected for the public to view and learn from. Our history hasn’t been viewed as important by the majority of Americans, it was not until Negro History Week that our history was highlighted and focused on outside of our own “Negro” community elementary schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We have had to collect and maintain our history through the oral traditions and gradually written documents after we as a people were allowed to be taught how to read and write.
I am not suggesting that the history of the confederacy be excluded from our schools and institutions of higher learning for certainly we need to remember the ills of our society so they are not repeated but I but suggest and request that it’s emblems and symbols be removed because they should not have been erected in the first place. We have museums that house collections of historical artifacts to include statues that serve as reminders of our past, place the confederate memorabilia in those buildings. Our national government should ban the support of the confederacy through its public symbols. “The Confederate battle flag represents the enemies of the United States, its Constitution, liberty, and equal protection under the law. Those who would kill soldiers of the United States and destroy our Union waved it in battle. The stain of racial oppression sullied it further. It deserves no place of honor within our Republic.” Why should the right of states that continue to support the ideals of an enemy of our nation be allowed? Why should government buildings be named after the memory and evil work of the Confederacy? We haven’t just begun to complain and protest this, we haven’t just become offended in recent weeks, we have been offended from it’s inception. We have been offended every time we walked or drove by them. We have voiced these complaints for many years to no avail. Now is the perfect time to remind our leaders, fellow citizens, neighbors and coworkers that we are offended! It’s not a new offense , you’re just beginning to pay attention.
Minorities have to protest, boycott and yes, sometimes riot to get the attention of our nation. We have to block interstate highways, lay down in the street, march for days and weeks, to be heard. Our people have been mistreated from the first day we were brought here enslaved. We have been beaten, dismembered, branded, raped, chained, whipped, and forced to stand in front of a group of men to be prodded, poked, examined in order to be sold. We have endured and survived the hatred of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings and cross burnings and the injustices that led to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. I love the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “ I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!”. These hate crimes against us have been perpetrated and we have been complaining about them but now the public can see what we’ve been saying all along. The cameras are helping to tell our stories, unfortunately they can’t always save us from the violence against us.
We are sick and tired of being sick and tired! We are enraged! We are fighting for our survival!
This year we are so excited about the three female turkeys that hatched eggs. Each of the females are no longer “Jennys”, young females that aren’t laying eggs, they’re full fledge “hens”.
More friendly fowl.
In addition to the turkey hens that hatched eggs we hatched a few turkey eggs in our indoor incubators, along with baby chickens and ducklings. We have been busy managing the incubators and the hatch dates of our expected new farm babies.
Fertile chicken eggs normally take twenty-one days to hatch while for turkey and duck eggs twenty-eight days are the norm. It’s common to have a few hens who don’t want to become broody and set on eggs for that time period. Some may attempt but stop before the entire incubation period is reached and abandon the clutch of eggs to go out foraging with the other members of the flock.
For those hens, and turkeys, we collect the eggs and place them in the inside incubators and wait. Some of the eggs have embryos that are developed and may not require the entire twenty-one days to hatch and surprise us with an earlier date.
Turkeys dust bathing.Our new incubator.
Sadly, two of our turkey hens each lost one of their two poults. We are thankful that they each still have one poult and that one hen still has both of her poults. Of the turkeys we incubated inside all four are still alive. It’s tempting to put at least one of the poults close to the age of the poults that died outside with the turkey moms to see their reaction but we fear they may reject it or fight over it so our fear will be our guide.
Turkey egg with poult hatching.
We look forward to keeping you informed of the turkeys progress both the ones we hatched inside and the ones with their mom.
We have an old incubator here on the farm that is sturdy and reliable. It doesn’t look like it could make it through a hatch cycle but it’s successful every time. We just took it out again to try hatching some of our chicken and duck eggs. Once again the incubator pulled through and we have yet another successful hatch.
Incubator with turning rack filled with eggs.
The eggs were placed in the incubator January 18 with a hatch date of February 8 for the chickens and February 15 for the ducks. That was perfect because we were set to teach a class on the farm about raising chickens in the backyard and having baby chicks to showcase when presenting about starting with chicks in a brooder was exciting. The chicks began hatching Wednesday night much earlier than the 21 days in which baby chicks are expected to hatch. By Friday evening ten chicks hatched, unfortunately we lost two but we’re very happy to have eight survivors.
The first two chicks to hatch.
The chicks were taken from the incubator Friday afternoon and placed in a brooder. They were introduced to water and chick starter which them seemed to enjoy. This wasn’t our first time incubating chicks but we still had the same excitement none the less. There is a thrill that accompanies each incubation and hatch. From candling the eggs to see shadows of the growing chicks to the first sounds of peeping leading to the small cracks in the shell that grow and grow revealing the wet feathers of the chick struggling to make its way out of its shell and into the outside world. The beauty of creation and our Creator become even more wonderful.
The next day, Saturday, it’s show time. The class was began at 1:00 and right away we directed our guests to the brooder and encouraged them to take a peek at our new chicks. The amazement of the tiny two and day day old chicks was expected and brought joy to all of us. Now the chicks are a week old and they’ve grown so much. Their plumage has increased in its striking colors on new true feathers.
Looking at baby chicks in the brooder.
This week the rack to turn the eggs was returned to the incubator to turn the remaining eggs expected to hatch today, Saturday, February 15. Thursday afternoon the sound of duck peeps were heard and when the incubator lid was lifted it was clear a duck was on the verge of hatch as the cracks in the shell were visible and movement from a body with dark feathers. So that was the beginning of the ducks hatching day.
Now we have eight one week old chicks and three two day old ducklings. We are excited to welcome them to the farm and begin to replace the ducks that are leaving soon. There is an order for two Khaki Campbell ducks and we wanted to make sure we had new ones before we said goodbye to two females from our current flock. We have gathered many of their eggs to incubate in the next few days and hopefully have many more new ducklings here at Morning Glory Homestead Farm.
It’s Farm Friends Friday on the Homestead when I share information about one or more of our farm animals. Today our featured animal is the Royal Palm Turkey. Because of the name of the breed, Royal Palm, our Turkey was named Sir Duke, after Duke Ellington and the song about him by that title by Stevie Wonder. Sir Duke is about 7 years old. We bought him from a friend who owns BandB Miniature Horse Farm in Santee, SC when he was a young gobbler or Tom. Duke was meant to be a handsome addition to the farm, not as a meat bird. He is very happy to have two Royal Palm hens now on the farm to be his mates. He is very protective of them and walks near them throughout the day.
Sir Duke
Turkeys forage and eat a large number of acorns, grains and insects. In addition we give them poultry feed similar to the scratch given to the chickens.
What Turkeys Eat… Wild turkeys are opportunistically omnivorous, which means they will readily sample a wide range of foods, both animal and vegetable. They forage frequently and will eat many different things, including:
Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts or walnuts, either cracked open or swallowed whole Seeds and grain, including spilled birdseed or corn and wheat in agricultural fields
Berries, wild grapes, crabapples, and other small fruits
Small reptiles including lizards and snakes
Fleshy plant parts such as buds, roots, bulbs, succulents, and cacti.
Plant foliage, grass, and tender young leaves or shoots
Large insects including grasshoppers, spiders, and caterpillars
Snails, slugs, and worms
Sand and small gravel for grit to aid proper digestion In captivity or in agricultural settings, domestic turkeys—which are the same genetic species as wild turkeys—are often fed a special commercial feed formulated for game birds, turkeys or poultry. These commercial feeds typically contain a mix of material to simulate these birds’ highly varied diets.
Many turkey farmers also supplement their flock’s feeding with additional corn, grain or other foods. The diet of domestic turkeys is often formulated to encourage heavier birds and faster growth to increase commercial profits.
Duke foraging in the woods.
Turkey Talk-“When turkey’s spurs are ½-inch or shorter with rounded tips, the bird is a jake–a one-year-old. If the spurs are between 1/2 and 7/8 inches long and straight, with a blunt tip, it’s a 2-year-oldbird. Slightly curved, pointed spurs between 1 and 1 1/2 inches long indicate a 2- or 3-year-old gobbler. Coloration Royal Palm turkeys are mainly white with a black band in the tail and lines of black feathers on the breast. The back is black underneath the wings and the body feathers are white. They have a black beard and red or bluish heads and wattles. The presence of any brown wing feathers is a disqualification. Standard Weights * Old Tom-22 pounds * Young Tom-16 pounds * Old Hen-12 pounds * Young Hen-10 pounds Uses They are too small for use in commercial food production, but they are commonly used for food on small family farms and pest control. They are generally good foragers are make excellent birds for free ranging.
Duke and his two Turkey Hens.
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit of information about the Royal Palm Turkey and turkeys in general. Maybe you can visit and meet Sir Duke along with our other turkeys in person. Bye for now!
Black History Month is a special celebration of our history and culture that for so many years was ignored by history books, hidden from the public and mocked as not important. Thanks to the hard work of Carter G. Woodson, this observation began with Negro History Week in 1926 and became a month long celebration in 1976. We celebrate the month with our Gullah Campfire Supper with Stories and Songs. Our guest speaker is a native of Sierra Leone and seafaring captain, John Kamara. Capt. Kamara will share stories and songs from his homeland and about the connection to the Gullah Geechee people and culture. He heard stories of the original Amistad from his grandmother and later served on the replica. He survived the Sierra Leone Civil War and and a refugee camps, assisted young boy soldiers. Come hear his stories and songs. Eat food from our two cultures. It will be an event you won’t want to miss.
“The connection between the Gullah and the people of Sierra Leone is a very special one. Sierra Leone has always had a small population, and Sierra Leonean slaves were always greatly outnumbered on the plantations by slaves from more populous parts of Africa—except in South Carolina and Georgia. The rice plantation zone of coastal South Carolina and Georgia was the only place in the Americas where Sierra Leonean slaves came together in large enough numbers and over a long enough period of time to leave a significant linguistic and cultural impact. While Nigerians may point to Brazil, Cuba, and Haiti as places where Nigerian culture is still evident, Sierra Leoneans can look to the Gullah of South Carolina and Georgia as a kindred people sharing many common elements of speech, custom, culture, and cuisine.”
This is a wonderful way to meet a native person from Sierra Leone and discover through his stories and songs the connections of the Gullah Geechee people and culture to Sierra Leone. Tickets are available through our website for in person and virtual participation.
We’re preparing for another of our Gullah Campfire Supper with Stories and Songs farm events here at Morning Glory Homestead Farm. Each event requires research and careful preparation and planning. The details of an event will make it more interesting and meaningful for each person attending. Next week week will present a look at the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation at Camp Saxton to the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Unit under the leadership of Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson. This historic celebration took place here in Port Royal, in the Beaufort District and was attended by notable women including Laura Towne, Charlotte Forten, Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, Frances Gage, who was a speaker, and Susie King Taylor. Among the men were of course General Rufus Saxton, Colonel Higginson, Rev. French Chaplin Fowler, Professor John C. Zachos all who were involved in the program.
The importance of this original program that took place Thursday, January 1, 1863 was most significant for the Freedmen and women who showed their true feelings and expressed gratitude during the ceremony by the “spontaneous singing of ‘My country tis of Thee’ at the very point in the exercises when Mr. French presented Colonel Higginson with a flag for the black regiment “. The journal and newspaper accounts of the event provide an account of the emotions and excitement of the event and its purpose. The journals even supplied information about the expectations and anticipation for the event as seen in the entries for dates just days prior to January 1,1863.
The information about the food for the menu, the uniforms of the soldiers, apparel of those in attendance, the setting and other details bring the event to life once again. We hope to share this in our presentation that will feature dramatic interpretations of the written accounts, to sing the songs and serve a meal to celebrate the occasion. For teachers and students, homeschool families, this event is like a field trip. For history enthusiasts it’s another great opportunity to see, hear and taste what an event was like. It can provide a greater appreciation for what took place here in the Lowcountry. This was in fact an incubator for freedom.
Even as we face the reality of impeding development and the challenges that attack the local environment and the dependence of our culture upon it we will continue to teach with greater zeal. After this program we will host more Gullah Campfire Supper with Stories and Songs events to celebrate Black History Month in February, Women’s History Month in March. The March event will showcase the work of Anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, who visited the Grand Army Hall in Beaufort collecting information and Anthropology doctoral candidate Pasama Cole-Kwele who is currently doing research and working on her thesis while living here on St. Helena Island. We will continue with National Poetry Month in April, Decoration Day in May, and a Women’s Camping Weekend in June and again in October. This year’s June camping weekend will include a class about processing poultry, a homestead skill, and cooking over a campfire. The October camping weekend will focus on fishing and cooking over a campfire.
Kisha Kinard teaching her family’s history as Sweet Grass basket crafters during Women’s Camping Weekend.
In addition to these events we will offer classes and workshops on regenerative agricultural techniques as we celebrate the genius of Dr. George Washington Carver. This year we will continue to call attention to his work as a scientist, apiarist, agronomist, mycologist, poet, painter, craftsman and gifted musician. During those events participants will receive information and hands-on experiences in planting, starting gardens, painting, observing objects under microscopes, collecting data and making journal entries.
We look forward to the return of Chef and certified Forager Alex Curtis and Mushroom Grower and tincture preparer William “Bubba” Green who taught the October 2022 Fall Mushroom Workshop to come back and share more of their skills and expertise in the world of mushrooms.
Bubba Green with his mushrooms on display.Mushroom display.Alex Curtis presented about mushroom foraging.Alex Curtis prepared a dish featuring mushrooms.Butternut squash risotto with charred mushrooms.
When you visit our farm you can see where and how we plant and grow produce, raise livestock and provide a habitat for bees and other pollinators. You can see an active farm operated by a Gullah family using planting techniques passed down through generations. The 4-H Club we host offers children and youth opportunities as it did our own five children, now adults, to improve their garden, livestock nutritional and leadership skills.
Visitors can see our newest addition, a smoke house that will be where we cure our own meats. Camp on the property and visit the local attractions. Take a tour with us and learn about the history of the island. Let us take you fishing or crabbing in the local waterways and explore the Lowcountry with us. You can order vegetables, pick up a dozen of eggs and a jar of honey and get some fresh baked bread or dessert or even a frittata. We look forward to seeing you here soon!
Rice is a huge ingredient in the Gullah Geechee diet. Usually not a meal is served without rice being served, even on the side. Our family resembles that statement. Both Tony and I grew up in households that cooked in the Gullah food tradition. We ate rice far more than pasta or potatoes. Rice was eaten with greens in season, crowder peas, black eyed peas, and other vegetables, it was especially delicious with gumbo. Rice was our staple food.
Lately, we’ve taken a greater interest in the history of Carolina Gold Rice, the rice that was grown in many plantations in South Carolina and made the owners wealthy. The rice plantations were designed and maintained by Africans from rice growing countries of West Africa, whose knowledge and skills were targeted in order to develop successful rice farming practices in the southeast states of the United States. We joined an organization dedicated to the preservation and recovery of rice in our state, the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation. The meetings and field trips they host are a wealth of information. This is an excerpt from their website. ”The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation began with the singular mission of advancing the sustainable restoration of Carolina Gold Rice, and in that it has succeeded wildly, bringing together farmers, scholars, researchers, and historians to ensure that Carolina Gold and the newer hybrid Charleston Gold remain viable crops. The foundation has served as a proselytizing resource, educating the world about the history and significance of this historical crop and helping put it back on dinner plates around the world.
A Timeline of Carolina Gold Rice Facts —
Rice was established as a cash crop in the 1690s, and Carolina Gold Rice became the preferred variety in the 1780s.
At the time of the Civil War, 3.5 to 5 million bushels of Carolina Gold Rice were grown in South Carolina.
By the time of the Great Depression, Carolina Gold Rice became virtually extinct as other varieties became favored.”
We are connected to a few Gullah farmers and chefs who are working to revitalize Carolina Gold Rice by growing a variety of highland rice that does not require as much water. We won’t have large amounts but enough for educational purpose. We will feature more about rice and other Carolina grains on our website in our foodie forum. Feel free to join us there to discuss this and other food topics.
Preserving the history of my family is an important responsibility to me. It was impressed upon me as a young girl while visiting my paternal grandparents’ home where I was shown, photographs with handwritten notes on the back of the objects or persons, the location and the date the photo was made. My grandmother, Gladys Fulton Glover, often pulled out scrapbooks or photo albums filled with newspaper and magazine clippings, programs from funerals, plays and concerts. She carefully showed me the treasured artifacts and explained their meaning, why they were important to her and our family.
Gladys Glover and granddaughter , Belinda Glover
Herman and Gladys Glover, my paternal grandparents.
As I grew older, the amount of detail that my grandmother shared with me increased. We looked at the same items but more information was included in her description, often more stories and memories. She showed me letters and addresses, details on the envelope, the dates and stamps. This information intrigued me and one year for Christmas I asked for and received a stamp collection book for beginners. My grandmother was teaching me more than I realized through our time together, she broadened my horizons.
She taught me how to write letters, address envelopes and as she showed me her address book, she taught me why it was important for me to begin storing family addresses too. With her I saw letters she received from her uncle Nat (Nathaniel), her mother’s brother, several from my dad and uncles to her as young men in the military or my dad laying bricks out of town. Christmas cards, birthday greetings and cards for every occasion she seemed to have from years ago and they fascinated me. I eventually bought a small address book and began filling it with names, addresses and phone numbers of family members.
I began with my grandparents’ address both maternal and paternal, then aunts and uncles near and far. I recall before getting married spending time with my grandmother and we looked through her address book once more and she gave me an opportunity to copy names and addresses from her collection. She knew my intended, my fiancé was a young Army officer and we would move around from one duty station to another and she wanted me to be able to get in contact with family if we were ever near them. I did the same with my mom and dad and they supplied the name of more people, my little book had names on almost every page. This information greatly increased the number of contacts in my book and I marveled at the how prepared I was then to at least reach out to family as we relocated.
I remember vividly contacting my cousin in Washington D.C. to inform her that I was living in Alexandria, VA and would love to visit. Tony was stationed at Fort Myer, Military District of Washington, we arrived in October 1985 and after making contact with my cousin Melba, we had Thanksgiving at her home surrounded by family. I used the book again, and for Christmas that year we were with my cousin Grace and more family, she even invited my dad’s younger brother and the gathering was wonderful. Every time I used that address book I was in contact with another set of cousins who lived in the greater D.C. metro area, I was all over the Beltway connecting with family on all sides. When we gathered not only did we have a great time connecting but I extended greetings from back home, from my parents and my grandparents. I told them about the photos I was shown to help me store and embrace the information and make a connection.
Those lessons from my grandmother were expounded upon as my father took the importance of the family collection of artifacts and important documents to another level to be shared in another post. For now, I am building upon the lessons my grandmother shared with me. I’ve already taught my children the importance of family history and records, letter writing and staying in touch with family. Today we can do that so much easier with our computers and other devices. Our digital contact app stores names, address and numbers, while our photo app stores the photographs we take. We can easily carry them with us and tap into them, even share them. A tap on the address and another app opens with a map and provides directions. But don’t take for granted the ‘old fashioned’, or ‘old school’ mailing of a card, postcard or letter. Those simple acts can start some younger family member on a journey of their own as mine did. There is joy to be found in the writing and mailing of a letter and the anticipation of how it will be received. There is also joy in receiving mail that is not a bill or an advertisement, one sent with you in mind and carefully crafted. One day something you mail to someone may be what is kept and preserved to show someone later.
The link will take you to a resource for free webinars on the subject of preservation.
palmettoislandgirl 