Written by Palmetto Bluff
Nov 29, 2018
Palmetto Bluff’s Farm Vision
Aspirationally, the plan for Palmetto Bluff always included a farm. We knew that as this place evolved, we would set aside land for farmed agricultural plots to enhance the visual landscape and the community’s sustainability. Now, a guiding principle defined more than a decade ago is bearing fruit (sorry, I couldn’t help it) and vegetables.
“Food and foodways are at the core of any culture,” says David O’Donoghue, Palmetto Bluff president. “For Palmetto Bluff to be an ambassador of the foodways of the Lowcountry, it requires that we look not just at presenting food (via our restaurants), but at food production. We want to understand how food is tied to this place, so we must ask what fits the geography, environment, and history of the place.”
Given the resonance of the story of food and where it comes from, both in terms of geography and history, we saw an opportunity to recapture farming practices. This does not mean that we are focused on recreating an overly romanticized nostalgic vision of the past. It means we are seeking authenticity, and authenticity means it is something real and viable in today’s world. Authenticity means that when you plant your first crop in the fall and it snows in January, you add your newfound knowledge of potential weather patterns to the story and you pick up where Mother Nature left you.
Today, we have a small but productive working farm. In 2019, we will add a full-time farmer who will look to understand and document the traditional means of farming the most viable and best-tasting varieties of food that are indigenous to the Lowcountry environment.
Focusing on outreach and education, the farm will work with the Conservancy. This will start with the members and guests of Palmetto Bluff and ultimately reach well beyond our gates. We endeavor to be a thought leader and model that helps promote the long-term sustainability of natural, local food production. This will include finding additional partner organizations to carry our learnings to a broader audience, bringing promising students to our farm, and making it possible for interested novices to learn how to both grow and prepare food in a fashion consistent with our best practices.
Additionally, as a promoter of the foodways of the Lowcountry, the Palmetto Bluff farm should be a center for excellence and documentation and celebration of other food producers in the region. We will seek out farmers, hunters, fishermen, and other craftspeople who share our vision and goals and help capture and promote their efforts as a part of our broader cultural mission.
We will supply the dining outlets on property to allow people to taste the food that is produced locally and authentically. We will celebrate great local cuisine and promote its visibility and success.
But, above all, our mission is simple: the food must taste good.
Spring 2018 Planting List
Produce:
Okra
Burgundy Okra
Black Crowder Peas
Pink-Eye peas
Purple Knuckle Peas
Sugar Peas
Hardee Peas
Texas Longhorn Peas
Louisiana Purple Pod Beans
Reverend Taylor Butterbeans
Loudermilk Butter Beans
Silver Queen Corn
ZucchIni
Charleston Gray Watermelon
Crimson Sweet Watermelon
Yellow Watermelon
Ichiban Eggplant
Purple Eggplant
Bradshaw Sweet Potatoes
Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
Cantaloupe
Cucumber
Blue Hubbard Squash
Straightneck Squash
Tomatoes:
San Marzano
Juliet Roma
Parks Whopper
Cherokee Carving
Yellow Pear Cherry
Bradley
Indigo Rose
Purple Dog Creek
Tennessee Britches
Depp’s Pink Firefly
Big Zebra
Lucky Cross
Isis Candy
Gold Medal
Big Rainbow
Matt’s Wild Cherry
Blue Ridge Mountain
indigo Blueberry
Black Icicle
Red Tommy Toe
Indian Stripe
Green Zebra
Sweet 100
Yellow Pear
Adelaide Festival
Wild Barred Boar
Peppers:
Friarielio di Napoli
FataliI
Yum Yum Orange
Yum Yum Red
Candy Cane Red
Cajun Beli
Poblano
Thai Hot
Sweet Hot
Ghost
Scotch Bonnet
Carolina Reaper
Odessa Market
Chinese Five Color
Shishito
Purple Jalapeno
Mexibell
Yellow Bell
Gypsey Sweet
Purple Beli
Garden Salsa
Combahee Red Devil
Orange Carrot
Written by Courtney Hampson
