Matthew Raiford

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Raiford grew up breaking the dirt and trading crookneck squash for sweet potatoes, raising hogs and chickens, and only going to the grocery store for sundries. After a military career then graduation from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Raiford returned to the farm in 2011 to continue the traditions of his Gullah-Geechee heritage and to create an authentic farm-to-fork experience for locals. He received certification as an ecological horticulturalist from the University of California’s Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.

He served until recently as the program coordinator and associate professor of culinary arts at the College of Coastal Georgia. In 2015, Raiford, the former executive chef at Little St. Simon’s Resort, and his partner, Jovan Sage, a food alchemist, opened The Farmer and the Larder on Newcastle Street, helping jumpstart the revival of Brunswick’s historic downtown. Raiford has appeared in Southern Living, Golden Isles, Paprika Southern, and Savannah magazines, and is a frequent presenter at food and wine festivals throughout the country.

Keynote:

Tuesday, Nov 10 at 11:30am MT

Joining us from the Berry Center in Newcastle, KY and Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, GA, Mary Berry will talk about new initiatives at the Berry Center, including the Our Home Place Meat project with Chef and Farmer Matthew Raiford.

Our Home Place Meat, an initiative of The Berry Center, is offering exceptional meat to customers, ensuring stable income for small family farmers through good farming practices and a cooperative culture, and continuing the legacy of Wendell Berry’s agrarian vision.

AND

KEYNOTE: Matthew Raiford and Jovan Sage

Wednesday, Nov 18 10-11am MT