As food insecurity deepens across South Carolina’s Lowcountry, a growing partnership between the Lowcountry Food Bank and Gullah Geechee farmers is transforming how underserved communities access fresh, culturally relevant food—while also preserving the region’s agricultural traditions and economic resilience.

Their approach is multifaceted, with a focus on both feeding communities and preserving the cultural identity of the region.

“We meet the needs or try to support the provision of equitable access to food through a variety of different means,” Nick Osborne, president and CEO of the LCFB, told The Guardian in a recent interview. “But we’re also looking at filling those gaps where there may be food deserts through other forms of access to food, whether that be through mobile distributions or other forms of partnerships as well.”

Central to this mission are Gullah Geechee farmers—descendants of enslaved Africans who maintained their cultural traditions on the Sea Islands. Their foodways, shaped over centuries, form the culinary and agricultural backbone of the region. 

“The foodways that draw people here are the foodways that the Gullah people brought with them across the water,” Margaret Burn, vice-president of strategic initiatives at LCFB, also told the outlet. 

Since 2005, LCFB’s Growing Food Locally initiative has strengthened ties with Gullah farmers like Jackie Frazier of Barefoot Farms. Through partnerships with organizations like the Coastal Conservation League and the Gullah Farmers Cooperative Association, the food bank now distributes locally grown crops—okra, rice, yams, tomatoes—ensuring that residents receive familiar, nourishing foods.

Vernita Dore, general manager of the cooperative, highlighted the partnership’s deeper impact. 

“These are the types of food that we grew up on,” she told The Guardian, adding that  “Our children and all children deserve that same type of quality food that we enjoyed as children.”

Beyond nourishment, the effort supports cultural preservation and economic sustainability. “In order for us to keep the character of our community, we need to keep those farmers on that land,” Burn shared. “It’s a privilege for the food bank to be able to be part of preserving those foodways.”

“We just want to uplift the communities by providing nutritious, farm-fresh produce,” Dore added, “because that indeed, in turn, promotes healthier lifestyles for everyone.”