At a SICARS board meeting this week to discuss the future of SICARS’ efforts to reestablish sugarcane, continue to plant red peas and explore growing other heritage crops, SICARS Vice President Cornelia Walker Bailey, Secretary Deloris Walker and Board Member William “Doc Bill” Thomas agreed to formally partner with UGA Professor Nik Heynen and UGA students he works with.  Working together the SICARS and UGAMI partnership hope to keep expanding heritage crops on island.  SICARS ultimately hopes the crops can to make enough money that they can hire a farm manager to oversee the operation to keep expanding it.  UGAMI’s Heynen and students will help provide labor but SICARS board members will make all decisions regarding which crops to plant and where.  The group also discussed establishing a youth farming education program.

Tags: Cornelia Walker Bailey, Gullah-Geechee culture, purple ribbon sugarcane, Sapelo red peas, SICARS, UGAMI