In 1874, Jupiter Gilliard purchased 476 acres of land for what would become Gilliard Farms, pledging allegiance to the Union militia during Reconstruction to obtain the property. Today, the farm, located in Brunswick, Ga., is one of the remaining 32,653 Black-owned farms in the U.S. There were just over 1.9 million farms in the U.S. as of 2022.
Today, Gilliard’s descendants, Matthew Raiford and his wife, Tia Raiford, control the farm. They represent the sixth generation managing and farming the land. “My children are the seventh generation to plant, harvest and eat from the family’s crops,” says Matthew.
They operate a sophisticated agricultural enterprise that blends tradition with innovation. Their business model includes direct farming operations, wellness products, agricultural tourism and educational programs — all while maintaining the farm’s historic commitment to sustainable practices.
Their approach shows how deep agricultural knowledge, combined with strategic business planning, can create enduring value across generations. This success stems from a fundamental family philosophy about preparing future generations for leadership — one that shaped the current stewards’ path to managing the farm.
The Generation That Returned
A key family principle holds that land stewardship isn’t granted until around age 40. “It’s a time when potential successors have gained life experience and are ‘settled in spirit,’” explains Tia. The Raifords exemplify this wisdom.
Matthew left Gilliard Farms shortly after high school. But, before returning, he built an impressive career that would enrich his approach to stewarding his family land.
He served 10 years in the Army, including during the fall of the Berlin Wall. He attended Howard University but earned his bachelor’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America in 1999, where he met Tia. His path led through executive chef positions, including at the U.S. House of Representatives, and working at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He then got a graduate certificate in ecological horticulture from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 2011.
Tia’s history was equal preparation for her eventual role at Gilliard Farms. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America 1998, she worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in New York and served as campus executive chef at several prestigious universities. She worked at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and afterward, wrote curriculum and developed systems for the National School Lunch Program prioritizing fresh, nutritious food for school children.
While their paths first crossed at culinary school in 1997, it wasn’t until 2020 that they reunited, marrying in 2021 and bringing their combined expertise to Gilliard Farms.
The way he tells the story, the transition of the land from Matthew’s grandmother to he and his sister, Althea Raiford, wasn’t a traditional one. “My sister and I were at a family reunion in 2014 when our Nana asked, as she always did, what we were going to do with all this land we own,” Matthew remembers. “I looked over at my sister, Althea, and she gave me a slight nod. Right then, I swear I felt a whisper in my ear saying, ‘Come home.’ I still believe to this day it was one of the ancestors letting me know. Without any hesitation, I told Nana, ‘We should go back to farming—that’s what this land was purchased to do.’”
In true matriarchal fashion, his grandmother responded, “’Well, y’all better get to farming!’” She then gift-deeded their first acres to Matthew and Althea. “The land instantly became our responsibility,” says Matthew.
For Tia, the move to Gilliard Farms marked an unexpected “200-year return.” Her family research revealed her three-times great-grandfather was born in the same county as the farm in 1820.
This family’s thoughtful approach to succession helped preserve a legacy built on sophisticated protective measures that began with Jupiter Gilliard’s original purchase.
Land as Power and Purpose
Jupiter Gilliard’s land purchase demonstrated his remarkable strategic vision, recognizing property ownership as a platform for building community wealth and influence. This sophisticated approach manifested when the family dedicated an acre to establish Union School in 1907.
They did not establish the school merely as an act of charity, but as the deliberate positioning of their property as a community asset and education hub. This multi-purpose land management philosophy established patterns that continue in the farm’s current governance structure.
Today, the decision-making authority for Gilliard Farm rests with their primary leadership team. “Matthew, his sister Althea and I own the land,” Tia explains. “The core decisions — what we grow, what we sell, land development and farm management — that’s up to us,” she adds.
However, their decision-making process extends beyond immediate business concerns. “We try to always work through the pros and cons to make sure we’re doing right, not only for ourselves, but for future generations,” Matthew explains. “We want to ensure our ancestors would be proud of our choices.”
This clear governance structure, balanced with their deep respect for both heritage and future generations, helps prevent the conflicts that often challenge family-owned farming enterprises. That maintains the farm’s historic legacy of carefully planned land use for both agricultural and community benefit.
“When you step on our land, you can feel the ancestors telling you that you’re in the right place, doing the right thing,” Althea says. “So, we will never stop doing right by this land.”
Protection Through Wisdom
The farm’s survival through nearly 150 years of historical challenges rests on fundamental pillars: methodical record-keeping by the family’s matriarchs, the farm’s strategic location and carefully passed-down knowledge of survival skills.
“The women in our family kept meticulous books on everything — from planting schedules to financial records,” Mathew explains. He has letters between his grandmother and great-grandmother documenting planting and harvesting cycles — their own version of a Farmers’ Almanac. There are detailed ledgers from his great-great-grandparents recording every financial transaction, down to the penny. They created internal controls that many businesses wouldn’t adopt until a century later.
The farm’s location provided natural protection, too. Until the 1990s, Gilliard Farms sat at the end of a dirt road, requiring visitors to travel nearly a mile from the main road to reach the family homestead. “They couldn’t know what they’d encounter until they’d gotten too far up the road to turn back quickly,” Matthew quips.
Even today, the family remains vigilant of their surroundings, a practice rooted in generations of self-reliance. Matthew describes a “maroon culture” on the farm, where hunting served as both sustenance and survival training. “Learning to hunt means learning every aspect of your landscape,” he notes. This knowledge, passed down through generations, taught family members to read the land for signs of visitors and potential threats.
A Living Legacy of Agribusiness Innovation
Because their ancestors’ knowledge still drives the farm’s business, Gilliard Farms didn’t follow the modern organic farming movement. Instead, they helped pioneer it, maintaining pesticide-free practices since 1874 that would later become industry standards.
Their regenerative agriculture also reflects practices the family has maintained since the farm’s beginnings. “What’s considered innovative farming today is what my family has been doing since the 1800s,” Matthew observes.
“We’re living within an eco-environment within itself,” explains Tia Raiford, describing their holistic approach that includes innovative techniques like using cayenne pepper in chicken feed to enhance egg quality while deterring pests.
The Raifords exhibit sophisticated market awareness in transforming this inherited agricultural wisdom into contemporary business opportunities. That includes harvesting wild beauty berries for both nutritional and medicinal use and developing products that bridge today’s health needs with traditional GullahGeechee practices.
“GullahGeechee is one word and one people,” explains Matthew. “After the Civil War, our ancestors weren’t just on the barrier islands from North Carolina to Florida — we were up to 25 miles inland. When White landowners fled, they thought the newly freed Africans would perish. Instead, we flourished. We helped build this country, and we’re still here to stay.”
This blend of inherited farming knowledge and modern agricultural science has become one of their most valuable business assets, allowing them to command premium prices for both their products and their educational offerings.
Their approach to business mirrors their farming philosophy—focusing on the essential elements of product development. Tia explains, “We’ve got soil, we got seeds and we got water.” Matthew adds that this three-ingredient principle guides their business development. “Everything we’re creating has three elements.”
Their foresight in maintaining their family’s historical practices positions them perfectly for today’s $64 billion organic food market, where consumers increasingly seek products aligned with their ancestors’ natural farming methods. They offer their products through their Strong Roots 9 product line.
This ancestral wisdom guides their strategic diversification and partnerships. Working with American Farmland Trust helped them reclaim 12 acres of their land and expand into agricultural tourism with the Royal & Blu Social Club. Membership “unlocks unforgettable culinary experiences, early access to events, cooking demos, recipes and members-only discounts on farm products and classes,” according to the website.
They’ve also launched the Honey Dripper Juke Joint, which taps into family connections, including Tia’s father’s history as the guitarist for the late 1970s rap group Sugar Hill Gang. The venue holds monthly events, including dinners and classes. These ventures show how they’re evolving beyond traditional agriculture while honoring their roots.
Educational programs further extend their impact, with workshops covering traditional farming to business planning. “We’re not just teaching farming,” Tia emphasizes. “We’re teaching business structure and marketing. We’re teaching all the different components of operating a contemporary farming business.”
Matthew adds, “We are still doing the business that our ancestors came here to do, but we’re meeting today’s challenges with their time-tested solutions.” This continuity sets Gilliard Farms apart in American agriculture. While many historic companies have transformed their business models entirely, the farm maintains its original mission while adapting traditional methods to contemporary issues.
“The future is food; it’s agriculture,” Matthew asserts, showing how their methodical positioning of traditional farming and medicinal knowledge provides a model for agricultural sustainability that bridges past and future.
Breaking Barriers Through Strategic Interactions
The Raifords have faced a common barrier in gaining access to capital in agriculture. They have difficulty finding investors who understand that inherited family farms often need significant capital investment. “Rarely do you hear anybody talk about investing in an inherited farm,” Matthew explains, noting that many assume inherited farms come fully equipped. The reality is different; even established family farms require continuous investment in infrastructure, equipment and land improvements.
To overcome these challenges, Gilliard Farms has partnered with key agricultural organizations. That includes their collaboration with the Southeastern African American Farmers Organic Network (SAAFON), which has provided crucial assistance. “They’ve supported our infrastructure development, from building farm beds to implementing crop rotation projects that enhance our soil biodiversity,” Matthew explains.
His leadership role with Georgia Organics, including serving as board chair, has provided valuable insights into specialized farming techniques for their region’s distinct soil conditions.
Matthew’s strategy for accessing resources involves leading with his veteran status rather than his race. “I walk in the door and ask, ‘What are the services you have for veterans?’ That changes the conversation immediately.” Tia agrees, which is why she leads conversations about resources with her gender rather than race.
“People see my race immediately,” says Matthew. “It’s important to get past that to facilitate farming resource conversations and get what we need.”
Legacy Planning: Seven Generations and Beyond
The Raifords take as deliberate an approach to preparing the next generation for land stewardship as they do with forming partnerships that help them run their agribusiness. Rather than pushing their children directly into farming, they encourage them to first develop their own expertise and life experience. Matthew’s children represent diverse professional paths — from a nurse practitioner interested in medicinal plants to an aspiring general contractor.
“We’re creating a business model for the next generation, but they need to understand our land’s history, our traditional practices and how to read nature’s signals before they take control,” Matthew explains. It’s another reason land stewardship isn’t granted until around age 40.
“Creating generational wealth goes beyond money — it’s about preserving our traditions, customs and diet while breaking historical barriers,” Tia adds.
Their succession plan and concept of legacy also extend beyond any specific brand. “I’m OK with Strong Roots 9 dying with Matthew and me, if the next generation looked at Gilliard Farms from the land stewardship perspective,” Tia notes. She emphasizes future generations should use their unique strengths — whether in “soil, chemistry, real estate law or entertainment” — to contribute to Jupiter Gilliard’s legacy.
The family is establishing a land trust to protect the remaining 50 acres of land and their heritage. “With a land trust, if the farming business disappears, our family maintains possession of our land,” Matthew notes. This structure preserves options for future generations while maintaining family control of the farm and its assets.
This approach carries particular significance given their unique position. “As African Americans, we recognize the special value of understanding agriculture, land ownership and land stewardship — especially given how few Black farmers and landowners remain in America,” says Matthew.
Embracing Change While Honoring Tradition
The Raifords’ complementary expertise uniquely positions them to shepherd their agricultural heritage into the future. Matthew’s culinary training and ecological horticulture background merge with Tia’s commitment to herbal remedies, culinary training and experience developing national school lunch programs. This blend of skills shapes not just their current operations, but their vision for Gilliard Farms’ future.
Unlike many family businesses that fail because previous generations refuse to relinquish control, the Raifords embrace evolution. Matthew even envisions running the business remotely at 67, from Spain, Italy or African wine country, while ensuring the operation continues to thrive under new leadership.
“Each generation stewards this land using their unique expertise and knowledge. We want the next generation to do the same — bringing their own skills and finding their own way to connect with the community,” Tia says.