meet the raifords.
Strong Roots 9 was formed by CheFarmers Tia and Matthew Raiford, graduates of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Matthew and Tia met at CIA in their 20s and reunited nearly two decades later amidst the throes of the pandemic. Though they had both lived lifetimes apart, their stories and passions one again intertwined at the perfect time - serendipity.
Together their culinary and agricultural talents create the force behind Strong Roots 9, a platform that aims to raise black voices and support equity in the food world. SR9 aims to collaborate with brands and organizations by offering culinary, agricultural, and operational expertise for an array of services from event production, recipe writing, and cooking demonstrations to video and digital content development, culinary consulting, and interactive discussions on a wide range of topics.
More than 100 heirloom recipes from a dynamic chef and farmer working the lands of his great-great-great grandfather.
From Hot Buttermilk Biscuits and Sweet Potato Pie to Salmon Cakes on Pepper Rice and Gullah Fish Stew, Gullah Geechee food is an essential cuisine of American history. It is the culinary representation of the ocean, rivers, and rich fertile loam in and around the coastal South. From the Carolinas to Georgia and Florida, this is where descendants of enslaved Africans came together to make extraordinary food, speaking the African Creole language called Gullah Geechee.
In this groundbreaking and beautiful cookbook, Matthew Raiford pays homage to this cuisine that nurtured his family for seven generations. In 2010, Raiford’s Nana handed over the deed to the family farm to him and his sister, and Raiford rose to the occasion, nurturing the farm that his great-great-great grandfather, a freed slave, purchased in 1874. In this collection of heritage and updated recipes, he traces a history of community and family brought together by food.
Bress ’n’ nyam COOKBook
Life BEGINS on the farm…
Strong Roots 9 operates out of our home, Gilliard Farms, a historic property located in Brunswick, Georgia.
Gilliard Farms was founded over 150 years ago by Jupiter Raiford, great-great-great-grandfather of Matthew Raiford, who purchased the property for 9 dollars in taxes after his emancipation.
Today, Matthew and Tia continue to cultivate the land, protect its heritage, and regularly enjoy hosting events, markets, and more on the property.
Visitors are always welcome!
