The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation is committed to rebuilding the fundamentals of local culinary heritage through scholarship, research, farming, exploration, pro bono rare seed distribution, and good wholesome food.
Our Mission
The CGRF is committed to advancing the sustainable restoration and preservation of Carolina Gold Rice and other grains; raising awareness of the importance of historic ricelands and heirloom agriculture; encouraging, supporting, and promoting education and research activities focused on heirloom grains, and serving as a resource for the authentic documentation of heirloom grain culture and heritage.
"Locally grown rice by very small producers is no longer a concept. Local rice from small farms is meaningful and growing exponentially."
— GLENN ROBERTS, Anson Mills
Important Goals
Future activities for the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation include outreach for the identification, recovery, and sustainable restoration of heirloom grains threatened with extinction by supporting and funding:
genetically pure seed banking efforts and horticultural research
future symposia focusing on heirloom grain restoration and culture
electronic archiving of important historic and contemporary reference works and research papers dealing with the authenticity, preservation and restoration of heirloom grains and their culture
authentic heirloom agricultural display and documentation for youth education
natural breeding and improvement of contemporary grains based upon the genetic diversity of heirloom grains
aggressive media outreach to promote awareness and understanding of heirloom agriculture's ability to enhance the quality, availability, and security of the global food supply in the first and third worlds
Get Involved
The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation holds meetings several times a year. The meetings are seminar-style discussions that feature guest speakers, board members, and others talking about seed restoration projects, the origins of historical crops, the resurgence of heritage vegetables, and other topics that are important to the mission of the CGRF. Meetings are usually open to the public and are announced on the website.