#oryzaglaberrima

Moruga Hill Rice at dusk. A similar (if not the same) West African variety of bearded upland rice was grown widely by enslaved Africans on the coast of the Carolinas and as far west as Mississippi as a familiar taste of home in an unchosen land, and as a variety that needed no irrigation or “swamps”, meaning fewer mosquitos and disease. In exchange for fighting with the British against those who enslaved them during the War of 1812, many Gullah Geechee people were relocated to Trinidad where they continue to call themselves Merikins. Trinidadian ethnobotanist Francis Morean (@francismorean) grew up planting this rice with his mother and grandmother, and is working to expand stewardship of this grain beyond the 40 families who still grow it on the island. He added: “As a descendant of that long-forgotten hardy band of African and African-American men and women who were almost literally abandoned in the forests of Moruga by the British colonial powers after the War of 1812, I feel a special sense of what one may call group identity and pride - for want of a better expression - regarding our hill rice narrative.” He says: “The Merikins were NOT the first persons to introduce rice to Trinidad and Tobago, notwithstanding the fact that they have most definitely played a major role in the evolution and persistence of the tradition and the survival of the genetic resources.” He has found historical documentation of upland rice culture in Trinidad at least 9 years before the war, likely thanks to African communities predating the Merikins. The New York Times and NPR pieces featuring this rice story got a lot of the facts wrong (as many of us do with seed stories) and I appreciate Morean’s commitment to integrity by correcting the story and his assertion that research is a continual process. Aleya Fraser (@naturaleya) of Black Dirt Farm Collective went back home to Trinidad and met with Morean and hill rice growers, and sent some seed to my partner Chris, who asked me to also grow them as a backup. Now Amirah Mitchell, who is focused on African Diasporic Crops and rice in particular, has adopted this crop at Truelove Seeds. #morugahillrice #uplandrice #oryzaglaberrima https://www.instagram.com/p/B3qKwt1AWJ1/?igshid=bs4384og4mkp

It seems every saved seed of our Moruga Hill Rice is springing to life! A similar (if not the same) West African variety of bearded upland rice was grown widely by enslaved Africans on the coast of the Carolinas and as far west as Mississippi as a familiar taste of home in an unchosen land, and as a variety that needed no irrigation or “swamps”, meaning fewer mosquitos and disease. In exchange for fighting with the British against those who enslaved them during the War of 1812, many Gullah Geechee people were relocated to Trinidad where they continue to call themselves Merikins. Trinidadian ethnobotanist Francis Morean (@francismorean) grew up planting this rice with his mother and grandmother, and is working to expand stewardship of this grain beyond the 40 families who still grow it on the island. He added: “As a descendant of that long-forgotten hardy band of African and African-American men and women who were almost literally abandoned in the forests of Moruga by the British colonial powers after the War of 1812, I feel a special sense of what one may call group identity and pride - for want of a better expression - regarding our hill rice narrative.” He says: “The Merikins were NOT the first persons to introduce rice to Trinidad and Tobago, notwithstanding the fact that they have most definitely played a major role in the evolution and persistence of the tradition and the survival of the genetic resources.” He has found historical documentation of upland rice culture in Trinidad at least 9 years before the war, likely thanks to African communities predating the Merikins. The New York Times and NPR pieces featuring this rice story got a lot of the facts wrong (as many of us do with seed stories) and I appreciate Morean’s commitment to integrity by correcting the story and his assertion that research is a continual process. Aleya Fraser (@naturaleya) of Black Dirt Farm Collective went back home to Trinidad and met with Morean and hill rice growers, and sent some seed to my partner Chris, who asked me to also grow them as a backup. #morugahillrice #morugahill #uplandrice #rice #oryzaglaberrima https://www.instagram.com/seedkeeping/p/Bw24pkpFCUK/?igshid=1dr2qxdwyfnih

The Moruga Hill Rice is flowering and sending it’s pollen into the breeze of my hoop house! A similar (if not the same) West African variety of bearded upland rice was grown widely by enslaved Africans on the coast of the Carolinas and as far west as Mississippi as a familiar taste of home in an unchosen land, and as a variety that needed no irrigation or “swamps”, meaning fewer mosquitos and disease. In exchange for fighting with the British against those who enslaved them during the War of 1812, many Gullah Geechee people were relocated to Trinidad where they continue to call themselves Merikins. Trinidadian ethnobotanist Francis Morean (@francismorean) grew up planting this rice with his mother and grandmother, and is working to expand stewardship of this grain beyond the 40 families who grow it on the island. He added to this story yesterday: “As a descendant of that long-forgotten hardy band of African and African-American men and women who were almost literally abandoned in the forests of Moruga by the British colonial powers after the War of 1812, I feel a special sense of what one may call group identity and pride - for want of a better expression - regarding our hill rice narrative.” He says: “The Merikins were NOT the first persons to introduce rice to Trinidad and Tobago, notwithstanding the fact that they have most definitely played a major role in the evolution and persistence of the tradition and the survival of the genetic resources.” He has found historical documentation of upland rice culture in Trinidad at least 9 years before the war, likely thanks to African communities predating the Merikins. The New York Times and NPR pieces featuring this rice story got a lot of the facts wrong (as many of us do with seed stories) and I appreciate Morean’s commitment to integrity by correcting the story and his assertion that research is a continual process. Aleya Fraser (@naturaleya) of Black Dirt Farm Collective went back home to Trinidad and met with Morean and hill rice growers, and sent some seed to my partner Chris, who asked me to also grow them as a backup. #morugahillrice #morugahill #uplandrice #rice #oryzaglaberrima https://www.instagram.com/p/BnSEz9PFy7z/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1vo7e0e68231c

My friend Emi's mom Meiko worked with Masanobu Fukuoka until his death, and shared with me this Happy Hill rice from his natural farm in Japan, as well as several beautiful handkerchiefs and other Japanese seeds. I read his One Straw Revolution many years ago, and as I embarked on my no-till natural farming journey, I was grateful to have been influenced by his philosophies. He says: "When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to posses them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." I took this photo on my porch, which happens to have the remnants of African rice - Moruga Hill Upland Rice from Trinidad via Gullah Geechee sea islands, via West Africa. This rice frames the photo - at the top with bent seedheads, and in the bottom right with the dried leaves. These two different species of rice were domesticated on different continents, many thousands of miles apart, and have fed countless ancestors. Another similarity: both will struggle in our climate but I'm going to try anyways. I like to get to know the food I eat by meeting it in all its life stages. #masanobufukuoka #oryzasativa #oryzaglaberrima #oryza #seedkeeping #naturalfarming #notill #onestrawrevolution

I’ve been waiting for this moment all year: the Moruga Hill Rice is going to seed! This West African variety of bearded upland rice was grown widely by enslaved Africans on the coast of the Carolinas and as far west as Mississippi as a familiar taste of home in an unchosen land, and as a variety that needed no irrigation or 'swamps', meaning fewer mosquitos and disease. In exchange for fighting with the British against those who enslaved them during the War of 1812, many Gullah Geechee people on the sea islands of the Carolinas were relocated (with their seeds and their freedom) to Trinidad where they continue to call themselves Merikins and grow this rice today. Trinidadian ethnobotanist Francis Morean (@francismorean) grew up planting this rice with his mother and grandmother, and is working to expand interest in and stewardship of this grain beyond the 40 families who continue to grow it on the island. Fellow seed keeper Aleya Fraser (@naturaleya) of Black Dirt Farm on the eastern shore of Maryland went back home to Trinidad and met with Francis Morean and hill rice growers! Aleya sent some seed to my partner Chris, who asked me to also grow them as a backup. Aleya's and Chris's started going to seed before those in my field did - I hope we all get some ripe seed to begin the process of re-acclimating this sacred and storied rice to this continent. #morugahillrice #morugahill #uplandrice #rice #oryzaglaberrima #gullahgeechee #gullahgeecheecuisine #westafricanrice #seedkeeping #seedsaving (at Delaware County, Pennsylvania)

About a month ago, my partner Chris told me about Moruga Hill Rice (Orzya glaberrima). He had heard about it on NPR, and the story blew his mind. This West African variety of bearded upland rice was grown widely by enslaved Africans on the coast of the Carolinas and as far west as Chris's birthplace of Mississippi as a familiar taste of home in an unchosen land, and as a variety that needed no irrigation or "swamps", meaning fewer mosquitos and disease. In exchange for fighting with the British against those who enslaved them during the War of 1812, many Gullah Geechee people on the sea islands of the Carolinas were relocated (with their seeds and their freedom) to Trinidad where they continue to call themselves Merikans and grow this rice today. Trinidadian ethnobotanist Francis Morean grew up planting this rice with his mother and grandmother, and is working to expand interest in and stewardship of this grain beyond the 40 families who continue to grow it on the island. Recently, my friend and fellow seed keeper Aleya Fraser of Black Dirt Farm on the eastern shore of Maryland went back home to Trinidad and met with Francis Morean and hill rice growers! Aleya sent some seed to Chris, who asked me to also grow them as a backup. Before I planted these seeds today, filled with respect and prayer, I listened to the words of one of these growers - John Elliot - and followed his instructions (via @francismorean). I also soaked the seeds in my mouth, as I've been doing, and two things became very clear: 1. These seeds are powerful, they have seen both joy and pain, and they are not my seeds - though I'm glad to play a role in growing them and 2. The 'beards' inched the seeds deep into my mouth and I wasn't sure I got them all back out for a while - I felt some may have permanently embedded themselves in me. I'll think twice about doing that next time! But I'll probably do it anyways. #hillrice #morugahillrice #oryzaglaberrima #uplandrice #merikan #gullahgeecheecuisine #aleyafraser #seedkeeping #mypartnerchris (at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)

This might not look like much, but I'm THRILLED with the little mounds of emerging Moruga Hill Rice! See my post last week about this variety of upland rice that travelled to Trinidad with freed Merikins - the formerly enslaved Africans from the Carolinas who had fought on the side of the British against their "owners". Thanks a million to my friend and fellow seed keeper Aleya for learning from those who tend them and bringing some back from her trip to see her family there. My partner Chris prayed over them and planted them with many friends at his farm, and shared a handful with me to grow as backup. #morugahillrice #seedkeeping #uplandrice #merikin #gullahgeecheecuisine #Oryzaglaberrima (at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania)