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Carolina Gold facts for kids

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Carolina Gold rice
Skilled African Labor (7222778658).jpg
Enslaved Africans cultivating Carolina gold rice in South Carolina on Snee farm plantation.
Species Oryza glaberrima (Steud.)
Origin South Carolina Lowcountry and the Sea Islands

Carolina Gold rice is a special type of African rice. It became very popular in South Carolina, USA, starting in the 1780s. This rice gets its name from the beautiful golden color of its grains before their outer husks are removed.

The Story of Carolina Gold Rice

How Rice Came to South Carolina

Rice farming began in the South Carolina Lowcountry because of the knowledge and skills brought by people from Africa. These individuals had a deep understanding of how to grow rice. Their hard work and expertise helped create a very successful rice industry. This industry brought a lot of wealth to the region.

A Popular Crop in the Past

Carolina Gold rice was a very important food in the Lowcountry. It was a "staple," meaning it was a main part of people's diets. Before the American Civil War, Carolina Gold rice made up most of the rice grown in the United States. About 3.5 million out of 5 million bushels of rice grown were this type! However, its popularity slowly faded over time. The last large crop was harvested in 1927.

Bringing Back Carolina Gold

The Schulze Family's Discovery

In the 1980s, Dr. Richard and Patricia Schulze became interested in this old rice. They were working on their vacation property in Hardeeville, South Carolina. They found out that the USDA had kept some Carolina Gold seeds. These seeds were stored in a special seed bank in Texas.

From a Few Seeds to Many

The Schulzes got 14 pounds of these special seeds. They planted them carefully. In their very first harvest, they gathered 64 pounds of rice! By 1988, they were growing a lot more, harvesting about 10,000 pounds each year. This showed that Carolina Gold rice could be grown again.

Carolina Gold Today

New Companies and Better Rice

In 1998, two companies, Anson Mills and Carolina Plantation Rice, started selling Carolina Gold rice. This happened after Clemson University helped create a type of Carolina Gold that could resist diseases. This made it easier to grow. It's important to know that some other rice brands, like "Carolina Gold" from Riviana Foods, are not the same as this historic variety.

The Carolina Gold Rice Foundation

To help keep this special rice alive, the Carolina Gold Rice Foundation was started in 2004. Their goal is to make Carolina Gold rice popular again. They also work to save and protect other old plant types. These include French Huguenot black landrace buckwheat and Sea Island red peas.

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