One farm faced an uncertain future, like so many have before. According to Beaufort County, this is primarily due to the rapid urbanization and development pressures in the region. Between 2001 and 2016, Beaufort County lost about 14% of its farmland, amounting to approximately 16,000 acres. The trend has continued, with ongoing development projects and an increase in residential areas contributing to further reductions in agricultural land. But this time, the result was different thanks to local leadership…

On a morning walk, Beak and Kathy Webb discovered something extraordinary. Hidden in plain sight were rows upon rows of former cotton beds and supporting dykes, created by enslaved labor to cultivate Sea Island Cotton. The Sea Island Cotton industry was one of the most important economic forces in South Carolina from the late 1700s until the Civil War. Few remaining sites are known to exist—and this is one of them. Until now, almost no one knew these fields existed. As a land trust, we know this land and other places on the Island need to be conserved and hold important stories that have yet to be told...

There are few places left in this world as special as St. Helena, and we are fortunate to work with people like Katie Daise, a 93-year-old native Gullah-Geechee from St. Helena Island whose vision is rooted in her love of family and place, the two of which are intricately connected. Katie’s family land is located on Village Creek and holds happy memories of times past. Yet Katie knew that the only way to be sure it wasn’t chopped up and developed meant she needed to take action…