Kid farmer, now 22, inherits Gullah-Geechee family legacy in S.C.
JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The grandson of a South Carolina Gullah-Geechee farmer is reflecting on his journey of learning into leadership and what drives his ion for agriculture.
CJ Dillahunt, 22, will be the next to inherit Joseph Fields Farm. Planting, harvesting and moving produce into the hands of the community was how he spent every day since he was four years old.
“On school weekends and school breaks. It was just really fun to go with my grandfather up to Columbia with him in the morning, big vehicles and stacked trucks or whatever. There was stuff for us to bring back home,” Dillahunt said.
Dillahunt said he starts the day around 7 a.m. He acts as a foreman, overseeing employees, loading trucks, tagging produce and operating tractors.
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“Most days are similar; they all have their differences. It’s not just a job or a career. It’s almost like a lifestyle,” Dillahunt said. “It’s something you can’t just flip on and off like a light switch. I take a lot of pride.”
The farm uses practices and tools that follow generations of Black farmers, creating a fixture on Johns Island in the wake of challenges within the agriculture industry.
Joseph Fields, a third-generation Gullah Geechee farmer and CJ’s grandfather, owns the 50-acre property. His wife, Helen Fields, is one of many family at the core of the farm’s survival.
“I have been married to a farmer for 53 years, it’s a part of me. And it’s his heritage,” Helen Fields said.
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Joseph will the baton to CJ, who will continue the legacy. In the meantime, his wife is creating ways for people of all ages to learn about the industry so it continues to thrive.
“It’s no question about it. The task isn’t easy, but it can be done,” Helen Fields said.
She began working on the farm at 13 years old alongside Joseph. Years later, they got married. She said it is her lifelong dream to open a museum on the property.
The farm allows tours and has a staffed roadside market on River Road.
For those interested in learning more about Joseph Fields Farm, click here.
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