Savoring Plant-Based Eating with Chefs Tia and Matthew Raiford

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Meet the Raifords 

02:15 What Brought Tia and Matthew Back to the Farm 

05:39 Starting the Coastal Paella and Hoja Santa Salad 

21:49 Touring and Shopping at Gilliard Farms 

23:18 What Plant-Based Eating Means on the Farm 

48:53 Inside Matthew’s Cookbook, Bress ‘n’ Nyam

Is there a better time to enjoy plant-based eating than when summer transitions to autumn, as gardens and farmers’ markets overflow with gorgeous fresh vegetables and fruits? It just makes sense to slow down for a minute and enjoy it.

The best thing about plant-based eating as a climate solution is that it doesn’t limit us to just plants. It only encourages us to do our best to make crops from the garden, the orchards, and the fields more prominent in our diets.

To provide fresh inspiration around plant-based diets, Drawdown Georgia co-hosted a conversation and cooking demonstration with chefs Tia and Matthew Raiford at Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Georgia. In addition to preparing a Plant-Forward Coastal Paella and Hoja Santa Salad With Pepitas, the Raifords shared perspectives on their own approach to plant-based eating, and tips for getting the most out of seasonal produce.

How Did Tia and Matthew Raiford Come Back to Gilliard Farms?

Matthew shares the story of his grandmother gifting him and his sister their first 12 acres of family land at a reunion in 2010, land that’s been in his family since his great-great-great-grandfather, Jupiter Gilliard, purchased it in 1874. Tia shares her own remarkable discovery, just two weeks after marrying Matthew: that her own great-great-grandfather was born in the very same Georgia county where the farm sits.

How Do You Turn a Classic Recipe Plant-Forward?

Matthew walks through building a coastal paella that swaps the traditional pound and a half of sausage, clams, and shrimp for mushrooms, butternut squash, carrots, onions, and peppers, while Tia prepares a Hoja Santa Salad using herbs and greens harvested that same morning. Along the way, they share practical substitutions for nearly every ingredient, from pumpkin seeds to romaine.

What Does “Zero Waste” Really Look Like on a Working Farm?

The Raifords describe using every part of what they grow in three stages: eating it fresh, turning scraps into vegetable stock, and finally composting what’s left, which breaks down twice as fast once it’s already been cooked. Tia’s advice for anyone trying to eat fresher: “divorce your freezer,” and keep vegetables visible in the fridge instead of buried in the back.

Why Does Matthew’s Cookbook Start with an All-Plant Chapter?

Matthew shares the story behind Bress ‘n’ Nyam, meaning “bless and eat” in Gullah Geechee, and why he opens the book with an entirely plant-forward first chapter, pushing back on the assumption that Gullah Geechee cuisine is centered on meat.

Whether you’re a longtime plant-based eater or just looking to make one recipe more plant-forward, this conversation offers warm, practical inspiration straight from the farm.

What You’ll Learn

• The multigenerational story of how Tia and Matthew came to steward Gilliard Farms together.
• How to turn a classic recipe, like coastal paella, plant-forward without losing its heart.
• Practical ingredient substitutions for nuts, seeds, greens, and herbs.
• How the Raifords use every part of what they grow, from eating to stock-making to composting.
• Tips for keeping fresh produce visible and top of mind to reduce food waste at home.
• The story behind Matthew’s cookbook, Bress ‘n’ Nyam, and its all-plant opening chapter.

Continue reading in our companion blog for more tips from the Raifords on plant-based eating and reducing food waste, and to download the Raifords’ Plant-Forward Coastal Paella and Hoja Santa Salad recipes for free.

Download the Interview Transcript

Prefer to read the conversation instead? Download the complete PDF transcript of this webinar to explore Tia and Matthew Raiford’s insights on plant-based eating, farm-to-table cooking, and reducing food waste.