Down a tree-lined dirt road off of State Rd 174 in Edisto Island, SC sits a dirt floored hut with a storied history and some of the best produce and pies you’ll ever eat. A relic with ties to the 18th century, George & Pink’s Farm & Market is beloved by locals and tourists alike.
Opened more than 40 years ago, the plywood market filled with fresh fruit and vegetable baskets, fridges full of homemade pies, shelves stocked with Geechie Boy Mill grits and rice, and of course, plenty of boiled peanuts, is a modest reminder of the past it’s connected to.
Run by Pink Brown and her father, George, George & Pink’s has been a staple of Edisto Island since Pink started working there in the 1970s. She was born and raised on the Island, which sits nestled in between Hilton Head and Kiawah Island along the South Carolina coast, and running the family farm was a natural livelihood.
While Edisto is frequented by tourists year-round, who come for the non-commercialized, laid-back nature of Eidsto and its beautiful beaches, Pink’s family has always been here.
Her lineage can be traced to Bleak Hall Plantation, just a stone’s throw away, where her ancestors were slaves. The fact that Pink and her family run a market on that same land two centuries later could be seen as a remarkable success story.
John Townsend, who ran Bleak Hall Plantation throughout the early 1800s, penned The Doom of Slavery in the Union: Its Safety Out of It, directed toward Southern leaders and supporters of slavery. Knowing that Abraham Lincoln was set to be elected and would surely abolish slavery, Townsend laid out his arguments against abolitionism.
Among those arguments, Townsend lamented the loss of slave labor, which had helped him cultivate some of the South’s best cotton among other things.
“It is undoubtedly true, then, that the abolition of slavery at the South means the annihilation of all negro labor, and with the loss of that labor, the end of all crops—and with loss of crops, the end of all income to the planters,” he wrote.
That Pink’s ancestors were among Townsend’s slave laborers makes the success of her market on that same land nearly 160 years after slaves were freed that much sweeter. People now flock to George & Pink’s from around the world, and she says getting to meet people from across the globe is her favorite part of running the market.
Hung on the walls throughout the store are signed photos of politicians, high-ranking military members, sports stars, and celebrities that have visited the market — another testament to the impact Pink’s has had throughout the years.
At first glance, there’s nothing special about George & Pink’s. The dirt floors and rickety structure tucked away down a dirt road may turn away some. But it’s Pink — her family and her story — that make it truly special. And the high-quality produce they cultivate year-round, of course.
If you live in the Charleston or Savannah area, or find yourself nearby while traveling, don’t hesitate to visit George & Pink’s to get some peaches or okra or sweet corn or pie. It’s well worth the trip, especially if you take the chance to chat with Pink.
George & Pink’s is 100% Pasatiempo approved!
The Firestarter is a series that highlights people, places, and products related to BBQ and the greater culinary industry. Hidden Gems are a sub-segment that showcase restaurants, stores, or markets that may not be widely known, but should absolutely be visited.
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