It’s not New Year’s Day in the South without a heaping bowl of hoppin’ John, a dish of rice and black-eyed peas believed to bring luck. And the century-old bean company Camellia, based just outside New Orleans, relies on the Southern region’s farmers to produce enough peas to meet its holiday demand. “We are continuing to grow our network of trusted farmers,” says Vince Hayward, Camellia’s CEO. One of them, Carl Smith III of Pleasanton, Texas, has navigated drought and a spring hailstorm to protect this year’s crop. Despite the hurdles, Smith is hopeful about preserving Southern legumes for future generations. “It’s all I’ve been doing for forty years, and my dad forty-two before me,” he says. “My daughter has come into the business, and hopefully it will continue for another forty.”
Southern Agenda
Pluck and Money
Illustration: Tim Bower