An Enslaved Gardener Transformed the Pecan into a Cash Crop
7 hours ago
- #Indigenous knowledge
- #agricultural history
- #enslaved contributions
- Pecan nuts were a dietary staple for Native Americans, with uses in trade, ceremonies, and medicine.
- Antoine, an enslaved gardener, developed a successful grafting method for pecan trees, leading to the Centennial variety and transforming the commercial pecan industry.
- Grafting is a delicate process involving joining plant parts, and Antoine achieved success with limited resources.
- Antoine's innovation enabled mass production of pecans, leading to a multimillion-dollar industry by the early 1920s.
- Despite the eventual felling of Antoine's trees, his grafting method remains a significant agricultural advancement.
- The contributions of enslaved and Indigenous people to botany and agriculture are often overlooked in historical narratives.
- Beronda L. Montgomery highlights the erasure of Black and Indigenous expertise in botanical history and calls for recognition of their contributions.