b'Over 300 people attendedthis years NAPB meeting in Greenville, South Carolina. FunctionFOR CHEF B.J. DENNIS,culture isa shift towards community-driven seed everything.initiatives, that emphasize traditional As a well-known chef whos beeningredients. Our culture has always had Overfeatured on Netflix and is renowned fora connection to the land and agriculture, his culinary expertise, hes made a careerwhether its the backyard gardens or the of blending the flavors and traditions ofcrops that have been part of our heritage Gullah Geechee cuisinefood born offor generations. Its time to reclaim these Fancy the descendants of West and Centralpractices and adapt them to our modern Africans who were enslaved and broughtchallenges, he said.to the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia toWhen breeders embark on devel-work on rice and cotton plantations. oping new plant varieties, they should With his cuisine, Dennis has made it hisstrike a balance between novelty and mission to introduce a fresh and uniquefunctionality, along with cost efficiency This years Nationaltaste to the continuously growing culinaryand accessibility, as many chefs prior-Association of Plantdiversity of the South. He also brings aitize sourcing affordable and functional unique perspective to the world of plantproduce. Breeders should understand the Breeders annual meetingbreeding. With a focus on functionalitydemands of the market and create crops put a human face on plantand community impact, he knows thethat can be grown and sold at reasonable breeding and the blood,importance of considering the needs ofprices, ensuring wider accessibility for local communities when developing newconsumers, he said.sweat and tears that goplant varieties. Its a message he deliv- Function over fancy, in other words.into it.Marc Zienkiewicz ered to attendees of this years NationalHanna Raskina Charleston, South Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB)Carolina-based journalist who publishes annual conference, held in Greenville,a popular newsletter called The Food South Carolina, in July. Section, covering food and drink across What he believes needs attention isthe American Southhas written exten-40/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2023'