SC State gives historic Freewoods Farm a new future rooted in its past, showcasing modern agriculture and research

Freewoods Farms founder O'Neal Smalls (center in suit and tie) is joined by SC State officials and students and local stakeholders in cutting the ribbon for the university's acquisition.

SC State PSA's acquisition of 40-acre living history museum will preserve African American agricultural heritage while demonstrating innovative farming techniques, advancing research and expanding educational opportunities.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - South Carolina State University plans to preserve the agricultural heritage of African Americans while introducing modern farming technologies, educational programs and community development initiatives at Freewoods Farm, a 40-acre living history museum in Horry County.

SC State recently acquired the farm through an arrangement with founder O'Neal Smalls.

Through its Public Service and Agriculture division, the university will develop the property as a working agricultural site that combines traditional farming practices with modern innovations, including high tunnels, solar power and atmospheric water generation.

Freewoods Farm, located at 9515 Freewoods Road in Myrtle Beach, is an agricultural, educational and tourism destination that tells the story of African American farmers during their first century of freedom, from the end of the Civil War to the mid-20th century.

Visitors can experience how agriculture, family and community shaped Freewoods Farm, which includes the main farmhouse, sugar cane syrup kettle shed, smokehouse, livestock areas and other farm buildings.

Smalls has worked to preserve his family's history at the farm and has entrusted the development of its next chapter to SC State. The university will work to preserve the farm's history while promoting advances in agriculture.

SC State officials joined Smalls and other community members for a Freewoods Farm Partnership and Legacy Celebration at the farm on Oct. 16.

'It's our foundation'

"Farming is our history. Prior to the civil rights movement, farming was our life. That's all we did during slavery, and that first 100 years after slavery, 80 to 85% of Black people were farmers, most of them sharecroppers, but farmers nonetheless," Smalls said.

Smalls said he wants the history preserved because it demonstrates the resilience and determination of Black people who not only farmed but also built schools and churches while facing a hostile environment following emancipation.

"We can do all of the modern things we're doing, but don't forget our history. That's what Freewoods Farm is all about. It's our foundation," he said.

Smalls said SC State's history as a land-grant institution positions it to preserve the farm's traditional practices while helping lead it into the future of agriculture.

SC State is one of two land-grant universities in South Carolina and belongs to a national system of more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities.

"Congress established the 1890 Program to help Black farmers. That's their mission, helping Black farmers. The white farmers had Clemson. The Clemson University Extension Program operates throughout the state, but they were serving white farmers," Smalls said.

'It's our foundation'

"Farming is our history. Prior to the civil rights movement, farming was our life. That's all we did during slavery, and that first 100 years after slavery, 80 to 85% of Black people were farmers, most of them sharecroppers, but farmers nonetheless," Smalls said.

Smalls said he wants the history preserved because it demonstrates the resilience and determination of Black people who not only farmed but also built schools and churches while facing a hostile environment following emancipation.

"We can do all of the modern things we're doing, but don't forget our history. That's what Freewoods Farm is all about. It's our foundation," he said.

Smalls said SC State's history as a land-grant institution positions it to preserve the farm's traditional practices while helping lead it into the future of agriculture.

SC State is one of two land-grant universities in South Carolina and belongs to a national system of more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities.

"Congress established the 1890 Program to help Black farmers. That's their mission, helping Black farmers. The white farmers had Clemson. The Clemson University Extension Program operates throughout the state, but they were serving white farmers," Smalls said.

The Second Morrill Act of 1890 expanded the nation's land-grant system by requiring states to provide equitable access to land-grant education regardless of race or establish separate institutions for Black students to qualify for federal funding. SC State is among the historically Black land-grant institutions established under that framework.

Dr. Louis Whitesides, SC State's interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, also serves as chairman of the Freewoods Farm Foundation board. In his other role as vice president for the university's Public Service and Agriculture division, Whitesides worked with Smalls to develop the transition.

Whitesides said SC State will own the farm and work to preserve its legacy while highlighting advances in agriculture.

"We're going to have specialized events like syrup making out of sugar canes. We're also going to have chickens and other animals out here. It's going to be a real working farm," he said.

Whitesides said a mule named Maggie will continue to be used to plow the field, with kale and collard greens among the crops grown at the site.

"But on the other side of it, we'll have a modern part where we're building two high tunnels on the other side of the farm, and one of them is going to be a modified tunnel that has heat and air. It's going to be solar power-generated, and it's going to have atmospheric water generation," he said. "If you ever have catastrophic events, or a power grid goes out, you'll still be able to produce food."

Whitesides said he is excited about the farm's future.

"This whole region will be able to benefit from better farming practices, healthy eating, 4-H programs, Community Economic Development programs working with small businesses. So all the services that the university offers through our 1890 program, we offer here at our farm," he said.

SC State president discusses future of agriculture

"The future of this farm really will be about South Carolina State University and 1890 really helping to market this and brand this and ensure that we get volunteers out to help make this farm run," SC State President Alexander Conyers said.

Conyers said agriculture is a growing field in which SC State is poised to play a role.

"This year, South Carolina State University will reestablish its animal and veterinary science program for new students. We have an agribusiness degree at South Carolina State, a master's in it, as well. So South Carolina State has always been involved in the process of educating people about the business of farming. We intend to double down on that now," Conyers said.

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education recently approved SC State's animal science programs, and the university expects to begin enrolling students in 2027.

Conyers said the farm will have a demonstration site that uses technology to educate small rural farmers on topics such as increasing crop yields.

SC State Student Government Association President Austin Stephens, a senior from Beaufort, South Carolina, was among the younger generation members who attended the Oct. 16 ceremony.

"As a criminal justice major, I was especially interested to learn that Mr. Smalls is an attorney. It's inspiring to see how someone who pursued a career in law has also made it his mission to preserve the history of his community. That says a lot about the difference one person can make," Stephens said.

SC State Board of Trustees Chairman Douglas Gantt and Conway Mayor Barbara Blain-Bellamy were among the officials who spoke during the ceremony.

Gantt said the acquisition represents an opportunity to preserve the history of the resilience and enterprise of the people who developed Freewoods Farm.

"It's a distinct honor to recognize and celebrate this remarkable gift to South Carolina State University. The gift of these 40 acres at Freewoods Farm represents far more than the acquisition of property," he said.

During the ceremony, Gantt and Conyers also announced that Smalls would receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree during SC State's Dec. 4 convocation.

Smalls' work to preserve the history of African American farmers and the communities they built will continue through SC State's stewardship of Freewoods Farm. The university plans to build on that legacy by introducing new agricultural technologies, educational opportunities and resources for farmers and surrounding communities.

The farm's next chapter will connect generations of agricultural knowledge with the innovations shaping its future.

For more information about Freewoods Farm, call 843-668-2470 or visit freewoodsfarm.com. For information about SC State, including its new degree programs, visit scsu.edu.