CheFarmer Matthew Raiford, executive chef and owner at The Farmer and The Larder and the farmer at Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Georgia. Matthew served in the Army for 9 years, including deployments in support of Desert Storm. After his service, Matthew built a successful culinary career, most recently serving as the program coordinator and associate professor of Culinary Arts at the College of Coastal Georgia. Matthew holds a Bachelor’s of Professional Studies degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and a certificate in Ecological Horticulture from University of California Santa Cruz and The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Through his interest in food and his families farming legacy Matthew and sister Althea decided to reclaim the centennial family farm for production agriculture. Raiford, executive chef and owner at The Farmer and The Larder, featured in January/February 2016’s Garden & Gun as one of the South’s most exciting new restaurants.