E. The Agricultural Landscape | Pee Dee Explorer

Agriculture is the mainstay of the Pee Dee region’s economic vitality. The history of agriculture in South Carolina is inseparable from that of slavery and plantation culture. 

The Farm | Pee Dee Explorer
Episode 1

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Take a look behind the scenes at Ovis Hill Farm. Ovis Hill Farm is a family owned livestock and certified organic vegetable farm located in Darlington County.
Topiary Garden
Episode 2

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Pearl Fryar, a local gardener in Bishopville, South Carolina describes the kind of trees and bushes he grows in his topiary garden. Most common topiary plants are evergreen and have small, dense...
Topiary Garden Tour
Episode 5

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One of the oldest sections of Pearl Fryar's garden is anchored around a Christmas tree he replanted in 1982. Success at cultivating the Eastern white pine, a native of the Blue Ridge of South Carolina...
Pearl Fryar's Philosophy
Episode 9

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Pearl Fryar believes his skills as an artist continues to grow because others take time to acknowledge and encourage his efforts. The idea of making a difference in another person's life, and how...
Bishopville Community
Episode 10

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Pearl Fryar attributes his passion for topiary to art scholars and promoters who had supported his work early in its development. In the past few years, Pearl has been featured on Home and Garden...
Winning Yard of the Month
Episode 11

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After living in New York and Atlanta, Pearl followed his job with a packaging company to rural Bishopville, South Carolina. Though Pearl had no family in the area, he literally "put roots" down after...
Work Ethic
Episode 12

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Pearl Fryar uses The Gates as an example of artwork that celebrates the experience and moment of the creative act. The viewer's opportunity to interact with and be inspired by the art work justifies...
A Living Farm Museum | Pee Dee Explorer

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Learn about the significance of farming in the lives of African Americans. As the only African American historical living farm museum in the United States, Freewoods Farm is devoted to recognizing the...