Save Our Legacy Ourself

What Save Our Legacy Ourself does

Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in 2021 and headquartered on Sapelo Island, Georgia, in the Hogg Hummock community. Founded by Maurice Bailey — son of the late Cornelia Walker Bailey, the griot, writer, historian, and activist for Gullah Geechee culture — the organization exists to preserve the culture, heritage, and traditions of the Saltwater Geechee people through agricultural revival and food sovereignty initiatives.

SOLO's core offering is an Agricultural Program that cultivates heritage crops across multiple plots in Hogg Hummock, including Purple Ribbon sugarcane, Geechee red peas, indigo, sour oranges, peppers, and garlic. The first commercial product, Sapelo Island sugarcane syrup, was brought to market in fall 2020 after five growing seasons and was featured in the New York Times. A Youth Agricultural Program, launched in 2022 in partnership with McIntosh County Academy, teaches high school students heritage crop cultivation and traditional Saltwater Geechee foodways. Additional heritage crops are in incubation for future market release.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of heritage agricultural products through a Shopify storefront (shopgeechee.myshopify.com) with donations accepted via Givebutter. The organization does not disclose pricing, revenue, or financial figures. SOLO's go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer groups, university partnerships, and collaborations with more than ten named partner organizations including the University of Georgia's Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and Agriculture, SICARS, Spelman College Food Studies Program, Georgia Organics, Black to Earth, Black Food Justice, One Hundred Miles, Sapelo NERR, and the UGA Marine Institute. Operating geography is the Southeastern United States, with beneficiary focus on Hogg Hummock residents facing cultural erasure, land loss through heirs' property issues, food insecurity, and climate change impacts including sea level rise.

Name

Save Our Legacy Ourself

Legal name

Save Our Legacy Ourself

Website

https://saveourlegacyourself.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on Sapelo Island, Georgia that preserves Saltwater Geechee culture through heritage crop cultivation, selling sugarcane syrup via Shopify and operating a youth agricultural education program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Agriculture and Cultural Preservation

NAICS

Sugarcane Farming (11193), Citrus (except Orange) Groves (11132)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Edible Sap, Syrups & Sweeteners (Maple, Birch) Tapping/Processing (AFAMAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dye & Tannin Crop Farming (Indigo, Annatto, Wattle) (AFAGAGAJ)

Keywords

• Heritage agriculture
• Cultural preservation
• Nonprofit food sovereignty
• Heritage crop cultivation
• Youth agricultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sapelo Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Product Sales: SOLO brings heritage agricultural products to market, including Sapelo Island sugarcane which was their first major product launched in fall 2020. Additional crops being incubated for market include Geechee red peas, sour oranges, indigo, and garlic.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that revives and cultivates heritage crops of the Saltwater Geechee community on Sapelo Island—including sugarcane, Geechee red peas, indigo, sour oranges, peppers, and garlic—and brings them to market, with Sapelo Island sugarcane syrup as its first commercial product launched in fall 2020. The organization also runs a Youth Agricultural Program in partnership with McIntosh County Academy to teach heritage farming and foodways to local students.

Product overview

Save Our Legacy Ourself (SOLO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on preserving Saltwater Geechee culture through agricultural revival on Sapelo Island. The organization operates two core programs: an Agricultural Program cultivating heritage crops (sugarcane, Geechee red peas, indigo, sour oranges, peppers, garlic) across multiple plots in Hogg Hummock community, and a Youth Agricultural Program partnering with McIntosh County Academy. SOLO's first major market product was Sapelo Island sugarcane syrup launched in fall 2020, with additional heritage crops in development. The organization leverages partnerships with academic institutions (University of Georgia) and community organizations (SICARS) to modernize farming practices while preserving traditional methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sapelo Island Sugarcane (Syrup) Heritage Purple Ribbon sugarcane syrup cultivated using traditional Saltwater Geechee methods on Sapelo Island, brought to market as SOLO's first commercial product after five growing seasons and featured in the New York Times. Sold to consumers through the organization's Shopify e-commerce store.
• Youth Agricultural Program Educational program partnered with McIntosh County Academy that teaches high school students about Saltwater Geechee agricultural history, heritage crops, hands-on farming skills (soil care, plant propagation, weed management, harvesting), and traditional foodways. Connects Saltwater Geechee youth from Sapelo Island to their cultural heritage through agriculture.
• Heritage Crop Agricultural Program Core agricultural program cultivating heritage crops—including sugarcane, Geechee red peas, indigo, sour oranges, peppers, and garlic—across multiple acres in the Hogg Hummock community on Sapelo Island. Operated in partnership with SICARS and the University of Georgia's Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and Agriculture to revive Saltwater Geechee foodways and generate economic development.

Quantifiable outcome

• First major product (Sapelo Island sugarcane) brought to market in fall 2020 after five growing seasons

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSICARS is the original nonprofit founded by Cornelia Walker Bailey to secure a future for the people of Hog Hammock. Maurice Bailey served as Vice President of SICARS before founding SOLO. The organizations work in partnership on agricultural revival efforts.
• University of Georgia - Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGA's Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land and Agriculture was started in 2017 as a short-term incubator to provide support and resources for growing the agricultural program. Program Co-Directors include Maurice Bailey and UGA Professor Nik Heynen.
• McIntosh County AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOLO partners with McIntosh Academy's Culinary Arts teacher Mr. Dave Collins to run the Youth Agricultural Program in the Hogg Hummock community. This is significant because the public high school in Darien GA is where many Saltwater Geechee youth from Sapelo attended after the island school closed in 1978.
• Sapelo NERRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve collaborates on research and preservation efforts.
• Georgia OrganicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState organic farming organization supporting sustainable agriculture initiatives.
• Black to EarthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack-owned environmental organization focused on food justice and sustainable farming.
• Nobis ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting community resilience and cultural preservation.
• Spelman College Food Studies ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Spelman College's Food Studies Program for research and education.
• UGA Marine InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Georgia marine research facility on Sapelo Island supporting scientific research.
• Black Food JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on food justice and equity in Black communities.
• One Hundred MilesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia coastal conservation organization. SOLO was featured in their Our Georgia Coast Campaign in collaboration with 100 Miles in June 2023.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sapelo Island Red Pea Project / Geechee Heritage Farming Initiatives: Heritage crop revival initiatives tied to Sapelo Island and the broader Gullah Geechee corridor that focus on red pea cultivation and food sovereignty. These initiatives are comparable to SOLO because they operate in the same Saltwater Geechee heritage crop space, with overlapping missions around food sovereignty and cultural preservation through agriculture.

Others

• Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (Sapelo NERR): A federal-state research reserve on Sapelo Island that collaborates with SOLO on research and preservation efforts. It is comparable to SOLO because both organizations are based on Sapelo Island, share Saltwater Geechee-adjacent research interests, and partner on preservation of the island's cultural and ecological heritage.
• Sapelo Island Heritage Authority: A Georgia state authority created under the 1983 Sapelo Island Heritage Authority Act to preserve the historical and cultural areas of Sapelo Island. It is comparable to SOLO because it operates in the same regulatory and geographic framework, with overlapping goals around protecting the Hogg Hummock community and Saltwater Geechee cultural heritage.
• Black Family Land Trust: A nonprofit dedicated to preserving Black-owned land and agricultural heritage in the American South. It is comparable to SOLO because both organizations address Black land tenure, heirs' property issues, and the economic empowerment of descendants through agricultural stewardship.
• Center for Heirs' Property Preservation: A nonprofit that helps families preserve heirs' property and retain land in the Southeast, particularly for African American landowners. It is comparable to SOLO because heirs' property fragmentation is a structural threat SOLO explicitly identifies as a primary problem, and both organizations work in adjacent missions on Sapelo-adjacent communities.

Regional players

• One Hundred Miles: A Georgia-based coastal conservation nonprofit that featured SOLO in its 'Our Georgia Coast Campaign' in June 2023. It is comparable because it operates in the same Georgia coastal geography, working to protect natural and cultural heritage on the same coastline that includes Sapelo Island.
• Georgia Organics: A statewide nonprofit that supports organic and sustainable agriculture in Georgia. It is comparable to SOLO because it operates as a regional partner organization in the same Georgia agricultural ecosystem, supporting sustainable farming practices and connecting small farmers to resources and markets.

Direct peers

• Seed Savers Exchange: A nonprofit dedicated to preserving and distributing heirloom and culturally significant seeds in the United States. It is comparable to SOLO because both organizations center their mission on the conservation, propagation, and market reintroduction of heritage plant varieties tied to specific cultural traditions.
• Southeastern African American Farmers' Organic Network (SAAFON): A network supporting African American organic and heritage farmers across the Southeast. SAAFON is comparable to SOLO because both organizations focus on Black-led sustainable agriculture, heritage crop knowledge transfer, and cultural preservation through farming practices in the U.S. South.
• Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS): The original nonprofit founded by Cornelia Walker Bailey to secure the future of Hogg Hummock on Sapelo Island. It is the most direct comparable to SOLO, sharing the same community, Saltwater Geechee cultural mission, and historical founder lineage (Maurice Bailey served as SICARS Vice President before founding SOLO).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sapelosolo
• Instagraminstagram.com/sapelosolo
• Xx.com/SapeloSOLO

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Save Our Legacy Ourself