Land & Sea is a coming, first-of-its-kind Charleston experience that will offer “two traditions brought together on one plate.” Hosted by Marvin C. Ross of Peculiar Pig Farm and Tia Clark of Casual Crabbing with Tia, the event provides a new and unique highlight on the local food scene by putting a spotlight on the physical locations from which Charleston’s cuisine originated. Both Ross and Clark have a long history of falling in love with the Lowcountry and the food that the Earth and ocean have to offer.
Enamored with the water
Clark was initially drawn to the water for health-related reasons but then quickly fell in love with crabbing.
“I am a Charleston native and I grew up surrounded by the water, [but] I had never crabbed until seven years ago,” Clark said. “I fell in love with it and wanted to crab every day. I turned my time on the dock into the gym and built this bond with the water.”
She placed an offer to take others crabbing on Airbnb’s budding “experiences” section and quickly became one of the top four experiences on the platform.
Summing up her approach to her outings, Clark said “we are supposed to have a connection with the food that we eat. … When you have a relationship with the water, it builds a kind of organic stewardship with you.”
Gathering led to project
She recalled what led to her teaming up with Ross.
“This collaboration with Peculiar Pig is awesome because it is diving more into what I’m preaching,” Clark said. “The reason I partnered with him is because I experienced [a gathering] at the farm. … They had chefs from all around the country cooking outside with this whole hog they butchered, it was incredible watching them cook, and then you eat it right there.”
While Clark will feature the sea during the day-long event, Ross said he will invite attendees to experience South Carolina’s land, specifically his locally popular pork.
“I grew up raising goats, sheep, chickens and hogs, but I’ve always been drawn to raising hogs,” Ross explained. Supplying high-quality whole hog has become what Peculiar Pig is known for. Vern’s, Palmira, Lenoir and Xiao Bao Biscuit are just a few local Charleston restaurants that source their pork from Peculiar Pig.
“Marvin Ross is one of the most humble and dedicated business owners I have ever met. His product is always consistent,” said Vern’s owner and chef Dano Heinze. “They harvest their pigs weekly, so we know we are always getting the freshest product. Once you taste Marvin’s pork, there is no going back!”
Pork plays a key role on Vern’s menu. “Bone-in pork loins is a staple on the Vern’s menu. More of a seasonally rotating larger dish on the menu. … We love when a single dish can showcase two to three local farmers. It makes those dishes extra special,” Heinze said.
Ross, who is a fifth-generation farmer and owns Peculiar Pig, also takes a community-first approach to his work. “We get produce from Lowcountry Street Grocery [for the livestock],” he said when describing sustainable practices he learned from his family to maintain the farm.
“We also run an entire farm-to-table catering service that works with [other local businesses].”
Peculiar Pig has done other events in the past, however, the Land and Sea experience is the first of its kind at the farm.
“It’s totally unique because people will really get to see where their food comes from over an entire day,” said Candice Crawford, Peculiar Pig’s general manager. “In the morning, everyone will go crabbing with Tia and then we will come to the farm to do a tour with Marvin.” After both experiences, guests will sit down to enjoy a Lowcountry boil featuring crabs caught in the morning as well as a hog roast cooked on site at Peculiar Pig.
Land & Sea will take place on Saturday, April 20. Tickets are $200 and guests can register online to spend the day with Ross and Clark followed by dinner in the evening.
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