Effingham County Farm Bureau members were welcomed to historic Lebanon Plantation on Nov. 13 by business partners Howard Morrison and Ross Harding, who are growing organic ginger and turmeric on the Chatham County plantation. Morrison and Harding use the spices to make a line of gourmet food and wellness products they sell under their Verdant Kitchen brand.

Oprah Winfrey recently included Verdant Kitchen’s ginger syrup and ginger-infused honey gift on her 2015 Favorite Things List. Verdant Kitchen is a member of the Chatham County Farm Bureau.

Verdant Kitchen co-founders Harding and Morrison began their company out of a desire to grow a crop that was both delicious and healthy and could offer an agri-tourism component. Harding, a native of Australia, grew up around ginger farms in his native country and thought Savannah’s coastal climate would be suitable for growing ginger and turmeric. This is the third crop the farm will harvest.

The ECFB members had the chance to sample Verdant Kitchen’s delicious line of non-alcoholic ginger ales, ginger pecans, and Savannah Snaps, ginger cookies that won the University of Georgia’s 2015 Flavor of Georgia snack category prize.

Other products, Verdant Kitchen produces include ginger and turmeric powder capsules, ginger and turmeric mint tea, ginger and turmeric infused honey, ginger cookies and ginger ale.