These Roots Run Deep: Connecting Communities Through Foodways

FAIN: ZR-256761-18

Appalshop, Inc. (Whitesburg, KY 41858-0743)
Elizabeth Barret (Project Director: February 2017 to February 2023)
Caroline Rubens (Project Director: February 2023 to May 2024)

A series of community forums, events, and workshops that promote and educate the public about Appalachian local foodways.

Appalshop is seeking support for programming that links the present to the past as expressed through foodways in eastern Kentucky. The lead applicant and project partners will seek to engage citizens in the further exploration of cultural heritage through the lens of local traditions, with a special focus on food growing, preparation, and our strong relationship to the land and place. The wealth of knowledge among local citizens, grassroots and educational institutions, and scholars will be a catalyst for discovering and interpreting the food culture that we share. This unifying topic will also activate discussion within the humanities regarding the importance of local heritage, the human diversity and complexity that shapes our traditions and community identity, as well as sustainability and health in a changing economy.