food for thought weekend
We celebrated the future of this little nonprofit with a special two-day food focused event in Newbern, Alabama. Food for Thought: A journey through food history, culture and taste was our way of not only highlighting all the work we hope to do in this area, but also provide a space for our community partners and other organizations to showcase their efforts in this region.
Day one (October 21) focused on the history of our Southern foods. Emily Blejwas with the Alabama Folklife Association led a presentation on her book The Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods at the Newbern Public Library. Friends of the Library provided a small tasting menu featuring a few recipes from the book. Nearly 50 people spent the evening with us.
On Saturday, Oct. 22, guests were invited to the Rural Studio campus for a morning of conversation and exploration. Farm Manager Eric Ball led farm tours while regional organizations provided tables and demos for guests. Hale County Extension Services highlighted their work in the community and provided a tasting demo. Project Horseshoe Farm shared their mission and work in Hale County. BBFP Board Member Olivia Fuller represented our organization by spreading the word about current and upcoming programs. She also led a seed swap at the table.
Lunch was provided at no cost for attendees. This was one of several ways in which our organization worked to ensure this event was accessible to various members of the community. Farmers + chef Halima Salazar of Gimbia’s Kitchen (Mississippi) served as our visiting chef. She and our founder, Sarah Cole, owner of Abadir’s in Greensboro, prepared a traditional West African + North African meal for guests. The menu featured farm fresh produce and meat from our neighboring organic farms—Rural Studio Farm, Belle Meadow Farm and BDA Farm.
Guests were encouraged to share stories and ask questions about the history of our foods and to engage with our chefs to learn more about the dishes they created.
We are so grateful to everyone who attended the event. The support was overwhelming! We couldn’t think of a better way to kick-off our efforts in this region.
Food For Thought was made possible through funding by Alabama Humanities Alliance. This event was in collaboration with Rural Studio and the Newbern Library.
