Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia

For over four decades, social scientists have addressed the relationship between development strategies and Appalachia’s highland cultural traditions. Historically, mountain foodways and diversified agricultural practices were defined as aspects of primitive folkways legitimating resource extractive...

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Main Author: Chris Baker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: National Museum of the Romanian Peasant 2017-11-01
Series:Martor
Subjects:
Online Access:http://martor.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro/archive/martor-22-2017/chris-baker/
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author Chris Baker
author_facet Chris Baker
author_sort Chris Baker
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description For over four decades, social scientists have addressed the relationship between development strategies and Appalachia’s highland cultural traditions. Historically, mountain foodways and diversified agricultural practices were defined as aspects of primitive folkways legitimating resource extractive industries and centralized development strategies. Today, the region contains many of the nation’s remaining family farms. The processes of globalization and growing demand for local foods are introducing highland farming traditions to new audiences. This case study looks at the emerging role family farms in the East Tennessee valley are playing in development and the social construction of the region’s foodways. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, I focus first on the historical roots and continuity of the region’s culinary tradition. Highland foods represent the core of mountain culture grounded in the ecological and economic experiences of its rural communities. Next the paper discusses the emergence of markets for place-based foods focusing on community development, tourism and a local foods-based culinary renaissance.
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spelling doaj.art-5aceea6a73a24cd4ab93cc2a4d800d4e2022-12-21T19:45:45ZengNational Museum of the Romanian PeasantMartor1224-62711224-62712017-11-01228190Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern AppalachiaChris Baker0Walters State Community College, Morristown, U.S.AFor over four decades, social scientists have addressed the relationship between development strategies and Appalachia’s highland cultural traditions. Historically, mountain foodways and diversified agricultural practices were defined as aspects of primitive folkways legitimating resource extractive industries and centralized development strategies. Today, the region contains many of the nation’s remaining family farms. The processes of globalization and growing demand for local foods are introducing highland farming traditions to new audiences. This case study looks at the emerging role family farms in the East Tennessee valley are playing in development and the social construction of the region’s foodways. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives, I focus first on the historical roots and continuity of the region’s culinary tradition. Highland foods represent the core of mountain culture grounded in the ecological and economic experiences of its rural communities. Next the paper discusses the emergence of markets for place-based foods focusing on community development, tourism and a local foods-based culinary renaissance.http://martor.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro/archive/martor-22-2017/chris-baker/sustainable agriculturetourismfarming communitiesculinary renaissance
spellingShingle Chris Baker
Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
Martor
sustainable agriculture
tourism
farming communities
culinary renaissance
title Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
title_full Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
title_fullStr Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
title_full_unstemmed Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
title_short Reinventing Mountain Food Traditions and Small Farm Survival in Southern Appalachia
title_sort reinventing mountain food traditions and small farm survival in southern appalachia
topic sustainable agriculture
tourism
farming communities
culinary renaissance
url http://martor.muzeultaranuluiroman.ro/archive/martor-22-2017/chris-baker/
work_keys_str_mv AT chrisbaker reinventingmountainfoodtraditionsandsmallfarmsurvivalinsouthernappalachia