The Southern Foodways Alliance

So, for the next few post, in no particular order, I will share with ya’ll some of the fun things we have enjoyed lately.

First of all I will tell you we attended a fund raiser at Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN. The beneficiary of the fund raiser was the SFA. I think the best thing to do is to share with you a little history on the SFA. This was in the auction guide and I’m sure penned by one of founding members.

On July 22, 1999, in Birmingham, Alabama, author John Egerton convened a two day meeting during which 50 founders established a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation and celebration of the diverse food cultures of the American South.

Chefs and Cooks, Barbecue Pitmasters and Academics, all joined the effort. That night, the founders gathered for a celebratory dinner of, among other delights, butterbean crostini and rabbit pilau at Highlands Bar and Grill, Pardis and Frank Stitt’s Birmingham restaurant.

Since that night in Birmingham, the SFA has grown to include more than 800 members. And our work has grown, too, in both reach and impact. We’ve staged more than 40 events. We collected more than 300 oral histories. We’ve produced almost 20 films. And yet we remain hungry for more.

This marks the fifth year that Blackberry Farm and the SFA have partnered to stage an event to honor and celebrate the regions most accomplished framers, artisans and chefs. First under the leadership of John Fleer, Blackberry Farm Chef and SFA board member, and now under the direction of Sam Beall, Blackberry Farm Proprietor, the weekend has come to be called, by certain quick-witted guest,

The Davos of Country Ham and Brown Whisky.















Chefs in Blackberry farm kitchen CHEFS IN THE BLACKBERRY FARM KITCHEN