SFA Oral History

Gathering the Stories Behind the Food

Integral to an appreciation and understanding of the diverse food cultures of the American South is the collection and preservation of the stories behind the food. Our Oral History Initiative seeks to capture stories of Southerners who grow, interactive map iconcreate, serve, and consume food and drink.Follow the links below to visit all of the projects in our onlinearchive and learn how to add to our collection.

Click here to use our custom, interactive maps, which will help you build in detours as you travel the region. From boudin to gumbo and bacon to oysters, you may never make it home!

Oral History Project Index

Regional and trail Projects

Southern BBQ Trail
Southern Boudin Trail
Southern Gumbo Trail
The Tamale Trail
Wine in the South
FILM: The Rise of Southern Cheese

Projects by State

ALABAMA
 Birmingham Greeks
FILMS: Jones Valley Urban Farm, Chicken Stew, Something Better Than Barbecue, BBGBBQ, Welcome Table

ARKANSAS
Tamale Trail

FLORIDA
 Florida's Forgotten Coast
FILM: Working the Miles

GEORGIA
Athens Eats
Atlanta's Buford Highway
Wine in the South
FILM: Cud

KENTUCKY
 Kentucky Bacon
Louisville Barroom Culture
FILMS: Mutton: The Movie; Saving Seeds

LOUISIANA
 Bartenders of New Orleans
New Orleans Eats
Southern Boudin Trail
Southern Gumbo Trail
FILMS: Above the Line: Saving Willie Mae’s Scotch House; MARSAW

MISSISSIPPI
Biloxi's Ethnic Shrimping Communities
Doe's Eat Place
Greenwood Restaurants
Ole Miss Cooks
Oxford Restaurants
Tamale Trail
FILMS: Smokes & Ears; Eat or We’ll Both Starve; On Flavor; Rolling Tamales on MLK

NORTH CAROLINA
Chapel Hill Eats
Southern BBQ Trail
Wine in the South
FILM: Capitol Q

SOUTH CAROLINA
Bowen's Island Restaurant
FILM: CUT/CHOP/COOK

TENNESSEE
Nashville Eats
Southern BBQ Trail
FILMS: Buttermilk: It Can Help; & Fried Pies; Hot Chicken; Whole Hog

TEXAS
Southern BBQ Trail
FILM: Dial “S” for Sausage

VIRGINIA
Carter Family Fold
Wine in the South

Other Projects

Chicago Eats
Member Contributions
Our First Trip Into the Field
SFA Founders
FILMS: An SFA Primer; The W.H.O. Farm; The Real Baptizing

Add to our Collection

We invite you to participate in this Oral History Initiative. You can get involved by conducting your own interview, using the tools available on this site, and submit it to us for inclusion in our permanent archive at the University of Mississippi. Visit the links below to get started.

If your are an instructor considering oral history for a school project or would like to discuss a possible collaboration, please contact the SFA’s oral historian, Amy Evans Streeter, via e-mail at acevans@olemiss.edu or by phone (662) 915-5993.

Read How to Get Involved

Resources
More information on conducting oral histories and using oral history in the classroom.

For more information
Please contact the SFA’s oral historian, Amy Evans Streeter, via e-mail at acevans@olemiss.edu or by phone (662) 915-5993.