Food

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA ASHEVILLE

COLLECTIONS \| HOURS \| SERVICES \| ABOUT US \| PROGRAMS \| WNC HERITAGE \| PARTNERSHIPS \| NEWS \| SEARCH
COLLECTIONS BOOKS PERIODICALS MANUSCRIPTS PHOTOGRAPHS ORAL HISTORIES FILM, VIDEO, AUDIO & MUSIC REALIA & ARTIFACTS VERTICAL FILES CUR UNIV. ARCHIVES UNCA SR. PAPERS /PROJECTS MLA HERITAGE OF WESTERN NC PARTNERSHIPS WEB EXHIBITS BLOWERS GALLERY LINKS ABOUT	FOOD & GARDENS
	! TO FURTHER REFINE YOUR SEARCH USE THE CUSTOM SEARCH ABOVE. With the recent and increasing emphasis on "eating local," comes a raised awareness of the eating habits of the local or regional area, particularly as it relates to garden produce. A cursory scan of the literature reveals that regionally, the southern Appalachians did not score high in the culinary arts in their early years, but it did score high in its gardens. IN the food arena the early literature from the region recounts one gastronomic horror tale after another when visitors were seated at local boarding homes, inns and other "public" accommodations. Greasy and rank bacon, hard biscuits, weak coffee, and so on, fill the traveler's diaries. Yet, when the visitors had the occasion to eat at the home of a good gardener, the story was quite the opposite. Fresh green beans, corn, fresh milk, churned butter, red ripe tomatoes, crisp cabbage, sweet apples and pears, and other local fare were found in ample share in many households. This honest	Armour Packing Co. advertisement
food is well remembered in many literary accounts and for such good reason, as it seems ample fare was always an issue with the traveler. Yet, if the traveler or tourist had the means, many of the elegant inns created after the railroad made its way into Asheville, offered lobster (fresh off the train), steak, pastries, fresh vegetables and meals that would equal or surpass those found in the well established northeastern hotels and restaurants. Toxaway Inn, the Battery Park Hotel, the Manor Inn, and the Kenilworth Hotel were all well-know for their cuisine. During the Great War Asheville, like many cities across the country, joined in raising "Victory Gardens". But, Asheville's contribution was unique, as the individual who established the "Victory Garden" concept and the individual who was charged with its promotion was Charles Lathrop Pack, a member of the National War Garden Commission and the son of Asheville's own G.W. Pack and Frances Farmer Pack. The intent of the Victory Garden was to stimulate the economy of the country by planting a million home gardens. The year was 1917 and by all accounts the efforts paid off, as it is estimated that the products of these gardens were worth some $525,000,000. Charles Lathrop headed the National War Garden Commission from 1917 to 1919. He was the ideal person to head this effort having served as the President of the National Conservation Congress from 1912 -1913 under Theodore Roosevelt's administration. Pack went on to become one of the leading Directors of the American Forestry Association and served as President of the Association from 1919 until 1920.
Today western North Carolina and the region is particularly well known for its culinary treats. Locally grown produce, fresh combinations of local recipes with international favorites, a culinary institute at AB-Tech that ranks high in the national awareness and national ranking of culinary institutes, and other entrepreneurial initiatives associated with food and with agriculture, have made Asheville a favorite for "locavores," vegans, gourmands, and other food-centered enthusiasts. Many factors, associated with Asheville as "place", contribute to an active and interested food sensibility in the region.
Because the travel and tourist trade has always governed much of the economy, restaurants abound in the region and many of them have left records of their activities or images that recall their long-past histories. The following collections contain significant information on the eating habits of the local population, as well as those of the traveler and tourist to the region. To find discussion of locally grown crops and other agricultural work, explore the subject "AGRICULTURE."
E.M. Ball Collection Images of Asheville and western North Carolina from 1919-1969, this collection contains many photographs of early groceries, restaurants, and indoor and outdoor scenes of people dining and picnicking. The collection is comprised largely of urban architectural photographs and people and events in Asheville, but, also includes early images of rural life in the region that reveals dietary preferences.
Jody Barber Collection Views of Hendersonville, NC and surrounding area, taken by members of the Barber family from 1884 until the 1930's. The Barbers were engaged in raising fruit in the area and some of their images show scenes of the Hendersonville market and their orchards that were famous for apples and other fruit crops.
Biltmore Industries Archive - Food Files - Describe the many food specialties and diets that were popular in the first decade of the twentieth century and the sanatoria that provided healthful alternatives to the visitors of the area.
Eddie Darcel Oral History He envisions a sustainable Asheville given the three major needs: food , shelter ... The goal of this organization is encourage growth of urban land food to
Roger Derrough, Jr. ORAL HISTORY - Describes the development of Earth Fare, an important local business that focuses on healthful foods and life-style.
James and Edna Hollifield oral history James and Edna Hollifield reminisce about the types of food available during the lean years of the Great Depression.
WNC HERITAGE - AGRICULTURE - Quotes from early literature about farming practice and life in rural western North Carolina and comments on the growing of food.
Gahagan Family Store Ledgers a small number of photocopy pages from a Hot Springs grocery store ledger that operated at the turn of the century. Details the purchases made by rural families from the store.
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church The flavors of Greek food are typically characterized by the use of nutmeg and mint. Many Greek recipes often pair sweet spices with meat dishes.
Erline L. McQueen Oral History describing the ownership of a local restaurant including obtaining food at local markets.
George Meyers Stephens Oral History A bit hard to find, but contains good descriptions of rural meals in WNC during the early part of the 20th century.
Mary Sancrant Oral History, one woman's reminiscence of her 40 years as a waitress in the food service industry.
R. Henry Scadin Collection A large collection of approximately 2500 photographs that document rural life in western North Carolina from the late 1890's to 1924 and diaries of the photographer and his family from 1885-1923 that contain useful information on food purchases, growth, and eating and dining habits. Scadin was also a fruit grower and his orchards near Highlands produced apples and pears and his farming practice is captured in his diaries.
LINKS TO REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SITES :
ASAP - Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project - Home The organization describes its vision as "A future food system throughout the mountains of North Carolina and the Southern Appalachians that provides a safe and nutritious food supply for all segments of society; that is produced, marketed and distributed in a manner that enhances human and environmental health; and that adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities." And, its mission to "Collaboratively create and expand regional community based and integrated food systems that are locally owned and controlled, environmentally sound, economically viable, and health-promoting."
Recipe Finder : U.S. Department of Agriculture Associated with the federal SNAP-Ed Connection, this resource is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service and maintained at the National Agricultural Library's Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) in collaboration with the University of Maryland. SNAP is the acronym for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that reaches out to low income populations to provide assistance and information on food resources.