Food and Society Project

Description

The following collection of interviews were conducted by Dr. Ed Fredrickson's Honors 312/20 students during the Fall 2015 and 2016 semester. Food and Society, the course listing title, focused on agricultural producers, the farmers markets they participated in, and, in general, the lifestyles that they chose to live. Once completed, the interviews served as a primary source for a newspaper article or press release that they were expected to submit to local newspapers.

Title

Food and Society Project

Project Interviews

Michael Todd discusses the struggles of farming in Kentucky. Interview topics include discussions over balancing farming and family, and the benefits of raising a family on a farm.

Katie Startzman, owner of Native Bagel Company of Berea, Kentucky, discusses her bagel making process, where she purchases her ingredients, and community involvement in local production networks. She also discusses sustainability movements in the local community.

Marcella Lovell discusses her personal background and restaurant, Marcella's Farm to Fork. Lovell comments on her decision to buy local for her restaurant, the challenges and advantages that buying local creates, as well as the positive impacts that buying local has on the economy. Lovell also details some of the relationships she maintains with…

Kristin Purdy discusses owning and operating Purdy's Coffee Co. in Richmond, Kentucky.

Ed Puterbaugh describes his journey from being a microbiologist to becoming an artisan cheesemaker. He discusses some of the challenges his company faces and the process of making cheese. He also details the importance of farmers markets, explains what interested students should prepare for in the world of cheese-making, and he comments on the ways…

Drew Elliott and Lindsay Windland are the proud owners of Clementine's Bake Shop in Berea, KY. They discuss different aspects of their business in this interview, including how they got started, their past accomplishments, and their future plans to expand. They also discuss the Berea Farmer's Market and their participation in the local economy.

Melodie Lincavage comments on owning and operating her local farm and business, Four Sister's Farm. Lincavage also discusses her chemical free philosophy, the goat milk soap she produces, and, the Four Sisters Soap and Tea Emporium, the tea shop she opened to sell her goods. She also comments on an average day on the farm, the local economy, and…

Alvina Maynard and her family operate the River Hill Ranch alpaca farm in Richmond, KY. After moving to Kentucky, Maynard and her husband decided to get into niche farming and, consequently, they first had to learn the neccasary skills to be an alpaca farmer. When considering the nature of the work, Maynard comments on raising Suri Alpacas, as…

Liam Wilson, and his wife Valentine, discuss their decisions to leave the modern world and its amenities, and escape what they view as the corruptions of society. They comment on the impacts that cars, banks and taxes have on society, as well as the "off the grid" movement.

Baldwin details her experiences in Kentucky agriculture and farming. Topics include the major advantages and struggles her business faces, her interactions with the people she employs, and the overall efforts involved in running her Christmas tree farm.

Wilson describes his "simple" lifestyle, including a detachment from society, and other particular institutions, including government, food supply chain, and poverty. Wilson also details his involvement in the Berea Farmers Market and local market benefits.
View all 12 interviews