For thousands of years storytelling has been an essential part of humankind. To keep tradition and history alive, information was shared from person to person until we found a way to keep record of our experiences by writing them down. My purpose in being a writer is to tell a story. Not just a story of one person’s life, but narratives of human experience. As individuals, we each hold within us a memory, a life-span of perspectives and experiences, something to share that is our story. In communicating our stories and perspectives, we are participating in this significant tradition of…
Category: Food and Culture
Research and Story Telling in Brittany, France
This past May, my undergraduate professor and mentor invited me to join her for an ethnographic research project in Brittany, France. Before we left, I didn’t know what to expect. My professor told me we would be doing research on small dairy farmers in France and that I would help her as a translator. As we got closer to our departure, she gave me a little more information, her goals and some interview questions. I began to read some literature on dairy farming and food systems, and learned a bit about French cheese varieties. Yet, I still had no clue…
Farmers Market Culture
Early in the morning, when the grass is still glistening with dew, the vendors begin to roll in one by one. Quietly the farmers unload crates of vegetables. The bakers carefully set up freshly piped cupcakes. People uncover their booths and the day begins. Walking around to stretch their legs and look at each other’s selections, the vendors engage each other in a bit of morning chit chat as they wait for the sun to fully come up and the customers to arrive. Farmers markets are a unique world. As you walk around, you may believe you have come to…