Colleges With an Interest in Heirloom Foods Get Ready for Turkey Day

This week’s Chronicle has an article about colleges that are working with heirloom or “heritage” foods in their dining halls or in their research. Emory University is one of them—last week Emory served up 1,600 pounds of Standard Bronze and Bourbon Red turkeys, two breeds that date back to the 1800s but are in danger of dying out for lack of demand. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Producers of heritage or “heirloom” foods are fighting an uphill battle against the agriculture industry, which selects animals and plants for mass production and broad commercial appeal. In the process, foods that fed generations have been lost, along with their DNA and their traditions.

The heirloom-food movement might be the philosophical ground where gourmands and sustainability advocates meet—perhaps over a plate of barbecued Tennessee fainting goat, a rare breed noted as much for its lean, tasty chevon as for its tendency to fall over, with its legs pointing skyward, when startled….

Space for the front-page feature was limited, and we didn’t get to mention everyone we talked with. Among those interviewed was Patricia J. Moore-Pastides, wife of the president of the University of South Carolina. She has developed an interest in heirloom foods through David S. Shields, a professor of English who has been involved in reviving traditional Southern plants. She says he inspired her to grow Sea Island red peas, among other heirlooms, in her garden, to be served at her Thanksgiving dinner this week.

Those out there who have an interest in heirloom foods might check out Gary Paul Nabhan’s book, Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods, which lists more than 1,000 domestic animals and plants that are in danger of disappearing. The book separates the country into “nations” based on region—Bison Nation, Chile Pepper Nation, and so on—and profiles different endangered foods from those regions. The datil pepper, which appears in this week’s Chronicle story, is part of Gumbo Nation.