Our Mission and Activities

The mission of the Center for Food and Culture is to promote a deeper understanding of the many ways in which food connects us all and to nourish our connections to and through food in order to have healthier, fuller lives and a more equitable and sustainable world.

We do this by:

1. Providing information and resources on all aspects of food through our website;
2. Developing educational materials, print publications, and media for K-12, university level and the general community and making these available through our website;
3. Conducting projects, workshops, and presentations about food and culture.

Several things about us:

We approach food as something that is much more than just “stuff to eat.” It is a realm of experience and activity that is shaped by history and the physical environment, but also carries individual memories, interests, and personalities. It is interwoven into all aspects of our lives, and our choices about food affect not only ourselves, but also other people and the earth. Recognizing the complexity of both food and culture, we offer ways to look at issues around food, and provide resources for the variety of perspectives on those issues.

The Center for Food and Culture was begun in 2007 by Lucy M. Long, PhD, a folklorist who has been studying, teaching, and writing about food from a cultural and humanities perspective since 1980. She initially started the Center to bring together resources, organizations, and individuals involved in food research, study, appreciation, activism, production, and consumption in recognition that food connects us all. Established in 2011 as a legal entity, the Center began focusing on developing materials for classroom and community education. This includes curricula and teaching aids, documentary videos and podcasts, foodways calendars, and content for the informational website (www.foodandculture.org). It also includes documentation projects (ethnic grocery stores; regional food traditions) and programs for community development around food (compost and culture; culinary tourism trails; presentations on food and sustainability).

The Center for Food and Culture is a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) qualified to receive donations, bequests, legacies, transfers, and gifts. It is classified by the IRS as a private operating foundation as defined under IRC Section 4942(j)(c) and is registered in the state of Ohio. Its mailing address is 550 West Wooster Street, Bowling Green, OH 43402. It can be contacted by email to the Director, Dr. Lucy Long at Lucymlong@gmail.com or by phone: 419-595-0206.