Appalachian Food Summit chef sees a future for Appalachia in its heritage of good, nutritious food

Travis Milton (Photo: Malcolm J. Wilson/pixandpr.com)

In the first Appalachian Food Summit at Hindman Settlement School in Kentucky last month, Travis Milton made a locally sourced meal for about 70 people. The summit celebrates the idea that rural regions might be helpful for those who appreciate tasty, nutritious and sustainably produced food, Milton writes for the Daily Yonder.

Since Milton, who is a chef at Comfort Restaurant in Richmond, Va., attended the summit on May 18, he has spent more time thinking about his great grandparents' barn in Wise County, Virginia. On the way to Hindman, he took a friend to see what is left of the farm, which was purchased by a limestone company. He walked around the property, rekindling memories, and came up with these inspirational lines: "While we face the present and try to plot a course for our future, the beginning of the answers lies in our past. I am very proud of where and what I come from, and I want us to all be able to take pride in where we are going."

Milton says the food summit was beautiful and that people came in with questions about how they could help one another in their communities. He said he arrived with many questions of his own and left with even more questions. That's not a bad thing, though, because it shows that Appalachia is at a turning point, and it's time to discuss what's next. "Let's resurrect the walls of our canning sheds, our spring houses and our long-lost homesteads so our families, our history and our memories are not forgotten. This is our time and our future, so pull up a chair because everyone is welcome a this table," Milton writes. (Read more)