Springfield, OH
This drawing responds to site-specific research conducted in Springfield, OH, exploring the evolution of regional recipes and food traditions as they were impacted by periods of significant population . Between 1910 and 1970, for example, the social fabric of Ohio was forever altered as millions of African Americans moved out of the rural south and into northern and midwestern cities. With them, new cultural traditions, celebrations and recipes migrated to these location. Located approximately 80 miles northeast of Cincinnati (the pork capital of the nation at the time), Springfield, Ohio also experienced the influx of new residents and, with them, new customs and cuisine.
I organized a community recipe exchange during which residents could share a written recipe or food story. The recipes shared varied: some were handed down through generations of family members while others were passed along by a friend or were developed on their own through trial and error. The only requirement is s that the recipe somehow be evocative of their relationship to the local landscape. If a story was shared in lieu of a recipe, I asked that it refer to one or more of the following prompts:
· What is your relationship to the landscape? How has it changed throughout your life?
· Describe your life and/ or family history?
· What foods did you grow up with?
· What is your regional food? How has it changed?
· Tell a story about a recipe (it’s origins, who made it for you, etc.)
· Who sits at your table?
Many of the stories shared referenced public policy and the Great Migration. This drawing reflects these narratives, speaking directly to the changing pork industry, agriculture, and the history of the "Meat and Three" that travelled from the rural south to urban centers.