Welcome to the Museum of Southern Appalachian Foodways Project Survey! The purpose of this survey is to gather information about what Asheville and surrounding communities think about a possible food museum in Asheville and what YOU would want to see in such a museum. For example, what exhibits would you pay to see? What programs would you pay to enroll in, like classes, workshops, and lectures? This museum would be designed for the benefit of our entire Southern Appalachian region and YOUR OPINION MATTERS.

The proposed museum name is "Museum of Southern Appalachian Foodways" and it would be dedicated to the conservation of, research on, and education about the food cultures of the Southern Appalachian region. Foodways are cultural norms related to food, including everything we do from selecting where to plant seeds, to eating a meal prepared with the food grown from those seeds. It includes how we eat the food and with whom, and many other fascinating topics. Foodways explain the who, what, when, where, why, and how related to our food. This includes the past, present, and anticipated future of food culture in our region.

Southern Appalachian food cultures are diverse and important components of our identities. Traditional ways of knowing, growing, harvesting, and preparing foods connect us with our past, the land, and our communities. Native species, heirloom seeds, and heritage livestock breeds have proven records of success flourishing in the region. Why do we need a food museum now? In spite of the benefits and success of traditional food cultural practices, an aging population, loss of farmland, rural-to-urban migration, and climate change threaten our region’s food cultures. Our planet is changing rapidly and studying, conserving, and educating people about unique foodways will be critical for the stability of our future food system.

I'm Athena Rayne Anderson, a pollination ecology specialist and food culture researcher and I want to see this project happen! Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and interest in this exciting project by answering the questions below. Your responses are completely anonymous unless you enter your contact information to be involved in the planning committee. Thank you!