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Welcome to the Southern Foodways Alliance -- an institute of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture with headquarters at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The Southern Foodways Alliance documents and celebrates the diverse food cultures of the American South. We set a common table where black and white, rich and poor -- all who gather-- may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation. Established in 1977 at the University of Mississippi, the Center for the Study of Southern Culture has become a focal point for innovative education and research by promoting scholarship on every aspect of Southern culture. The Center offers both B.A. and M.A. degrees in Southern Studies and is well known for its public programs including the annual Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha conference and the Conference for the Book. Visit the CSSC's website. (opens in new window) |
Funding the SFA The mission of the Southern Foodways Alliance is to document and celebrate the diverse food cultures of the American South. Funding to support that mission comes from a number of sources including membership dues, individual gifts, foundation grants, and corporate investment. All donations to the SFA are channeled through the University of Mississippi Foundation, a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) entity. Funds are tax-deductible. The annual operating budget of the SFA is approximately $300,000. One-third is allocated for the salaries of our three employees. Another third is earmarked for documentary projects. And a final third funds programming expenses. Corporate investment is integral. Entities like Viking Range, Jack Daniel’s, White Lily, Tabasco, and Jim ‘N’ Nick’s – to name just a few of the stalwarts – have, by way of their investment, propelled the SFA to a position of national prominence. In the Atlantic Monthly, Corby Kummer dubbed the SFA “this country’s most intellectually engaged food society.” The Wall Street Journal has sung our praises. So has the New York Times. Southern Living and Gourmet send editors to each of our events. Saveur said this: “For championing Southern food traditions and food producers otherwise likely to sink into oblivion and for showing us new ways to appreciate foods already bathed in glory…the Southern Foodways Alliance, founded in 1999 and based in Oxford, Mississippi, deserves our obeisance.” To see more press, click here.
Programmatic investments in the SFA vary, as below. Three-year commitments are customary. Southern Foodways Symposium In recognition of a $20,000 investment, sponsors of the October symposium receive:
Southern Foodways Field Trip In recognition of a $20,000 investment, sponsors of the summer Field Trip receive:
Southern Foodways Day Camp Series In recognition of a $20,000 investment, sponsors of the twice-a-year Day Camp series receive:
Southern Foodways Dinner Series In recognition of a $10,000 investment per dinner, sponsors receive:
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Each fall, the SFA (with support from the Fertel Foundation) honors an unsung hero or heroine, a foodways tradition bearer of note, with the Ruth Fertel Keeper of the Flame Award.
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home | events | about the SFA | join us | contact/member services All information copyright Southern Foodways Alliance. |
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The
SFA partners with corporate entities that embrace our mission. SFA programming
and projects do not serve as mere promotional vehicles for products or
services. They function as forums for the education of writers and consumers,
where ideas are exchanged and relationships developed. We believe that
our sponsors realize more benefits from such forums. And we strive to
maintain intellectual and creative autonomy for the SFA while working
toward shared goals with enlightened corporate entities.