Virginia Folklife and With Good Reason radio have released a two-part audio documentary on the past, present, and possibilities of food traditions on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
The two episodes, “Root Down to Move Forward” (aired April 11, 2025) and “Corn Tortillas & Harvest-Your-Own Oysters” (aired August 29, 2025) feature voices and soundscapes from 34 oral histories collected in collaboration with the Department of History, Virginia Tech and the University of Florida’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.
This audio doc considers key changes on the Eastern Shore through the lens of food traditions, which may also hold the answer to a sustainable future for this region with a distinctive, centuries-long culinary history.
Listen to the Episodes
Episode Credits: The oral history project behind this episode is led by Katy Clune and Jessica Taylor. This audio documentary was produced by Allison Quantz and Katy Clune with editorial support from Jessica Taylor. The interviews we used were recorded in 2023 and 2024 by the following University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and University of Florida students and staff: Diana Rodriguez-Allende, Katy Clune, Lauren Francis, Anna Hamilton, Jordan Herbert, Pat Jarrett, Mason Keyser, Vasilios Kosmakos, Julia Kraus, Lincoln Lewis, Adolfho Romero and Jessica Taylor. Special thanks to Helio Augusto de Souza Alves, Juanita Duque Serrano, Robin Carleton, Charlotte Walden, Theja Velaga, Emma Bussard, Pierre William Blanc, Philip DiMeglio, Lincoln Lewis, Ella Perin, Fernando Hernandez, Carlos Velazco Fernández, Patricio Arriagada Soto, and Paloma Caballero García for translation, transcription, and voice over help.
