Six Fellows to Receive Awards to Sustain
Central Appalachian Food Practices
Baltimore – February 26, 2026 – Mid Atlantic Arts Central Appalachia Living Traditions Program, in partnership with Grow Appalachia and the Appalachian Studies Association, is thrilled to announce the 2026 Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellows. The Fellowships honor, celebrate, and support foodways tradition bearers in Central Appalachia who have made significant contributions to sustaining the foodways heritage of their communities.
The program awards $5,000 fellowships to support the ongoing community-based work of the fellows. Fellows may include home cooks and bakers, seed savers, farmers, community elders, keepers of recipes and traditional foodways knowledge, hunters, foragers, and other practitioners.
“Foodways are more than just food,” says Ellie Dassler, Program Director of Folk and Traditional Arts programs at Mid Atlantic Arts. “Foodways encompass the cultural processes and creative expression around cultivation, production, and consumption of foods. Supporting dedicated foodways practitioners honors that creativity, and ensure that communities can keep traditional knowledge alive.”
Fellows must be from an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) designated county.
The 2026 Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellows are:
Display caption
Image: Keyarna “Chef Ke” Frederick. Credit: Courtesy of the Fellow.
Keyarna “Chef Ke” Frederick
Appalachian and Soul Food chef, culinary entrepreneur, and community food advocate.
Dunbar, WV
Display caption
Image: Siara Benoit and Takia Gaylord, Kinfolk Heritage Farm. Credit: Courtesy of the Fellows.
Siara Benoit and Takia Gaylord,
Kinfolk Heritage Farm
Growers, land stewards, and keepers of ancestral culinary and birth practices.
Mathias, WV
Display caption
Image: Jasmine Thompson. Credit: Courtesy of the Fellow.
Jasmine Thompson
Naturalist, conservationist, environmental storyteller, founder of the Woolbank Conservancy.
Crawford County, PA
Display caption
Image: Candace and Lucas Wiggin, Maple Grove Farm of Afton. Credit: Courtesy of the Fellows.
Candace and Lucas Wiggin,
Maple Grove Farm of Afton
Third-generation farmers and small-batch maple syrup producers.
Afton, TN
The 2026 Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellows will be honored at an awards ceremony and invited to present at the 2026 Appalachian Studies Association Annual Conference.
The Appalachian Foodways Practitioner Fellowships are a component of Central Appalachia Living Traditions (CALT) – a multi-part program that invests in communities, seeds new folk and traditional arts experiences, and honors underrecognized practitioners of Central Appalachian traditions.
About Mid Atlantic Arts
Mid Atlantic Arts supports artists, presenters, and organizations through unique programming, grant support, partnerships, and information sharing. Created in 1979, Mid Atlantic Arts is aligned with the region’s state arts councils and the National Endowment for the Arts. We combine state and federal funding with private support from corporations, foundations, and individuals to nurture diverse artistic expression while connecting people to meaningful arts experiences within our region and beyond. To learn more about Mid Atlantic Arts visit www.midatlanticarts.org
Contact:
Mackenzie Kwok
Communications and Social Media Manager
Mid Atlantic Arts
mkwok@midatlanticarts.org
410.539.6656 x123
