Julie McConnell, Muncie, IN

My food story began long before I was born. For as many years as we can trace our family history, my family has farmed. My grandparents on both sides are still actively farming today, in small towns in Iowa and Ohio. As a child, I remember going to visit my grandparents and helping them with all of the chores around the farms. One set of grandparents grows corn and raises cows and pigs. The other set of grandparents has dairy cows, as well as acres and acres of every type of vegetable imaginable. Customers come and pick their own vegetables, or buy bushels of the items my grandparents have already picked. Some of my fondest memories have been the times I have spent with my grandparents picking weeds, strawberries and tomatoes; shelling peas; and then enjoying the fruits of our labor around the dinner table. 

My parents have carried on the tradition of eating home-grown foods with the huge garden we have in our backyard. Many summer days and nights of my childhood were spent snapping green beans, shucking corn, and helping with the day to day maintenance of the garden. Thanks to my upbringing, I have learned the benefits of locally grown foods, and I try to purchase fruits and vegetables from farmers markets, orchards or roadside stands as much as possible. 

I was drawn to this project mainly because I was asked to participate in it last spring, and it sounded like a good opportunity for me to enhance my skills. However, as I began to work on the project over the summer and learn what the Indiana Foodways Alliance (IFA) entails, I realized that this was a perfect fit for me. The IFA supports locally grown foods, as well as the “mom and pop” types of restaurants that I have always loved. It’s rare that I will go to a chain restaurant while on vacation because I’ve learned that there are so many wonderful places to eat that are family-owned and operated. In addition, I love to cook and to try new things in my recipes. I don’t find that I have too much time to watch the Food Channel, but I do enjoy cooking segments on morning news shows and find myself constantly picking up the recipe cards at grocery stores and fairs.

My husbands’ family is also very interested in cooking. Each year, they enter dozens of pies, breads, cookies and cakes into the state fair competition, as well as participate in the homemade ice cream crank-off competition.

My connections with food are strong due to my upbringing, and I am excited to offer my skills and experiences to enhance the work of the IFA in the coming year.