What Kentuckians grow, buy, cook, and eat can strengthen Kentucky’s people, farms and communities. For many years, Rona and Steve have worked alongside others to build local food systems and support Kentucky farmers and food producers.

Steve worked with local governments and county agriculture development councils to establish a director position for local food and agricultural development within the economic development office at Lexington Fayette Urban County Government. Steve and Rona worked with others to form the Local Food Percolator, a weekly meet-up of system-builders that influenced local food purchases at the University of Kentucky’s food service.

Rona hosted a food blog, Savoring Kentucky, for 14 years, writing more than 1,000 posts about Kentucky food, farms, farmers, orchards, chefs, restaurants and foodways. Yes, there were recipes.

Together with legendary Holly Hill Inn chef Ouita Michel and sommelier Chris Michel, Rona co-hosted Hot Water Cornbread, a weekly community radio show dedicated to Kentucky food.

Rona also wrote two books, Classic Kentucky Meals: Stories, Ingredients & Recipes from the Traditional Bluegrass Kitchen, and Sweet, Sweet Sorghum: Kentucky’s Golden Wonder. See how to access them below.

Classic Kentucky Meals: Stories, Ingredients & Recipes from the Traditional Bluegrass Kitchen

Classic Kentucky Meals explores the ingredients, food traditions, and people behind Kentucky cooking. Its recipes and stories celebrate the state’s agricultural heritage while encouraging readers to support Kentucky growers and producers through the everyday choices all of us make at the market, the kitchen table and the restaurant booth.

Read the book online below, or download the complete book (PDF). It’s our gift to you.

Sweet, Sweet Sorghum: Kentucky’s Golden Wonder

This sweet book celebrates one of Kentucky’s distinctive traditional foods: sweet sorghum, through stories and curated recipes. (Pro tip: Sorghum Caramels.) Buy at Amazon.