Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance

Beef: From Plains to Plate:
Follow the cattlemen's trail to savory
Midwest Beef Traditions

Save the Date for the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance's Third Annual Symposium

Who: Food enthusiasts, culinary students, history students, educators, media, academics, members of the food and foodservice industry can follow the trail to another GMFA food history symposium.

What: "Beef: From Plains to Plate" -- a symposium on Midwest beef foodways, from the desolate plains to meat processors who packed, wrapped and shipped their meat provisioning the global market. Innovations in refrigerated railroad cars, processing plants and portion control influenced many industrial efficiencies including Henry Ford's automobile assembly line.

When: Friday, October 23, GMFA Fundraiser/Charter member dinner 7 p.m. Saturday, October 24, 2009, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Register: Phone: Call 847-432-8255, Email: greatermidwestfoodways@gmail.com

Cash taken at Culinary Historian meetings and Chicago Roundtable events.

Credit card: brownpaperticket.com (nominal convenience charge)

Where: Kendall College - 900 North Branch (just north of Chicago Ave. and west of Halsted) Chicago, Illinois. Free parking.

Why: The mission of the GMFA is to study what Midwesterners eat and why. Visit Greater Midwest Foodways WEBSITE. This event builds off the success of the GMFA's first two symposiums: "Stuffed: A Journey of Midwest Sausage Traditions" and "Sweets: A Journey Through Midwestern Dessert Traditions."

Call for Presentations:
The Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance celebrates, teaches, preserves and promotes the diverse food cultures of the Midwest from Great Lakes to the Great Plains. Greater Midwest Foodways will examine the beef industry from small scale farms and local production to cattle barons and meat packer kings, from steak houses to cowboy stew and plain home cooking and everything in between. We seek presentations based on research, fieldwork, scholarship and professional experience geared towards an informed popular audience.

Proposals are welcome on topics ranging from cattle breeds, ranching and drives, from stockyards to processing and transportation to market. Beefy celebratory festivals from steakhouses to pot roast and how to get the best from your beef. GMFA welcomes any interesting beef presentations especially those off the well traveled trail.

Proposals should be one page in length and contain the following:

  • Name of presenter along with two professional references concerning presentation skills and qualifications;
  • Title or theme of the presentation;
  • Brief description of the subject matter to be discussed;
  • Please anticipate a presentation length of 20 minutes with extra time allowed for questions.
  • Your preferred presentation format, i.e., interactive (Power Point), lecture, panel discussion, group presentation.

    Please electronically submit your proposals by August 3, 2009 to
    GreaterMidwestFoodways@gmail.com.
    Attention: Catherine Lambrecht.
    Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance
    280 Laurel Avenue
    Highland Park, IL
    60035-2620
    Tel: 847/432-8255
    Greater Midwest Foodways WEBSITE