Lodge Cast Iron Gift Supports SFA Work
The Southern Foodways Alliance’s work with Lodge Cast Iron influenced the company to develop its new museum. A longtime supporter, Lodge Cast Iron has made a $150,000 gift to SFA to further its mission of documenting, studying and exploring the diverse food cultures of the changing American South.
JULY 7, 2023 BY MARY STANTON KNIGHT/UM DEVELOPMENT
Lodge Cast Iron, founded in 1877, is a fifth-generation family-owned cast iron cookware company based in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, that is strengthening the mission of the Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) with an unrestricted gift of $150,000.
Based at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture, SFA works to document, study and explore the diverse food cultures of the changing American South.
The partnership between SFA and Lodge Cast Iron began over a decade ago. The company’s cast iron cookware can be found in many kitchens across the South, where it’s used to make regional dishes — old and new — that SFA’s work highlights.
“Food and cuisine tell stories that are directly related to the development of our country,” said Mike Otterman, CEO and president of Lodge Cast Iron. “Through the growth of industries and reflection of economic times food has been at the center of it all, bringing families of different cultures and generations together.
“Grandma’s skillet is part of the fabric of the South — there is no one better at collecting and preserving the stories of the South than SFA. Oftentimes those stories touch on cornbread or other favorites that are made in a well-seasoned skillet.”
The Southern Foodways Alliance expressed appreciation for Lodge Cast Iron’s longtime support of the organization.
“Lodge’s contributions have helped fund SFA work to share oral histories, produce films and podcasts, publish original writing, sponsor scholarships and mentor students,” said Mary Beth Lasseter, interim co-director. “Together, we are elevating the story of the South’s regional food culture.”
In addition to its documentary efforts, the SFA also hosts events that celebrate the diversity and creativity of Southern foodways, including the organization’s annual fall symposium that brings together chefs, scholars and food enthusiasts from around the world to explore Southern food culture.
Otterman noted how the company’s work with SFA influenced Lodge as the company developed its new museum, located beside the manufacturing plant.
“We are grateful to have worked with the SFA team in the development of the Lodge Museum of Cast Iron,” Otterman said, “They were the driving force behind the food culture section of the museum that brought multiple southern cuisines to life for the visitors.
“We hope to encourage everyone to enjoy what Southern food has to offer, whether you’re from the South or elsewhere. The goal is to bring families together to share the love of Southern food for generations to come, just like Lodge cookware,” said Otterman.
Thanks to Lodge Cast Iron’s generous continued support of the work being done by SFA, many more students and Southern foodways enthusiasts will be able to learn about the South’s foodways, said Lasseter.
For more information about supporting the Southern Foodways Alliance, contact Claire Moss, associate director of development, at claire@southernfoodways.org or 662-915-3380. Click Southern Foodways Alliance Fund to contribute.