Tracie McMillan

National Farm Worker Law Conference, Keynote – Nov. 9, 2016

I’m honored to be spending the day after the election with lawyers and advocates waging a critical labor battles: Protecting farm workers. National Farm Worker Law Conference Indianapolis, IN Nov. 9, 2016 Farmworkers in the News: Journalists Covering the Lives and Labor Conditions of Farmworkers

To See Food Waste in a New Way, Start With Your Plate

“The Plate,” National Geographic • Nov. 1, 2016

Researchers angling to solve America’s food waste problem are taking cues from Instagram and developing an app to measure food waste from your food pictures.

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From Jiffy to Maseca : The Industrialization of Corn

Presented at the 2016 Southern Foodways Symposium
University of Mississipi
Oxford, MS
October 14, 2016

Mexico, where corn began, understands itself not only as a nation of corn-eaters, but as corn itself. One of that country’s best known idioms is Sin mais, no hay pais: Without corn, there is no country.

But as I look at what’s eaten in both Mexico and the U.S., I have to be honest:  We eat an awful lot of Jiffy and Maseca.

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Southern Foodways Symposium Lecture:
Jiffy to Maseca

Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium • Oct. 14, 2016 Jiffy corn muffin mix is the second-most sold dry grocery item in the U.S. Maseca is used in more than two-thirds of all corn tortillas in Mexico. Yet the food world tends to sneer at them both. By tracing the origin stories of these two iconic corn mixes, I explore how … Read more

Special Treat: Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium Lecture, Oct. 14, 2016

University of Mississippi Oxford, MS Oct. 14, 2016 It’s a huge honor and delight to be giving a commissioned lecture at the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium today: When Corn Went Pop Corn is elemental, the backbone grain of the American diet; that omnipresence begs questions, My assignment: to channel industrial corn products, from Jiffy to Maseca.

Flint area talks: Oct. 4-5, 2016

Quick heads up for anyone in the Flint area: I’m coming to talk in your neighborhood! Oct. 4, 2016  (Tuesday)  5:45-6:45 Grand Blanc-McFarlen Public Library and I’m especially honored to kick off the Sullenger Dialogues at U-M Flint, the nearest university to where I grew up. It’s also an honor to be part of the rich … Read more

Common Experience:Highpoint University, Sept. 15-16, 2016

I’m thrilled to share that Highpoint University has chosen The American Way of Eating for its freshman Common Experience Program—and I’ll be spending a couple days on campus this week to talk about the book with students. Things kick off on Thursday, when I’ll be speaking to the President’s Seminar for first year students, continue with … Read more

“Southern Hunger” Lecture, Sept. 13, 2016

“Southern Hunger” Sept. 13, 2015 4:30-6:00 p.m. Stone Center, Hitchcock Room The American South is often celebrated for its rich food heritage and its powerful influence on American cuisine, but the region’s culture and politics are also linked to the darker side of food. In this lecture, will discuss how modern American food issues like hunger, … Read more

Eating China: Fast Food Surprises and Market Chaos

“The Plate,” National Geographic • Sept. 12, 2016

We’ve been subsisting a lot on hotel breakfast buffets, which the business joints we’ve been staying in offer routinely. (And do fairly well with, I might add. They’ve not yet resorted to the waffle-batter foil cups and cereal dispensers common in U.S. business motels.) But recently, for logistical reasons, we took an overnight train—which meant no breakfast on offer. And that meant our first stop was KFC for iced lattes—a treat the chain introduced in China just last year—and then to a popular Taiwanese fast food chain for a taste of domestic fast food.

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