Storytelling About Food

Food & Storytelling Come Together in Organizational Partnership

In the earlier part of 2025, Julianna Dodson, Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center, and Shanta Lee Honeycutt explored the idea of bringing Foodstories together with the annual Radically Rural conference. Radically Rural — a grassroots movement originally founded in Keene, NH — brought together many leaders across the country in an annual gathering.

That year, the theme of Rural Resonance was focused on storytelling. While planning with Denise Meadows, Owner of Free Range Chick Catering, and many other team members, a vision became clear. Stories connected to each dish and chef would appear alongside the mouthwatering food at each of the many food stations. The following section highlights the stories that were at each food station during the 2025 Radically Rural conference.

I Did It For The Plastic Pig!!!

The Kansas City Barbecue Society Sanctioned BBQ Contest is The Story that created Charcoal Charlie, the person, the character, and the business.

The KCBS sanctions, or officiates, BBQ Contests across the Country. All KCBS Contests are held using strict, regimented procedures to ensure a fair scoring process wherever and whenever you are competing across the country.

Four separate categories, and only those four categories, can count toward the cumulative prize of Grand Champion. Thirty minute intervals, starting at noon, “Any Whole or Part of a Chicken”, “Pork Ribs”, “Pork Butt or Shoulder”, and “Beef Brisket”. Each category is awarded individually as well.

Contestants have a 10 minute timeframe, 5 before to 5 after the official turn in time, to present their 9 inch by 9 inch container to the judges. Each entry must have 6 identifiable portions, no identifiable markings, may be sauced or not, no pooling, can only contain green leaf lettuce and/or curly parsley as a garnish.

Entries are given three scores by Certified Judges on a scale of 1 to 9, in Appearance, Texture, and Taste. All data is entered into the Magical KCBS Judging Program where the scores are weighted, and the lowest score is dropped, and the results are tallied.

At the end of the day we all gather for the Awards Ceremony, hopeful to hear our team name called last, as The First Place Winner. I Did It For the Plastic Pig!!!

~ Charcoal Charlie