Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seeds and Stories

By unearthing and safeguarding rare varieties of food crops and the cultural knowledge of how to grow them, John Coykendall has become a celebrity in the burgeoning farm-to-table movement. While his work takes him around the world, what inspires Coykendall most is his annual pilgrimage to Washington Parish, Louisiana. Over more than four decades, he has forged long-lasting friendships with local farmers and gardeners, collecting oral histories, recipes, and wisdom passed down through generations. Preserving Our Roots captures the rhythms of a vanishing way of life seen on farms, in kitchens, and across generations.