Field Notes from a Preservation Station - Incite at Columbia University

Incubated Project

Field Notes from a Preservation Station

Jars of food in a refrigerator

Field Notes from a Preservation Station is a Chicago-based initiative that treats food preservation as a public health imperative. This project addresses two interconnected challenges: the loss of traditional food knowledge and ongoing food insecurity. By bringing people together around the practice of food preservation, this project creates space for meaningful exchange—where techniques are taught, stories are shared, and wisdom passes between generations.

Through hands-on workshops and community gatherings, participants learn preservation methods while building connections with their neighbors. The sessions preserve food for times of need and safeguard cultural knowledge that's at risk of disappearing. The initiative will culminate in a guide, ensuring that these vital skills and stories nourish generations to come.
 

Team Lead

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    Lori Parett

    Lori Parrett is an artist and cultural practitioner exploring food as memory, craft, and survival. She is the founder of Cakewalk Chicago and the architect of ForkLore, a public preservation kitchen model building community resilience. Her work blends visual art, culinary technique, and social practice.

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