2016 Eloise S. Cofer Lecturer

She may be an award-winning chef, restauranteur, TV personality and freshly-minted cookbook author, but Vivian Howard also is a proud North Carolinian.

Eastern North Carolinian, to be exact.

During her December 15 Eloise S. Cofer Lecture on connecting food, family and community, Howard shared stories of growing up in Deep Run, N.C., and how, as a teenager, she couldn’t wait to leave town. But her journey brought her back home, and her life’s work now focuses on celebrating the region.

The event, which took place at the Talley Student Union’s Stewart Theater, was free and open to the public. The first 100 attendees received a copy of Howard’s new book “Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South.”

A 2000 graduate of NC State, Howard co-owns the famed farm-to-table restaurant Chef & the Farmer in Kinston. She is also star of the PBS documentary series, “A Chef’s Life,” about her life in the kitchen and as mother of two young children.

Howard shared stories of growing up in Deep Run, N.C., and how, as a teenager, she couldn’t wait to leave town. But her journey brought her back home, and her life’s work now focuses on celebrating the region.

“We have a lot more work to do, but we’ve changed the way people see Kinston … the South, southern foods and agriculture,” Howard said. “It’s a product of [A Chef’s Life] that I’m really proud of, for people to have a sense of pride in themselves. It’s such a tremendous gift.”

2016 Lecture Overview Recording

Watch an overview of the 2016 Eloise S. Cofer Family Living Lecture Series to learn more about Vivian Howard and her themes of healthy food systems and a healthy population.