We eaters and fans of food love to share memories of delicious meals, tell the backstories of where our food came from, and follow the journeys our food has taken. But food itself tells many stories, just by appearing in a time and place. Flavors, ingredients, and preparations illuminate human journeys, joys, conflicts, aspirations, and labors. Foods also tell the story of arrival, a story that’s told over and over again, all over the globe, as people cross borders and make homes in new places.

Global Food, Local Food: Guide to Growing, Harvesting & Preserving African & Asian Crops in the Northeast, published recently by the University of Vermont Extension’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the New Farms for New Americans program of the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, tells the stories of New American farmers, cooks, and communities in Vermont and offers an introduction to some of the faraway crops they’ve been adapting to the Vermont growing season.

The book, and the programs that led to its creation, were featured at a community dinner in Burlington’s South End Kitchen last August. The meal featured unique Vermont-grown vegetables and herbs prepared by the farmers and chefs who have brought them to Vermont fields and kitchens. Here are some photos and captions that share the spirit of the evening. The book is available for sale from the New Farms for New Americans program, or for free download at uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture.

Click on photos to read the captions.