Hey there, I’m so glad you’re here. Welcome to Sweet Tea by the AJC, a newsletter for refreshing, positive stories from around the South. Sit and stay awhile. We have so much to tell you.
DID SOMEONE SAY LIVERMUSH?
Every area has their creative meatstuff, a combination of animal parts and human creativity that defies description.
For Western North Carolina, that’s livermush.
- By North Carolina law, livermush has to be 30% pig liver
- The meat is mixed with cornmeal, shaped into square logs, sliced and fried.
- According to a North Carolina historian, German settlers likely brought the recipe to the area. A similar dish called scrapple is popular in Pennsylvania and was likely also German in origin.
A new twist on an old tradition
- In Marion, North Carolina, Hunter’s Livermush is the place to get your crispy, fried liver fix. They’ve been around since 1955.
- The Hunter family produces about 20,000 pounds of Hunter’s Livermush a week, somewhere between very impressive and slightly concerning.
- Chef Aaron Mathews opened McDowell Local in Marion to highlight the area’s agricultural production. Of course, he had to have his own interpretation of the local delicacy. His livermush sandwich features Hunter’s livermush on sourdough with mustard and spicy grape jam.
Be honest. Maybe you weren’t sold on livermush when you started reading, but that does sound really good.
🥪 READ MORE: The history of a regional NC favorite, plus recipes
GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR VETERANS
The Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program in Georgia doesn’t just supply essentials for some of the area’s 18,500 veterans. They offer fun, unique ways to actively make their lives a little brighter.
- A fly fishing program gets disadvantaged veterans out of the house and closer to nature. Participants learn about the equipment, safety and how to cast a line, then spend a day on the river.
- A new photography program teaches the basics of the art, and helps veterans create new perspectives through their phone camera.
Founder and Executive Director Jim Lindenmayer, who’s also an Army veteran, says opportunities like this help people see the world in a different way.
“Veterans who have mental health issues or are home-insecure are in their house seven days a week. They never get out,” Lindenmayer said. “Part of this is to get them to do things they’re not normally doing. It helps them calm down and get a little self-therapy.”
SIPS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH
💰 Chesterfield, VA: A woman won $150,000 in the lottery and immediately gave it all away. She split the money into gifts for three diverse missions: the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, a Richmond-area nonprofit farm and food justice organization, and the Navy-Marine Relief Society. “God is blessing me, so I can bless others,” she said. More from WISTV.
💙 D’Iberville, MS: Nearly 40 nursing facilities and area high schools celebrated ‘Adopt a Grandparent Day," a South Mississippi tradition for more than ten years. The event helps older and younger generations learn from each other, and keeps nursing facility residents connected to the community. More from WDAM.
📚 Memphis, TN: The Orange Mound Library and Genealogy Center just got a big honor from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Award recognizes the best in historic preservation projects across the country. More from Action News 5.
🪕 Kiawah Island, SC: The BBQ, Bluegrass & Bourbon Festival comes back to the coast October 18. It will feature the best of all three: Food from award-winning restaurants, bespoke cocktails from movers and shakers in the Southern spirits scene, and music from Low Country staple The Bluestone Ramblers. More from the AJC.
🛻 Fairhope, AL: An author and military widow turned a 1940s Ford pickup into a traveling library to protest book bans across the state. She wants “The Banned Wagon” to be a place of discovery and empathy. More from The Alabama Political Reporter.
TELL US SOMETHING GOOD
Is there a cool event we need to know about? Something great happening in your town? Let us know. This is your space, too. amatl@ajc.com.
SOUTHERN WISDOM
Every American deserves the chance to learn and grow into empathetic, thoughtful citizens. And that begins with access to voices, stories, and histories that expand their understanding of the world and the people in it, especially in today's polarized political climate.
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About the Author
AJ Willingham is an National Emmy, NABJ and Webby award-winning journalist who loves talking culture, religion, sports, social justice, infrastructure and the arts. She lives in beautiful Smyrna-Mableton and went to Syracuse University.
