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October 27-28, 2023
Southern Foodways Symposium ⟶
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October 27-28, 2023
Southern Foodways Symposium ⟶

Oral Histories

The SFA oral history program documents life stories from the American South. Collecting these stories, we honor the people whose labor defines the region. If you would like to contribute to SFA’s oral history collections, please send your ideas for oral history along with your CV or Resume and a portfolio of prior oral history work to info@southernfoodways.org.

< Back to Oral History project: Sorghum: Southern Sugars

ORAL HISTORY

Kenneth Goss

Goss Farms Sorghum

Kenneth Goss, born in 1954, was raised in Henagar, Alabama. He grew up hunting, fishing, and farming. Goss’s parents, L.D. and Willodean Goss cooked sorghum syrup every year. The Goss family also cooked batches of sorghum for people in their community. Kenneth and his brother, Larry, helped their parents harvest and cook sorghum.

After he married Renee Goss, Kenneth continued to help his parents, L.D. and Willodean Goss cook sorghum. Along with his wife, brother, and extended family, Kenneth Goss cooks sorghum for the public and sells pint and quart jars of sorghum to community members who stop by.

Date of interview:
2018-11-27

Interviewer:
Annemarie Anderson

Photographer:
Annemarie Anderson

Download Transcript

“

"I have never been one to be still very long at one time. I either have to be doing something, going. So I chose to work around the mill, do the grinding. My brother, who has, I guess, more patience . . . about standing at the pan and doing the cooking, because when you commit to that, you’re there all day, I mean till start to finish." - Kenneth Goss

Other Project Interviews

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Phil Parker

Phil Parker cooks sorghum in Harrisburg, Arkansas.

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Ronald Jenkins

Ronald Jenkins cooks sorghum in Bruce, Mississippi.

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Steve Patterson

Steve Patterson cooks sorghum in Rome, Georgia.

Interview

Kaitlyn Elliot

Kaitlyn Elliot cooks sorghum in Gravel Switch, Kentucky.

Interview

Terry Hughes

Terry Hughes cooks sorghum in Young Harris, Georgia.

Interview

Renee Goss

Renee Goss cooks sorghum with her family in Henagar, Alabama.

Interview

Larry Goss

Larry Goss cooks sorghum with his family in Henagar, Alabama.

Interview

Michael Prince

Michael Prince cooks sorghum in Sherwood, Tennessee.

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