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Summer 2026—February 2027
2026 SFA Film Residency, with multi-city in-person experiences and monthly virtual workshops ⟶
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Renew
Summer 2026—February 2027
2026 SFA Film Residency, with multi-city in-person experiences and monthly virtual workshops ⟶

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.

ORAL HISTORY

Lara and Robert Swan

Great Bagel & Bakery

When Lara and Robert Swan moved to Lexington in 2010, they quickly realized there was a bagel-shaped hole missing in the local restaurant scene. They wanted to bake bagels from scratch with organic, sustainably grown ingredients. The Swan’s commitment to farm to table and organic processes led them to invest in a milling stone. They produce their own flour and partner with regional organic farmers to grow ancient grains like hard red spring wheat.

The Swan’s local commitment extends beyond buying local and regional ingredients for their bakery. During the Covid Pandemic, Great Bagel worked with the LEE Initiative to serve hundreds of free meals to Lexington’s unemployed restaurant workers each day. While the Swans are thankful they were able to help the community during that period, they are grateful to have the time to spend with their family and themselves. These days Lara and Robert like to think about their future plans. 

Date of interview:
2023-08-23

Interviewer:
Rosie Moosnick

Photographer:
Sarah Jane Webb

Download Transcript 2

“

“It was just I loved food and always was into food and always, you know, was passionate about it being good. And so starting my own thing where I knew– and it seemed like Lexington was ready for that sort of independent restaurant culture 'cause at the time there wasn't a lot of independent restaurants going on.” -Robert Swan

"And there was nothing here that could offer food the way we liked to eat it. There was no, like, clean-label restaurants, and, I mean, a very small handful of people who were doing that stuff. So we did it." -Lara Swan

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