Les Dames Advancing Alabama’s Food Community

By Susan Swagler

When women help other women succeed, good things happen. Tasty things do, too.

This year, $10,000 in scholarships and awards from a group of women leaders in the Birmingham food community will help four college students pursue their food-science studies, three high schools better serve their culinary-arts students, Jones Valley Teaching Farm connect with more kids, and entrepreneur Nancey Legg grow her business and make more kombucha.

The Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI), a philanthropic organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality, gave its $3,000 2018 New Entrepreneur Award to Legg, who owns better kombucha, located in Innovation Depot. Jones Valley Teaching Farm received the $2,000 Non-Profit Organization Award.  The Birmingham chapter gave four $1,000 college scholarships this year; recipients were Rebecca Klang from Jefferson State Community College; Hope Etheridge and Sydney Smith, both of whom are majoring in dietetics at Samford University; and Ally Cound, an Auburn University nutrition major. Three high school teachers — Lauren Bolding, Albertville High School; Melissa Allphin, Moody High School; and Diann Pilgrim, Wenonah High School, Birmingham City Schools — shared a $1,000 teachers’ grant.The Birmingham LDEI chapter, founded in 2013 with 55 members — one of the largest initial memberships in the worldwide organization’s history — includes some of the most influential women in the city’s food scene. They are dedicated to helping other women succeed in this community.

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