About

About us

OKRA Magazine is the online magazine of the SoFAB Institute,  a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of the culture of food and drink of the world through the lens of the South. All aspects of food – history, economics, anthropology, politics, science, technology, the arts, culture, geography – reveal the state of the world, because we all eat. The SoFAB Institute and its various divisions, such as OKRA, is growing into the nation’s most comprehensive institution studying food and drink.

Our culture is constantly changing, as is the food supply. SoFAB Institute represents the following beliefs:

• The study of food and drink in all of its forms is essential to an understanding of the world
• It is imperative that there be institutions, like SoFAB, that collect artifacts and archival materials, to properly document the history of cultural food and drink practices
• Documentation takes many forms including works on paper, artifacts, art, digital media, scientific, legal and other intellectual products
• Cooking together with friends and family is a primary means of passing on civilization
• Eating together as a family teaches love, self-reliance, fights obesity, supports good grades and good values.
• Sharing the table with others not only feeds them, but makes us all strong.

The SoFAB Institute includes the following:

• The Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB) (including DC Roundtable Discussions, and Nitty Grits)
• The Museum of the American Cocktail (MOTAC)
• The SoFAB Center for Food Law, Policy, and Culture (including Culinaria)
• The Farm to Table International Symposium
• OKRA Magazine

Internships

OKRA Magazine offers internships to university students and graduate students. We don’t pay in cash money, but we pay in experience and love. You don’t need to live in New Orleans, but you should be available at least a day a week. Read on to see requirements and where you can help. If interested, email okraeditor@gmail.com

• Editing
• Writing
• Photography
• Newsletter Design and Execution
• Social Media

Submissions

We are interested in what you have to say – whether through writing, film, photography, or sound. If you’d like to contribute to OKRA, please email okraeditor@gmail.com (please have patience when waiting for a response). We do not pay for work, so make sure you love to SoFAB Institute and OKRA before getting in touch. In addition to regular columnists, we also accept scholarly papers, recipes, personal essays, art reviews (that have to do with eating, drinking , and related culture), and much more.

Support

OKRA Magazine and the SoFAB Institute exist because of generous support from donors. OKRA is working on gaining support for a sponsor page. If you would like to become an OKRA sponsor, please get in touch be emailing okraeditor@gmail.com to discuss opportunities. In advance, thank you!