From the Vermont Humanities Speakers Bureau and hosted by SAM in The Bliss Room, this event is part of our new speaker series SAM Talks. These talks are free and open to the public.

Wolf Peaches, Poisoned Peas, and Madame Pompadour's Underwear. Common garden vegetables have long and fascinating histories. Science and history writer Rebecca Rupp will discuss the stories behind many of our favorites, among them the much-maligned tomato and potato, the (mostly) popular pumpkin, and Vermont's dynamic duo of kale and Gilfeather turnip. Find out why a lot of us don't like beets, how a 17th-century pirate named the bell pepper, how carrots won the Trojan War, and how George Washington was nearly assassinated with a plate of poisoned peas.

Event Info

Mar 1, 2025, 10 AM to 12 PM

Mar 3, 2025, 5 PM

Mar 4, 2025, 7 AM to 7 PM