Bit & Grain is a digital documentary project that was founded as a home for listeners and storytellers, creators and explorers, thinkers and curators. From 2015 โ 2017, we canvassed North Carolina in search of exceptional stories, delivering powerfully-crafted multimedia content each week. The stories are heartfelt, artful, sophisticated and timeless. They offer a fresh, modern approach to a state rich with pride and tradition. The heart of Bit & Grain is about inclusivity and depth, connection and diversity, conversation and substance. We are North Carolinians and this is part of your story. Every bit and grain counts.
YOU SHOULD START HERE
Editors' picks and readersโ favorites, these stories are what Bit & Grain is all about.
From the North Carolina coast to the mountains, here's your guide to an off-the-beaten-path food and drink road trip.
Pork is king at Nahunta Pork Center, a three-generation deep family business that's been creating jobs and binding a rural North Carolina family together since 1955.
Celebrate North Carolina beer month with a list of some of our favorite North Carolina craft beers.
Step into commercial fisherman Eddie Willis' life, who owns and operates Mr. Big Seafood in Harkers Island.
With its arts, culture and food scene continuing to thrive, Durham has become a destination. Check out our picks for a Saturday in Durham.
North Carolina was well-represented in the hip-hop category at the 2016 Grammys. This is one Durham-based rapper's journey to join the big leagues.
Meet Shelby Stephenson, North Carolina's poet laureate, whose work reflects the era in which he was raised, where storytelling, hard work and race permeated life.
Join bluegrass band Mipso as they show us the places and spaces at home that ground and inspire them and visit a sold-out hometown show.
With a vast estuary system and a growing locavore movement, is North Carolina poised to become an American oyster capital? The answer isn't simple. Crack open the story of the Eastern Oyster, North Carolina's native species. Within it, find a larger story the past, present and future of our coast's economy, environment and culture.
Lady Bosses. Hustlers. Makers. Game Changers. Local Beyoncรฉs. Across North Carolina female entrepreneurs are helping redefine the future of economy and industry in our state. Here are five you need to meet.
Boat building is in the blood of Harkers Islanders. Once a small, yet thriving, fishing and boat building community, the unincorporated township survived wholly on commercial fishing and boatbuilding for generations. It was always enough; now, itโs not. What lies ahead for Harkers Island?
Step inside the Loray Mill in Gastonia, a historic property that is being transformed into a hub of community and commerce thanks to NC's historic preservation tax credit.
The journey to marriage equality in North Carolina has been long. Meet members of the LGBTQ community who speak in their own words about the impact of this landmark step in our state's history.
North Carolina is poised to be at the epicenter of the local seafood movement. But, the seafood industry in North Carolina is at a critical juncture full of passion, disagreement and misinformation. Join us as we take a closer look at seafood foodways and the importance of knowing where our seafood comes from.
Spend a Saturday in Saxapahaw, a tiny town where natural beauty, local food and sustainable living collide. Biscuits, beer, canoeing and free outdoor live music await you.
Join us on a journey from the strawberry patch to the kitchen table with a pit-stop at the North Carolina Strawberry Festival.
Some say stories are best told by those who've lived it โ but what about those who try to relive it? Sights, sounds and stories from the Battle of Bentonville's 150th anniversary.
Meet David & Hal, friends and neighbors for over 40 years. NC State professor Hal helped David immigrate to the United State after the two met in Vietnam. David now owns a successful restaurant in Raleigh, David's Dumplings & Noodle Bar.
College basketball means something powerful in North Carolina. Rivalries between North Carolinaโs ACC schools run deep. Meet some of the fans who eat, sleep and breath college basketball.
CULTURE
Two women celebrate teachers who taught them their Native identity was an classroom asset, not a deficit to overcome.
Part II | The story of the most significant fisheries legislation in North Carolina history.
North Carolina train travelers bear witness to a world and landscape both ephemeral and historic.
Bit & Grain, a proud partner of the project, is thrilled to share Port Light โ an engaging and interactive online exhibition about the saltwater highways of the Outer and Inner Banks.
Diversity and religious liberty are cornerstones of our democratic experiment, a process itself built on the backs and ideas of immigrants, some who came here of their own volition, others who were brought by force. Targeting immigrants because of their faith or nationality is fundamentally un-American.
There is at least one glaring error at the North Carolina Legislative Building: the enormous, 28 feet mosaic of the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina guarding the entrance, actually isnโt the official state seal at all.
North Carolina is divided, we all know it. Divided We Stand, a short film by Cynthia Hill, is a timely demonstration of mutual respect, dialogue, and building bridges across a wide and ruptured spectrum of political beliefs here in North Carolina.
Hurricane Matthew took lives, homes, schools and roadways from us. It is a storm weโll be talking about for years. It is a disaster our brothers and sisters in the east will be dealing with for months. Donโt let them go at it alone. Photo by Zach Frailey/Kinston Free Press.
Robert Morgan held many public offices โ US Senator, NC Attorney General and Director of the State Bureau of Investigation โ but will be remembered best by many as a friend. Join us in reflecting on his life as a public servant and friend.
As new people move in and bulldozers make way for development, Durham has become a city of shifting demographics and stark contrasts. Explore Durham, block by block.
Often credited with helping spark the modern-day environmental movement, Rachel Carson wove together enchanting literary prose of cutting edge marine biology in the waters of Back Sound off Beaufort.
Ultimate, known to most as ultimate Frisbee, is among our state's newest sports, but in the last five years, North Carolina has become an ultimate powerhouse.
Step into commercial fisherman Eddie Willis' life, who owns and operates Mr. Big Seafood in Harkers Island.
The documentary film Raising Bertie brings to life problems and issues plaguing the rural South.
Broughton High School has produced legendary athletes, none more so than "Pistol" Pete Maravich. More impressive than the basketball program's records or alumni is its culture of brotherhood.
Celebrate the fraser fir, the tree that has transformed Western North Carolina's economy over the last half-century. Today, North Carolina produces one-fifth of the nation's Christmas trees.
With a vast estuary system and a growing locavore movement, is North Carolina poised to become an American oyster capital? The answer isn't simple. Crack open the story of the Eastern Oyster, North Carolina's native species. Within it, find a larger story the past, present and future of our coast's economy, environment and culture.
Howard Creech was the right-hand man of Percy Flowers, a man the Saturday Evening Post dubbed "The King of the Moonshiners" in 1958. From the early 1930s to 2012, Howard helped care for three generations of the Flowers family. Two men, whose lives Howard shaped, remember his dynamic role in their lives.
From sticky, sweet doughnuts, to the iconic Shag, to one of North Carolina's most unique dive bars, Carolina Beach is an experience you won't forget.
From his small walk-up restaurant, Southern Smoke BBQ, in his tiny hometown of Garland, itโs not unusual for Matthew Register to serve a barbecue sandwich with a side of ratatouille or pozole. For Matthew, Southern Smoke isnโt just about the food, itโs about helping revitalize the place he grew up. Meet Matthew.
Thanksgiving and all that comes with it โ tender turkey, candied sweet potatoes, and finger-licking, sugary pie โ is upon us, but is your beverage selection up to par?
Have you found yourself pondering the meaning of life recently? Have you asked yourself whether our country is falling apart? What the universe has against the Panthers? If we should be preparing for the end of times? We have, and we are honoring the questioners, doubters and debaters among us by attempting to answer one of lifeโs biggest questions: is a hot dog a sandwich?
From the North Carolina coast to the mountains, here's your guide to an off-the-beaten-path food and drink road trip.
Like many of us, the flavors of Nation Hahn's childhood give him a sense of place. They also inform his work, where heโs too often reminded many of our students are hungry and without access to nutritious food.
Vivian Howard has a big announcement. Along with her much anticipated cookbook, Deep Run Roots, she's bringing her kitchen to you this fall.
"It's not fishy, it's full of flavor." Chef Ricky Moore has had this conversation time and time again at Saltbox Seafood Joint. This week, learn one way to use underutilized species; it's a spin on a classic Southern dish that won't dissapoint. Try your hand at fish & grits.
Fresh, seasonal seafood is a non-negotiable cornerstone of Saltbox Seafood Joint's mission. This week, learn how Chef Ricky Moore pairs fresh oysters on the half shell with a melon mignonette.
Chef Ricky Moore of SALTBOX SEAFOOD JOINT in Durham is passionate about real North Carolina seafood. Join us at the stove this week as Ricky shows us some of his Eastern North Carolina heritage.
Pork is king at Nahunta Pork Center, a three-generation deep family business that's been creating jobs and binding a rural North Carolina family together since 1955.
Learn how to prepare clams two ways with Locals Seafood, a seafood company changing the game by supplying fresh, local seafood to the Triangle.
Celebrate North Carolina beer month with a list of some of our favorite North Carolina craft beers.
Learn how to prepare fried softshell crabs with Locals Seafood, a seafood company changing the game by supplying fresh, local seafood to the Triangle.
Learn how to prepare seared rockfish with brown herb butter with Locals Seafood, a seafood company changing the game by supplying fresh, local seafood to the Triangle.
Learn how to prepare a simple peel & eat shrimp party favorite with Locals Seafood, a seafood company changing the game by supplying fresh, local seafood to the Triangle.
This Valentine's Day, surprise your sweetie with a Vanilla Beet Meringue Tart from Chef Phoebe Lawless' kitchen at Scratch Bakery in Durham.
Savory enough to drink straight, moonshine has a storied legacy here in North Carolina, but can be intimidating to first-time sippers. Meet one man whose roots run generations deep in bootlegging & try our list of cocktails made with his family's shine, an unexpectedly tasty and creative base.
Explore persimmons, one of North Carolina's most storied fruits, and try your hand at persimmon pudding.
With a recipe from renowned southern Chef Bill Smith of Crook's Corner, celebrate corn in all her glory.
North Carolina is poised to be at the epicenter of the local seafood movement. But, the seafood industry in North Carolina is at a critical juncture full of passion, disagreement and misinformation. Join us as we take a closer look at seafood foodways and the importance of knowing where our seafood comes from.
Join us on a journey from the strawberry patch to the kitchen table with a pit-stop at the North Carolina Strawberry Festival.
Meet David & Hal, friends and neighbors for over 40 years. NC State professor Hal helped David immigrate to the United State after the two met in Vietnam. David now owns a successful restaurant in Raleigh, David's Dumplings & Noodle Bar.
ARTS
A self-described โperfect soldier,โ Sutton is an inexperienced, but committed farmer. He plows, he harvests, and he diligently watches over his poultry and livestock, and yet he cannot escape the demons that haunt him from war.
Durham-based Phil Cook is much more than a musician. He is a community builder dedicated to creating a thriving and welcoming place in the Old North State.
You can count on Pat โMother Bluesโ Cohen to bring the heat during her New Years Eve performance at First Night Raleigh. The blues-performer is taking the craft she honed on Bourbon Street in New Orleans to Raleigh for an evening of dancing, singing and joy.
Ace Henderson is becoming an artist in the truest sense. He is conscious of and curious about feeling, experiencing and seeking, and he reveres the process of making. This is why he writes and rewrites, mixes and remixes. This is why weโre still waiting for his latest project, LAP143, which heโs been workshopping for months. Itโs just not there yet.
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Spend an afternoon at Warlock's Tattoo and Body Piercing shop, the oldest of its kind in Raleigh, where community and counter-culture bind this group of artists together.
On his new solo album Rockingham, American Aquarium frontman BJ Barham searches for home as he pines for and acknowledges the potential pitfalls of an upbringing in rural North Carolina.
How one woman's affair with words helped her build a life on Hatteras Island and resurrect a beloved piece of local literature, The Kinnakeeter.
Hereโs to sun-drenched vacations and long weekends filled with steamy slow-burning sunsets, and of course, great music.
Meet Josh Kimbrough, the frontman of Carrboro-based Teardrop Canyon, and listen to a new single "Defeat," produced by Lost in Trees' Ari Picker.
Lauded as an emerging Southern city, even the new Atlanta, Charlotteโs got a lot, and today, North Carolinaโs cosmopolitan capital is in the process of refining its identity. Meet a man who's made it his mission to ensure the arts are essential to the Queen City's identity.
For decades the innate, soulful drive to make music has compelled Southerners to make instruments out of just about anything. From the one-string instrument to the cigar box guitar, musicians here have taken what most would deem junk and crafted it into something beautiful.
Step inside several unique Airbnb properties โ an artist retreat, a sustainable farm, a passenger bus and a dome home โ peppered throughout North Carolina and get a glimpse into the burgeoning sharing economy, and why these folks have opened up their homes to strangers.
North Carolina was well-represented in the hip-hop category at the 2016 Grammys. This is one Durham-based rapper's journey to join the big leagues.
Meet Ravi & Geeta, who grew up in Charlotte and are the directors and producers behind the award-winning, romantic comedy documentary, Meet the Patels.
Meet Shelby Stephenson, North Carolina's poet laureate, whose work reflects the era in which he was raised, where storytelling, hard work and race permeated life.
Join bluegrass band Mipso as they show us the places and spaces at home that ground and inspire them and visit a sold-out hometown show.
Architecture transforms the way we use spaces. The Raleigh Architecture Company is transforming the way we imagine Raleigh.
Plug in our playlist and take a journey through the some of our favorite sounds of Spring in the Old North State.
Meet a group of Raleigh movers and shakers helping local youth see the beauty around them through the arts.
TRAVEL
Explore the bucolic settings, banana splits, colorful mill village and everything else Pittsboro, one of the Piedmont's oldest tows, has to offer.
With its arts, culture and food scene continuing to thrive, Durham has become a destination. Check out our picks for a Saturday in Durham.
Vivian Howard, with her restaurant and award-winning TV show, and local visionaries are putting Kinston back on the map.
From sticky, sweet doughnuts, to the iconic Shag, to one of North Carolina's most unique dive bars, Carolina Beach is an experience you won't forget.
Spend a Saturday with us in New Bern, a small coastal town beauty, history, and culture meet in the downtown district. With a story older than the state itself, New Bernโs historic and architectural sites, burgeoning art and retail scene, recreational opportunities, and eclectic restaurants make it the perfect place to learn, see, do and eat.
Spend a Saturday in Saxapahaw, a tiny town where natural beauty, local food and sustainable living collide. Biscuits, beer, canoeing and free outdoor live music await you.
PEOPLE OF THE PINES
Americans across the country are still reeling from the most polarizing election season of our era. Calls for self-examination and intentional thoughtful dialogue across race, class and region grow louder every day.
Nia Wilson, Executive Director of Spirit House, knows what it takes to build bridges between communities that often donโt talk to each other, and she knows much of the work must start within. Meet Nia.
Ken Humphries, an artist from Pamlico County, has entrenched himself in the culture of Down East by learning to carve decoys.
Meet Mandy Locke, one of North Carolinaโs most brave investigative reporters.
Meet Josh Kimbrough, the frontman of Carrboro-based Teardrop Canyon, and listen to a new single "Defeat," produced by Lost in Trees' Ari Picker.
Twenty-five-year-old musician Reed Turchi breathes new life into the blues.
Meet Ravi & Geeta, who grew up in Charlotte and are the directors and producers behind the award-winning, romantic comedy documentary, Meet the Patels.
North Carolina is divided, we all know it. Divided We Stand, a short film by Cynthia Hill, is a timely demonstration of mutual respect, dialogue, and building bridges across a wide and ruptured spectrum of political beliefs here in North Carolina.