West Virginia Venison Stew

Even before the western part of Virginia broke away from the state in 1861 to form a separate Union government, frontier settlers, who depended heavily on wild game for survival, organized church and civic get-togethers called “soups” or “stews,” where everybody contributed some corn, potatoes, onions, and various meats to a huge stew pot. Today, in the mountain regions dotted with isolated cabins and low-income housing, small communities continue to celebrate wild game, huckleberry, maple