Christina Ward

Christina Ward (born April 4, 1969, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is a Wisconsin-based writer specializing in food preservation, recipe, and culinary history books.

Career
Ward is a self-taught, multi-disciplinary creator and writer. Early works include transgressive poetry and short stories published in zines under multiple pseudonyms. In 2000, Ward began publishing small-run art books under the imprint of Back Pocket Press and Odaliske Press and co-publishing poetry broadsides and chapbook under the name Accurate Key.

During this time, Ward also pursued learning 19th and early 20th-century cooking and food preservation techniques and was certified as a Master Food Preserver by the State of Wisconsin. From 2012 to 2019, she taught food preservation classes throughout the Milwaukee area.

Between 2012 and 2016, Ward wrote a monthly column for Edible Milwaukee Magazine named DIY-MKE: that focused on the history, personal stories, and recipes that reflect Milwaukee city's culture.

In 2011, Ward—an avid book collector—assisted touring authors published by Feral House with events in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In January 2015, Feral House founder Adam Parfrey recruited Ward to work full-time for Feral House in marketing and publicity.

Ward published her first book, Preservation: The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration (2017), with the Feral House imprint, Process.

Feral House founder Parfrey unexpectedly died on May 5, 2018. Parfrey's sister, managing director and head of operations, asked Ward to assist her in continuing Feral House Publishing. Ward was promoted to vice president and expanded her duties to include every aspect of publishing.

Ward's second book, American Advertising Cookbooks: How Corporations Taught Us to Love Spam, Bananas, and Jell-O (2019), was met with critical and press recognition from the New York Times, Milk Street Radio, and more.

In July 2019, Ward provided research about Milwaukee food culture for the producers of the Hulu broadcast episodic program Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi. She was invited to appear on camera with host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi for Episode 2 of Season 1, where they discussed Milwaukee's early immigrant food culture, while riding around in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Ward continues to acquire and edit non-fiction books and, as of September 2023, has been involved in producing seventy-five titles. As the Vice President of Feral House Publishing, she is also the public spokesperson for Feral House.

Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat—An American History (Process), released on September 26, 2023, is an exploration of various cults, communes, and religious movements are connected to food they created or incorporated and how that food may continue on in today's society.

Her fourth book is Happy Days: The Official Cookbook.

She remains a Wisconsin Master Food Preserver, serving residents and answering food preservation questions throughout southeast Wisconsin and beyond.

Published works

 * Preservation-The Art and Science of Canning, Fermentation, and Dehydration (Process Media, 2017)
 * American Advertising Cook Books: How Corporations Taught Us to Love Bananas, Spam, and Jell-O (Process Media, 2019)
 * Holy Food: Recipes and Foodways from Cults, Communes, and New Religious Movements (Feral House Publishing, 2023)
 * Happy Days: The Official Cookbook (Insight Editions, April 16, 2024)