Article by Debra Freeman
Photography by Fitz
Lead photo of Haynes at Dry Bridge Farm in Ashland, Virginia
uru. Author. Lecturer. Judge. Historian. Television Spokesman. Philanthropist. Pitmaster. When it comes to all things barbecue, Joseph R. Haynes is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, and he’s on a mission to preach the good news of Virginia barbecue and convert us all, one-by-one.
Ask him about where American barbecue comes from, and prepare to be given a history that spans centuries. Haynes will lean in close and reference the fallacy of barbecue coming to America by way of the Caribbean in one breath, and in the next he’ll name the often overlooked enslaved and free African-Americans who were acclaimed pitmasters in Virginia.
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Dry Bridge Farm is a small family operation located in Ashland, VA. The farm is named for the old farmhouse ‘Dry Bridge’ named for the ‘dry bridge’ that crossed the nearby railroad cut. The farm is owned and operated by the Boulden Family, Paul & Kim, with help from their daughters Lucy and Mena. For more on Dry Bridge Farm‘s Heritage Breed Hogs, contact them at paulboulden@hotmail.com or 804.501.8515
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Haynes is the author of two books, Virginia Barbecue: A History and Brunswick Stew: A Virginia Tradition, and although one book is about barbecue and the other is about Brunswick Stew (which also originated in Virginia), the message of both go hand-in-hand. Haynes is meticulously reframing the narrative about Virginia’s contributions to the barbecue landscape.
It’s a misconception that Memphis, St. Louis, North Carolina and other areas are the contenders for the barbecue throne. Haynes asserts that all the other regions are the children of Virginia’s barbecue legacy. According to his book Virginia Barbecue: A History, “Virginia’s way of cooking barbecue spread throughout the South to become an enduring and cherished tradition for an entire region of the United States.”
Haynes and Virginian Pitmaster Sam Clayton at Barbecue Wars 2 + Virginian whole hog basting sauce.
Haynes’ efforts to convert the masses is not only done through his lectures or through his writing. Tasting authentic Virginian barbecue is perhaps the most convincing way. He often can be found giving advice to restaurateurs such as Craig George and Justin Wightman, the owners of 1752 Barbecue in Woodstock, Virginia on how to prepare hogs for the public, as well as talking to guests at Barbecue Wars 2 in Norfolk earlier this year as part of a live demonstration.
The size of the pit, what wood should be used for coals, when the hog is turned, the spices used hundreds of years ago – these are all details that Haynes believes will create something that many people today have never tasted before. But once they do, they’re true believers. So let us all say amen.
For more on Haynes and his two books Virginia Barbecue: A History and Brunswick Stew: A Virginia Tradition, visit
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