The stories presented in "Bend & Find Your Vertical" are told by residents living in coastal Louisiana communities with economies that rely heavily on tourism and fishing industries - industries under threat due to unprecedented saltwater intrusion into local estuaries. Working at the intersection of climate and social justice has long been the center of my research practice. In 2021, I began approaching these subjects through the study of foodways. To explore the question, "Who prepares the food, and who sits at the table?" I spent time with residents, food providers, and scholars, accompanying them through their daily routines and discussing how the landscape, food systems, and public policy have changed during their lifetimes. These oral histories acknowledge that local challenges are national challenges. When presented together, their stories demonstrate that the intersections between our regional foodways are emblematic of the tightly woven social and systemic fabrics that bind us.