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Local Table
A Guide To Food And Farming In Middle Tennessee
Summer 2013

News

Archive for September, 2011

Small Farmer of the Year 2011 Named at TSU Event

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Ray Radford of Radford’s Cattle, Smyrna, TN was recently named the overall Small Farmer of the Year at the Tennessee State University’s Cooperative Extension’s Annual Small Farm Expo. The Radford’s also won for the most Innovative Marketing program. They run a grass/grain fed cow/calf operation and sell directly to the customer.

The event is held annual to recognize Tennessee’s exemplary small farmers and to provide educational opportunities for Tennessee’s farmers and ranchers.

The Walden Family Farm, also from Smyrna, won for the Best Alternative Crop of the year for their pumpkin patch.

Nashville Music Garden Celebrates 2nd Anniversary

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

The Nashville Music Garden, a one-of-a-kind public garden that pays tribute to the artists, songs and industry leaders who have contributed to making Music City one of the most unique cities in the world, will celebrate its two-year anniversary on September 29, 2011, with an ice cream social featuring Nashville’s sweet newcomer, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, and the unveiling of a commemorative illustration of the garden by respected artist group, The Spirit of Nashville, which honors Nashville landmarks such as the Bluebird Cafe, Belmont University and the historic Loveless Cafe, to name a few.

The festivities will be held on September 29 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the garden (located on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun across from the Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum). The public is invited to view the garden, get the first look at the poster and enjoy a sampling of ice creams from one of Nashville’s hottest dessert makers.

ABOUT NASHVILLE MUSIC GARDEN:
Located in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville (corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun), the idea for the Nashville Music Garden was born when country music legend Barbara Mandrell gave her namesake rose to garden founder and friend, Pat Bullard. The garden is a “living” walk of fame filled with over six dozen varieties of roses and daylilies named in honor of the music and artists synonymous with Nashville. Created as a way to recognize these artists, songs and industry leaders and also beautify Music City, the garden was the first to assemble all the flowers of the Nashville Music Garden Collection in one place for the public to enjoy.

Celebrate National Food Day in Nashville

Friday, September 23rd, 2011

“Everybody eats” is the Community Food Advocates tag-line – but not everyone has access to healthy food. Find out what you can do and learn how Community Food Advocates and others are working to make our food system healthier, more just and sustainable at “Food Day-Nashville,” at the Nashville Farmers’ Market on Monday, October 24 from 5 pm – 8 pm.

Community Food Advocates and the Nashville Farmers’ Market are hosting Nashville’s very first “Food Day” celebration. Food Day planners are welcoming Nashville residents from all across Nashville’s food system to the inaugural Food Day event. Food Day is a national effort that seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.

Food Day will be an opportunity for all Nashvillians to sample local food prepared by some of Nashville’s best chefs. Nashville non-profits, farmers and food-system businesses will be present, giving Food Day participants a chance to learn about efforts to make healthy food more accessible to all Nashville residents, as well as connect consumers to locally grown and produced food. Several of Community Food Advocates’ Intergenerational Gardeners will also be on hand to discuss their gardening projects. Families are welcome to bring their children, who can participate in our “Seedlings” activities for kids.

Community Food Advocates looks forward to recognizing the first recipients of the “Real Food Hall of Fame” (RFHOF) awards at Food Day. The RFHOF winners will be Nashville residents and/or businesses who exemplify what it means to end hunger and work for a healthy, just and sustainable food system. Community Food Advocates is seeking nominations now. These food system champions will receive a custom-designed award in their honor.

For more information on the national Food Day movement, please visit http://foodday.org/. To volunteer with planning and coordinating the October 24 Food Day event, contact Brian at brian@communityfoodadvocates.org.

To nominate a person or business for the “Real Food Hall of Fame”, email your nominee’s name and 3-5 sentences detailing why the person or business deserves to be in the Hall of Fame to info@communityfoodadvocates.org.

Community Food Advocates is a nonprofit in Nashville, TN whose mission is “working to end hunger and create a healthy, just and sustainable food system.” The Nashville Farmers Market is home to farmers, artisans, restaurateurs, and local business merchants throughout the year.

Local Chocolate Factory Opens for Tours

Friday, September 16th, 2011

Bean-to-bar chocolate maker of the South, Olive & Sinclair invites the public to visit the factory and taste its unique handcrafted stone-ground chocolate bars in house. The first tours will start on Friday, Sept. 30. at 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and will continue every Friday. The tour introduces guests to the artisanal techniques executed by the Music City natives. Visitors will gain insight into the craftsmanship of traditional and modern chocolate methods, as well as savor the company’s award-winning delectable treats and new flavor creations.

Founded by chocolate-maker Scott Witherow, Olive & Sinclair employs a particular process while developing its smooth and robust flavor that is unique to Southern Artisan Chocolate ™. Tour groups will discover how certified organic and fair-trade, single-origin cacao beans from the Dominican Republic and Ghana are hand-sorted, slow-roasted and treated through timeless chocolate-making techniques. Using restored 1920s Mexican and European-style melangeurs, the cocoa butter is pressed through traditional methods and then mixed back into the other cocoa solids before the flavor is refined. Finished with pure brown sugar to create the signature character that is Southern Artisan Chocolate™, factory visitors are sure to be amazed by the complex and delicate process.

Factory tour tickets are $5.00 for adults and $1.00 for children and provide an educational and delicious chocolate experience. Cash only. For more information on tours, please visit www.oliveandsinclair.com or call 615-262-3007.

Honeysuckle Hill Farm Opens Doors to Ft. Campbell Families

Friday, September 16th, 2011

On Saturday, October 1 Honeysuckle Hill Farm will open its doors to over 15,000 soldiers who returned home to Fort Campbell Army Base this summer. We are honoring all Active Duty Military with FREE admission to the farm for the day. We will have tributes throughout the day followed by a spectacular fireworks show at dark. When deciding on this year’s gigantic corn maze we wanted to show our gratitude and appreciation to the men and women who serve our in our community. To you we say, “Welcome Home Heroes.”

Families of Active Duty Military will receive half off admission for themselves and two others with a valid military ID. The Corn Maze is free with your farm admission.

A portion of the day’s proceeds will be contributed to The Fisher House, whose mission is to provide our service members and their families a comfortable, nurturing and secure environment while they receive medical care at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.

Honeysuckle Hill Farm is located between Nashville and Clarksville in Springfield, Tennessee. For more information or directions to Honeysuckle Hill Farm please visit our website at www.honeysucklehillfarm.com.