Local Food Summit to Investigate and Celebrate Middle Tennessee’s Food History
Reprinted from Nashville Scene – CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN – JAN 3, 2022
For the past decade, the annual Tennessee Local Food Summit has educated interested individuals about topics ranging from fermentation as a political act to how to combat food insecurity. The project has been organized by a dedicated group of volunteers usually led by Jeff Poppen, aka The Barefoot Farmer. This year, Poppen has decided to pass the baton to a new generation of leadership, but he will remain active as an adviser and supporter, and the organizers will continue his commitment to initiatives to build a community-based food system.
For this year’s summit, scheduled Jan. 24-29, the focus will be on Tennessee’s agricultural history and food traditions. A combination of video, social media and in-person presentations will allow interested parties some flexibility in how they prefer to attend and learn.
In addition to workshops, lectures, cooking demonstrations and a vendor trade show, there will be plenty of networking activities over food and drink for the chance to create and deepen relationships between people interested in improving the community food system.
As a special treat, The Nashville Food Project will host the summit’s final day on Saturday, Jan. 29, at its Community Farm at Mill Ridge Park. Expect special programs revolving around the history of the property from centuries ago to today, as it serves as a food source for Nashville’s food-endangered residents. This won’t be just a hayride through the park though, as event organizers promise that the tour will attempt to address the “hard histories” of our country.
Below is the full schedule of events as it appeared in the official summit announcement:
Monday, January 24 - Thursday, January 27, 2022
Kicking off the Summit virtually on January 24, The Tennessee Local Food Summit will host conversations throughout the week with local food advocates, discussing their passions and initiatives via @tnlocalfood’s Facebook and Instagram social media channels. We will hear and learn from organizations including (but not limited to!) Nashville Foodscapes, the Community Garden Coalition, Tennessee Women in Green, and a panel of beer brewers using local ingredients.
Friday, January 28, 2022
On Friday, January 28, the Summit will gather virtually and in person at Harding House Brewing Co. to screen a video symposium featuring community members who hold knowledge of local agricultural history and a progressive vision for the local food system. Movers and shakers such as Alice Randall, Erin Byers Murray, Gowa, Sandor Katz, and Jeff Poppen will share their wisdom in this documentary-style video.
Saturday, January 29, 2022
On Saturday, January 29, the Nashville Food Project (NFP) will co-host the Summit's final day at their Community Farm at Mill Ridge Park. A team from NFP will lead Stories of the Land, an interactive presentation about the property's history, from the pre-human era to its current status as a community garden for the Nashville Food Project.
Ticket prices are on a sliding scale adjusted to an individual's ability to pay, and can be purchased at the summit’s EventBrite page. For more information and updates, follow along on Instagram at @tnlocalfood and visit tnlocalfood.com.