Meal Partnerships, Meals, Community, Poverty & Food Insecurity
Jenny Barker
Fueling Potential: How Summer Meals Support ...

At the Andrew Jackson Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, kids are spending the summer learning, growing—and thanks to The Nashville Food Project’s made-from-scratch meals—staying nourished, too.

Through the Sweet Peas Summer Eats for Kids program, sponsored by Jackson®, hundreds of healthy meals are delivered each week to support youth during a time when access to regular food can drop off.

This partnership is part of The Nashville Food Project’s Community Meals program, which brings nutritious food directly to organizations already creating safe, supportive spaces for young people.

Now in its sixth year, the collaboration with Jackson is helping serve over 100,000 meals this summer—fueling not just plates, but potential across the city.

Fueling Potential: How Summer Meals Support Youth at the Boys & Girls Club
Community, Gardens, Volunteers
The Nashville Food Project
The Community Agriculture Network Is Live—And ...

The Community Agriculture Network is a collaboration of growing spaces—community gardens, church plots, urban farms, and orchards—each managed by trusted leaders in their respective communities. These sites are independently managed but supported by TNFP through shared tools, technical assistance, access to seed and compost, and a network of volunteers and educators.

The Community Agriculture Network Is Live—And Growing!

Recent Announcements

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Food & Faith Conference: Building a More Connected Hunger Response

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Care does not stand alone. It is shaped by values, systems, and shared responsibility.

On Saturday, February 21, 2026, The Nashville Food Project will join faith communities and local organizations from across the city for the 2026 Food & Faith Conference, held from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Nashville.

The Food & Faith Conference creates space for learning, reflection, and collaboration around food insecurity in the greater Nashville area. As an organization rooted in partnership, we believe hunger relief is strongest when communities work together across differences, grounded in shared values and a commitment to care.

This gathering invites participants to better understand the realities of food access in our region and to explore the many ways faith communities and local organizations can be part of the solution. Through conversation and shared learning, the conference aims to break down silos and strengthen the network of people and organizations responding to hunger across Nashville.

Throughout the morning, participants will engage with topics including community gardening, orchards, hot meals, food pantries, and advocacy. The conference is designed to be practical, relational, and grounded in the lived experiences of neighbors and the organizations that serve alongside them.

At The Nashville Food Project, we bring people together to cultivate community and alleviate hunger. The Food & Faith Conference reflects that commitment by creating a space where values, action, and collaboration meet, and where care is understood as something we carry together.

We invite faith leaders, congregants, nonprofit partners, and community members to join us for this morning of shared learning and connection.

Event Details

Food & Faith Conference
Saturday, February 21, 2026
8:30 AM–1:00 PM
Westminster Presbyterian Church
3900 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37205

Registration is required. Additional details and registration information are available online.

Register today
Learn more
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Grow With Us: Community Garden Beds Now Available

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At The Nashville Food Project, growing food is about more than what ends up on the plate. It’s about stewardship, shared learning, and the relationships that form when neighbors come together around the land.

We’re excited to share that community garden beds are now available at McGruder Community Garden and Mill Ridge Community Farm for the upcoming season. These spaces are open to individuals and families who want to grow fresh food while being part of a supportive, connected gardening community.

Our community garden beds offer more than a place to plant. Gardeners receive access to shared tools, compost and soil support, educational opportunities throughout the season, and connection with other neighbors who are growing alongside them. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, these gardens are designed to meet people where they are.

At The Nashville Food Project, we believe growing food together strengthens both individual wellbeing and collective care. Our gardens are places where questions are welcome, learning is shared, and relationships deepen over time.

Garden beds are limited and available on a first-come basis. We encourage anyone interested in growing with us this season to register early to reserve a space.

What’s Included with a Garden Bed

  • Access to shared tools

  • Compost and soil support

  • Educational opportunities throughout the season

  • Community connection and shared learning

Garden Locations

How to Register

Please fill out the application below.

Garden beds are limited, and spaces will be filled as registrations are received.

Garden Plot Enrollment Form

If you have questions about community gardens or the registration process, please reach out to gardens@thenashvillefoodproject.org.

We’re looking forward to another season of growing together and welcoming neighbors into these shared spaces.

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Planting for the Future

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Planting for the Future

Community orchards are long-term investments. They ask us to think beyond a single growing season and consider what sustained nourishment can look like over time. Once established, this orchard will provide fresh fruit for community partners and neighbors, while also serving as a shared space for learning, connection, and stewardship.

Simmer x The Pepper Pott

Event Details

Simmer x The Pepper Pott
Friday, February 27th | 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Hosted at The Nashville Food Project
5904 California Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209

In recent weeks, many across our city have been navigating disruption and recovery. Moments like these remind us why gathering around food matters. Food is care made visible. It is dignity practiced. It is one way we remember our responsibility to one another.

Our next Simmer Dinner invites us to come together around the table for an evening shaped by heritage, story, and shared work.

This installment of Simmer offers a taste of Guyana, the only country in the world that produces all the food it needs through regenerative agriculture. Rich in natural resources and deeply rooted in environmental stewardship, Guyana is a place where abundance is cultivated with care and where warmth lives at the center of the table.

We are honored to welcome The Pepper Pott, a Caribbean culinary group led by a mother-and-son duo whose cooking carries generations of knowledge forward. Their food reflects tradition held with intention and hospitality offered with deep care, reminding us that nourishment is as much about connection as it is about flavor.

What to Expect

Guests can expect a thoughtfully designed dining experience that includes:

  • A curated four-course meal featuring authentic Guyanese flavors

  • A signature Caribbean cocktail or mocktail crafted to complement the menu

  • Stories shared behind each course and the cultural roots that inform them

  • A dietary-inclusive menu with flavorful options for gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and meat eaters alike

  • A vibrant, intimate setting designed to feel like dining in a South American kitchen

This dinner is for lovers of bold flavors and rich cultural storytelling. It is an invitation to savor, sip, and soak in the warmth of the Caribbean.

Tickets

General admission tickets are $90 per person.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $125 per person and include:

  • Chef’s counter seating with an opportunity to interact with Chef Karen of The Pepper Pott

  • One additional course

  • One additional specialty beverage pairing

  • A $20 Pepper Pott gift card

Why It Matters

When you join us for Simmer, you support more than an evening together. You help sustain the relationships and systems that allow us to keep growing, cooking, and sharing nourishing food across Nashville.

Care does not end when the meal does. It continues because people choose to show up.

If you’re not able to join us for this dinner, your support is still deeply appreciated. Gifts of any size help make gatherings like this possible and sustain our work across Nashville.