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.
What a hard, sad, mixed-up time for our city. My heart breaks for so many in our community whose homes, neighborhoods, and favorite local places were devastated in the tornadoes this week. And yet... I swell with pride when I witness the ways neighbors are showing up for one another. Life often delivers both beauty and chaos together.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed the benefits of community gardens firsthand. Participants tell us they experience improved physical and mental health as well as a stronger sense of belonging.
But in addition to participants in our own programs, we also hear from folks who want to start community gardens of their own. If you’re interested in assembling a group and inspiring change, as we are, then here are a few good places to start:
“I tell my daughters that when I go, they’ll know the good recipes by the dirty pages.” —Kim McKinney
That’s the quote that launched Dirty Pages, a recipe storytelling project celebrating our most well-loved recipes with their splatters and stains. We know they make good dishes, because they’ve been handed down to family and friends. But they also act as maps -- their scribbles in the margins helping connect us and tell our stories.
On a recent Thursday, more than 45 people filed into The Nashville Food Project’s community dining room, shaking umbrellas and shedding coats to join us for a hot cup of scratch-made sweet potato chili, a panel, and community conversation on the complexities of food injustice and how hunger intersects with other systemic inequities.
Imagine a global community of caring where poverty, hunger and injustice are no more. Hard to picture, right? On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, we celebrate the life of Dr. King and reflect on his dream for a “beloved community” - the ultimate goal of nonviolent activism for peace and justice…
We are currently approaching the Thanksgiving holiday, a season I’ve looked forward to for many years. This year, however, feels different. Not because the holiday changed, but because gradually I have. I am now actively practicing recognizing tensions and calling out the complex implications of things that were once glazed and made glowing by sentiment and tradition…
For November’s Simmer series dinner, the fabulous Chef Maneet Chauhan had the idea to host a Friendsgiving in our Community Dining Room. But rather than bring in the typical Thanksgiving turkey and sides, she wanted to see what she could whip up with just the ingredients we had on hand in our kitchen — a special Food Waste Challenge Friendsgiving to celebrate abundance.
After a decade of cultivating nourishing food and community in this space, we will be relocating our Wedgewood Urban Garden. We have known that this transition would come as our programming and needs have grown and evolved, and we leave the space with so much gratitude for what it is and what it has become.
I want an apron with my name on it. I stopped working full time in January. I can’t quite bring myself to call it “retired.” But that’s really what it is. One of the nice things about it (there are tons of nice things about it) is I can choose where I want to spend my time and one of my favorite places has become The Nashville Food Project…
Bonnaroo teamed up with a group of varied nonprofits this year — including The Nashville Food Project — to host the festival’s first-ever, onsite service project making meal kits of beans and rice for more than 1,400 people. For our first food sharing opportunity with the kits, we brought more than 200 meal kits and produce to a housing community in North Nashville.
Last week we were honored to host our 9th annual fundraising dinner — Nourish, presented by Kroger Zero Hunger Zero Waste — sharing joy and connection over a beautiful, meticulously planned and prepared meal. Beyond raising money to support our mission, this is a special time to celebrate this shared work with so many friends, volunteers, community members, and supporters…
July in Tennessee can be a tough time to stay motivated to get outside and face what seems like an endless wave of weeds, bugs, and humidity. But season after season, you may find yourself being drawn back in. How do you stay motivated to keep gardening? We asked our staff to share their tips and advice on staying inspired and active in their own gardens.
So many Nashville restaurants have offered vital support to our work over the years, extending hospitality through generous donations of food, purchasing from Growing Together farmers, and more. As Nashville continues to change and grow, we’ve sadly seen some beloved restaurants make the decision -- for various reasons -- to close…
