It’s hard to believe we have faced yet another set of tragic circumstances in Nashville after a brutal year of a tornado, COVID, a bombing and now floods, which recently took the lives of seven Nashvillians. We are doing our small part by sending out meals alongside Metro Social Services, Open Table Nashville and People Loving People. These organizations have all been tirelessly caring for and advocating for our neighbors without housing who have shouldered the brunt of this latest trauma. Additional ways to help partners and friends listed here.
Offering a Place of Hope and Joy
When Food Tells a Story
Goodbye (and Thank You), Winter: A Reflection on Finding Beauty Even in the Toughest Seasons
New Seasons, New Phases: An Update Regarding Volunteers
A Collective Look at the Food Heroes Series (So Far)
An Update on the Leadership of The Nashville Food Project
This is a consequential year for The Nashville Food Project — one in which we will commemorate the organization’s tenth anniversary. I am honored to lead our board through this milestone as 2021-2022 Board Chair for The Nashville Food Project. It’s also a year in which we’re making deliberate, strategic, and thoughtful steps regarding leadership of The Nashville Food Project. And in so many ways, this is our most vital work of 2021.
Finding Dignity and Power in Food
Partner Spotlight: Community Care Fellowship
State of the Plate: A Meal Study for Better Nutrition and Less Waste
Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers studied our meals for children this summer to help us learn more about how meals are consumed—and to help us maximize economically sustainable nutrition for better child health. While we always try to include as many fresh vegetables from our gardens and local farms as possible, researchers formally measured the nutritional value of our meals. Then they looked at the parts of the meals children wanted to eat, and which parts were left on the plate.
Recommended Reads: Thanksgiving Edition
For the Thanksgiving weekend, we pulled together a few recent, thought-provoking articles, podcasts and threads, from how to reduce waste to the story of Thanksgiving from the Indigenous perspective as well as an immigrant story of the holiday, and a Twitter thread that lifts up farm workers who help bring us the dishes that grace our tables on this day.
We are only just beginning
On November 3, many of us across the nation donned our masks—or sealed our envelopes—and submitted our votes with a deep conviction about which candidates will best set us up to move the needle in the direction of our values…However, countless unknowns, rising COVID numbers, and the brokenness of centuries of injustice continue to gnaw at us. The same convictions that surround the way we voted in this presidential election have shallow roots if they end when a POTUS is announced.
Partner Spotlight: Trap Garden
We love collaborating with and supporting the vibrant, creative work of community building-organizations in our city. And this fall, we have been especially pleased to work with Trap Garden. Farmers from the Growing Together program have been providing vegetables through Trap Garden and Preston Taylor Ministries.
Apple Season Keeps Kitchen Buzzing
Even imperfect apples get put to the highest, best use in our kitchen. The meals team often makes apple sauce— sometimes tossing in other fruits such as berries from the weekly Whole Foods donations or pears from a recent food drive. Fruits like plums even give it a pink hue. We try to make our applesauce as low in sugar as possible (or no sugar when using the sweetest varieties like Fuji). See recipe here.
Hard things and simmering soups
Garden volunteer extraordinaire, Linda Bodfish once said that when the needs change, we change with them. And as we’ve been in the fields, passing bags along (metaphorically and for some staff, quite literally), there have been moments of clarity when we see the opportunity of these moments of crisis. We are challenged to recenter our work around TNFP’s core values and move in a common rhythm to meet the ever-changing needs of our neighbors.
Recipes Carry the Stories and Lessons of Our Volunteers
Partner Spotlight: Legacy Mission Village
Fighting for Tennessee’s Food Security Safety Net: Pandemic EBT and Food Assistance in the Age of Coronavirus
We know how important free and reduced-price meals are for Tennessee families—over 663,000 Tennessee kids rely on free lunch and breakfast during a typical school year. As the pandemic shutters businesses and causes unprecedented layoffs, families are more vulnerable to food insecurity than ever before. While support from incredible locally-run organizations like The Nashville Food Project, this does not replace the need for food assistance legislation from state governments—especially in times of crisis.
A Statement From Susannah Berry, Chair of The Nashville Food Project Board of Directors
A STATEMENT FROM SUSANNAH BERRY, CHAIR OF THE NASHVILLE FOOD PROJECT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As Tallu Schuyler Quinn, The Nashville Food Project’s founder and CEO, undergoes medical treatment for a recently-diagnosed brain tumor, the Board of Directors has focused on how to ensure the organization continues its essential work in our community and our city — while providing Tallu the flexibility necessary to care for herself during this time.
To do so, the Board has offered the positions of Interim Co-CEOs to Christa Bentley, Interim Chief Programs Officer and Teri Sloan, Development Director. Together, these two dedicated and experienced colleagues will guide The Nashville Food Project’s day-to-day operations.
In considering strategies for interim leadership, the board also wanted to ensure that Tallu’s wisdom and guidance continues as a meaningful, essential part of The Nashville Food Project. Hence, the board offered — and Tallu has accepted — a new position, in the role of Founder. In that role, she’ll work with the board on vision and strategy, among other duties. We are so pleased and gratified that in this role, Tallu will stay core to the work of The Nashville Food Project.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff, thank you for supporting The Nashville Food Project and its mission. And thank you for keeping Tallu and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
Sweet Peas 2020 with Gratitude for Good Neighbors
As for nutritious meals and snacks, we’re proud to partner with Project Transformation at three of their sites this summer. We know one in six children do not have access to the food they want and need. Lack of access can be even greater during the summer with the absence of school meals. Given this alarming information we launched a program last year called Sweet Peas: summer eats for kids. Now in its second year—amidst the current crisis—we know the need for nourishing meals is even greater.