I don’t often write about music, and when I do, EDM is not the genre I know the most about. But I attended the Deep Tropics Music Art & Style Festival last summer in Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, and was duly impressed by the vibe of the crowd and the festival’s fanatical commitment to sustainable practices. Through Deep Culture (the festival’s nonprofit), Deep Tropics has successfully diverted the majority of festival waste from landfills, achieving remarkable diversion rates as high as 96 percent.
For its sixth year in Nashville, organizers have added a full-on sustainability summit to the proceedings on Thursday, Aug. 15, from 3 until 7 p.m., in advance of the music festival, which runs Aug. 16 and 17. The summit will take place at Collier’s International at 615 Third Ave. S. and is $55 to attend.
Among the planned topics of discussion are “Food/Farming, Human/Planetary Health” with Carol Ziegler, a climate and health specialist from Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Tonya Lewis, executive director of Wonderful People Microfarm; and Kristina Villa, co-executive director of Farmers Land Trust. Frederick Cawthon, president of the Tennessee Hemp Alliance, will be discussing issues of planetary health, sustainable food systems, farming initiatives and the prospect of hemp as a sustainable resource.
The “Circular Economy/Compostable Future” panel will include Jenn Harrman from Metro Nashville Waste Services and state Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville). They will address the current recycling and waste landscape, as well as legislative efforts to reduce waste and promote sustainability in Tennessee. Maris Masellis of the Tennessee Environmental Council will moderate the conversation.
A third panel will specifically address sustainability within the music industry, but again, that’s pretty far from my bailiwick. I’m sure it will also be fascinating.
Register in advance at the event website.
In more food-focused festival news, as part of the fest’s Saturday programming, they will host a farm-to-table lunch in the Deep Culture Speakeasy, designed by Kassia Fiedor of Infused Holistic Kitchen. Organizers promise a "contemplative dining experience [that] celebrates the essence of seasonal, slow food. The four-course meal will be created in collaboration with local regenerative farmers, each dish will highlight seasonal ingredients from their farm, or foraged from the Tennessee wilds. The experience will be hosted by Josh Owen and accompanied by a live jazz band.” Tickets to the lunch are $120 and available in advance.
Doing good and having fun at a festival? Count me in!
