The Tennessee Local Food Summit returns for the eighth year on Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 at Nashville's Montgomery Bell Academy. The event features national speakers discussing health, wellness, food lifestyles, local farms, organic options with chef demos and locally-sourced meals from some of Nashville's best chefs.
The three-day conference celebrates all things local and organic in Tennessee. Participants will learn from gardeners, farmers, doctors and local businesses about how good food enthusiasts are bettering our health, environment, economy and community.
Event Organizer Jeff Poppen, the Barefoot Farmer, is the owner and operator of one of the oldest and largest organic farms in Tennessee, Long Hungry Creek Farm in Red Boiling Springs. Poppen has spent the last 40 years growing his own food and wants to share his vision that “Middle Tennessee farmland once fed Nashville, and it will again.”
This year’s event features speakers Agroecology farmer John Ikerd, Author Robert Wolf and Author Tradd Cotter of Mushroom Mountain.
The Tennessee Local Food Summit will make use of several areas of the Montgomery Bell Academy campus, including the school's Dining Hall, kitchens, classrooms, and lecture halls. Students from the MBA Entrepreneurship, Health and Wellness, and Conservation Societies will take part in the conference sessions as well as provide manpower for the event. Parking will be available in the MBA parking garage off Wilson Boulevard.
Additionally, local and regional experts will participate in sessions, including, Leah Larabell from High Garden Woodland Teas House, Ian McSweeney of Agrarian Trust, Alan Powell of Nashville Grown, Bob Woods of The Hamery, Dr. Tony Johnston from MTSU Fermentation, Ian McSweeney from the Land Trust of Tennessee, Susana Lein from Permaculture, Dr. Paige Thompson, researcher at TSU, Alan Powell and Farm & Fiddle, Tallahassee May from the Women’s Farmer Panel and Chefs Irving Brown, Andrew Coins from Miel Restaurant and Deb Paquette of Etch Restaurant.
During the three-day event, workshops will be offered in backyard and community gardening, the effects of agriculture on the environment and more. Tickets for conference which include all workshops, meals and free parking are $100 each and can be purchased at Eventbrite in advance. Day tickets are also available.
