ItâTMs Fall Again in Middle Tennessee!
What a fast year it has beenâI canâTMt believe the mornings are already cool, the grass is covered in dew, and the pumpkins in my patch are turning orange!
ItâTMs hard to say, but I think the fall may just be the busiest time of year in Middle Tennessee. The options are nearly endlessâfall harvest festivals including HomesteadâTMs Apple Festival; the National Banana Pudding Festival; Goats, Music, âTMn More; Southern Fried Fest; Music, Molasses, and More; GranvilleâTMs Scarecrow Walk; Made in Nashville; AllardtâTMs Pumpkin Festival; and so much more! You can watch horse-powered sorghum mills in action at some of the local Amish and Mennonite communities, go apple-picking throughout the area, and enjoy dozens of pumpkin patches and fall farm festivities. ItâTMs also a perfect time for a farm-to-table eventâfrom the super-fancy Outstanding in the Field at Wedge Oak Farm to the more casual Farm to Table dinner presented by Hendersonville Produce.
Most of our farmersâTM markets remain open with the best of the fall harvest, including apples, pears, greens, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, and more. Many even host special harvest events with more activities for the kids, so check with your farmersâTM market manager and see whatâTMs on the calendar.
To help celebrate this bountiful season, this issue of Local Table features some of the best and brightest young farmers in our communityâGlendale FarmâTMs Sam Kennedy and Justyne and Dustin Noble from Noble Springs Dairy. We also take a look inside the doors of one of GermantownâTMs culinary pioneers, the Mad Platter. Taking advantage of the cooler temps, we take to the road to uncover Middle TennesseeâTMs wine clubs and to explore Columbia, âThe Mule Capital of the World,â via postcards from local residents and business people.
Local food writer and blogger Nancy Vinneau puts together a harvest menu from her new Third Thursday Community Potluck Cookbook, along with beverage help from Jon Yeager of Pour Taste. ItâTMs a wonderful complement to the in-depth discussion on âDigging on Root Vegetablesâ!
Plans are also in the works for this yearâTMs Local Table Holiday Market. Sign up for news on our Facebook page or website. Because so much has happenedâand is happeningâon our local food and farm scene since we started Local Table eight years ago, weâTMre going to have our first Winter issue this December!
Get outside this fall and enjoy our bountiful harvest!
Lisa Shively
Publisher