Summer Abundance

Summer has arrived quickly this yearâАФit barely feels like IâА^TMve gotten my garden planted and now itâА^TMs time to start thinking about canning and preserving! It still amazes me how much nature provides for usâАФwhether itâА^TMs the tomatoes we planted ourselves or the hazelnut and paw paw trees living in the woods.

One of the benefits of eating local that IâА^TMm most passionate about is the preservation of our beautiful and natural landscape. Farmers growing crops and raising livestock with sustainable methods are some of the most impassioned stewards of our green space. Not only do they provide us with a diverse and healthy diet, but they also protect our waterways and creek beds, grow a diversity of crops for the bees and butterflies that pollinate our food and flowers and keep our soils healthyâАФall while providing us with a beautiful and abundant landscape.

Due to the diversity of our landscape, the heritage of Southern foods is varied and unique. Even in the 21st century, many Tennesseans live off the land and traditional foods such as poke sallet, fried pies, greens, sweet potatoes and Moonshine have become internationally celebrated food and drink.

DonâА^TMt miss out on the abundance around you. Visit your local farmersâА^TM market. Take a trip to the countryside to delight in a local food and/or agricultural festival like no place else in the world. From folk medicine to the Moon Pie, discover the bounty of Middle Tennessee!

Once again, IâА^TMd like to thank those advertisers who continue to support Local Table MagazineâА^TMs mission of connecting the consumer to the local food and farm community.

Choose local!

Lisa