Middle Tennessee residents can learn great reasons to buy fresh, locally-grown foods by visiting the Local Food and Farming section at the sixth annual Nashville Earth Day Festival. The free event takes place Saturday, April 21, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Centennial Park.

Sponsored by Friends of the Nashville Farmers’ Market, the Local Food and Farming section will feature nearly 20 booths and two workshop tents where participants can attend short seminars on community gardening, farmers’ markets, raw foods, community supported agriculture and much more.

Festival-goers will also have the opportunity to meet local farmers who are growing and selling healthy, fresh food directly to the public. In addition, kids can get their hands dirty in a kids’ activity area, sponsored by the Franklin Farmers’ Market.

The day will be highlighted by the unveiling of the newly-formed Middle Tennessee “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” chapter. In partnership with FoodRoutes Network, local farmers, businesses, markets and advocates intend to bring a fun and recognizable local food marketing campaign to residents of Middle Tennessee, prompting each of us to ask “Where does my food come from?”

Organizers are also excited to partner with Grammy Award nominated Nashville musician and FoodRoutes Network partner Adrienne Young for the event. Adrienne is scheduled to perform at 3 p.m. on the main Earth Day stage, and as an Earth Day special festival-goers will be able to reserve a copy of her upcoming CD Room to Grow, which goes on sale to the public May 23, 2007. A portion of the proceeds of Room to Grow will be donated to the American Community Gardening Association.

Click here to download a full listing of the workshops schedule.

Other participants in the Local Food and Farming section include:

Avalon Acres Farm
Bugtussle Farm
Delvin Farms
Doe Run Farm
DW Farms
Eaton’s Creek Organics
ECO-Gardens Organics
Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee
Fresh Harvest Cooperative
Gardens of Babylon
GROW Nashville – Community Gardens
Hill and Hollow Farm
Journey to Bliss Raw Foods
Land Trust for Tennessee
Long Hungry Creek Farm
Mamushi Nature Farm
Nashville Urban Harvest
Plumgood Food
Tennessee Organic Growers Association
The Franklin Farmer’s Market
The Nashville Farmers’ Market
The Produce Place
The Turnip Truck
Wild Oats Marketplace

Thursday evening (4/12/07) at the Radnor Lake Visitor Center, The Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club presents a free screening of the film “The Future of Food,” by Deborah Koons Garcia. The event is open to the public.

The film will begin at 7P, and last until about 8:30P. Afterwards, there will be a brief discussion and question and answer period, including information about local farming and food choices, Community Supported Agriculture, and what we might be able to do about the issues of Genetically Modified Foods being grown in our communities and state.

Radnor Lake Park is located on Otter Creek Rd., just off of Granny White Pike. Otter Creek is about halfway between Old Hickory Blvd. and Battery Lane (Harding Place). The visitor center is located next to the parking area just inside the park entrance.

For more info, contact Martha Wilson at 615-376-2535.