Growing your own food in Nashville

This episode first aired on July 19, 2022. 

Among cultures around the world, it’s traditional to grow your own food. But with the rise of supermarkets and grocery stores, gardening in the United States has become more and more uncommon.

But, what do you do when the food you like to eat isn’t sold in grocery stores? Or when there are no supermarkets near you, and you can’t afford to buy fresh produce? This isn’t uncommon in Nashville. North Nashville, East Nashville, South Nashville and Edgehill all have neighborhoods with food deserts.

Community members are taking matters into their own hands. If you look around, you’ll find local farms, community gardens and organizations working to make gardening (and good food) more accessible to Nashville residents. 

Growing your own food isn’t easy, and in this episode, we’ll hear about why support is so important for local farmers and gardeners. We’ll also hear about how gardening can be fulfilling in ways that extend beyond just feeding us. We’re joined by a local poultry farmer, members of groups attempting to eradicate food deserts and promote gardening and the professor who founded Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Ethnobotanical Garden. 

Guests: 

• Cynthia Capers, poultry farmer and owner of the Heniscity Farm in Pegram, TN
• Lauren Bailey, co-founder of Growing Together and Director of Garden Outreach and Engagement for the Nashville Food Project
• Donald Frost, site manager for Trap Garden
• Professor Avery Dickins de Girón, anthropologist and founder of Vanderbilt University’s Latin American Ethnobotanical Garden