FNFM Hosts the Local Food & Farming Section of Nashville Thanks to Everyone Who Joined Us in the Local Food and Farming Section at the Nashville Earth Day Festival!

 If you were unable to come out and join us, you missed a fabulous day filled with sunshine, friends and lots of opportunities to learn.  FNFM wants to thank all of the farmers, markets and organizations that joined us for the day and extend an extra special thank you to Marne Duke, Jeff Themm, Linda Themm, Jane Grimes, Zach Dier, Nancy Vienneau, Kathleen Cotter, and Jolie Yockey for being there to work the Friends booth.  We also want to thank the amazing folks who spent the day with us sharing their wisdom on topics from cooking seasonal foods and growing your own to starting a community farm and foraging for wild edibles: Chef Julia Helton of Julia Helton Catering, Nancy Vienneau of Good Food Matters Sarah Bellos and David Wells of Nashville Urban Harvest, Chef Laura Wilson and our pal Alan Powell.

**Private Market House Grand Opening - Friday, May 1, 2009 (Invitation Only - Friends Invited) - Become a member of Friends of the Nashville Farmers' Market for 2009, click on the "Join" link above and mail in your application before the end of April and join us at this invitation only as the Nashville Farmers' Market staff, board and merchants thank our community partners that have helped create Nashville's premier market for fresh, local foods.  Take this opportunity to meet the new and returning Market House merchants as they offer samples of their unique meals, hand-made treats and artisan foods that have made the Nashville Farmers' Market the center for local foods in Middle Tennessee.  This private event will benefit Food Security Partners - www.foodsecuritypartners.org

**Market House Celebration - Saturday May 2, 2009 11a.m. to 2p.m.** Join Market staff, Friends and Staff for a festive and free, day of local music, local food and homegrown fun for the whole family.  Beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing every hour until 2 p.m., shoppers can gather around the Jenn-Air cooking stage in the Market House and become inspired by some of Nashville's freshest and hottest chefs, including Jeremy Barlow of Tayst, Julia Helton of Julia Helton Catering, Joe Shaw of the Standard Restaurant and Martha Stamps of Martha's at the Plantation.  

 After learning how to make quick and delicious recipes with ingredients from local farms, head outside and shop with farm vendors and retailers for the best of local ingredients to make your own masterpieces at home.  This spring you can find a great selection of tender spring greens, root veggies and vine-ripened fruits, straight from local farms to you.  Kids (and adults) can get their hands dirty at our veggie planting station where they can plant their own organic bean or tomato seeds to take home and add to their backyard garden.  The Market will be foot stomping a db and his Men of Action take the Market House stage from noon to 2 p.m. to entertain shoppers with their southern swing.

**Emerald Glen Farm Field Trip - Saturday, May 16, 2009**
Join Friends and come along for our first farm field trip where you and your family will get to see where your food is grown and how the animals are raised that Farmer Weldon Hawkins sells at the Nashville Farmers' Market every other Saturday.  We will gather as a group in the Nashville area and drive an hour or so to Munfordville, Kentucky for a day of fun and learning with Weldon and his family on Emerald Glen Farm, a 300 acre farm near Mammoth Cafe Natuonal Park that has been in Weldon's family for over 200 years and 8 generations.  We'll tour the farm, get to know each other and enjoy a fabulous farm fresh lunch in the afternoon.  We'll be returning to Nashville by 7pm so you'll still be able to keep your Saturday night plans.  More details will be posted in May, contact Jennifer Hagan-Dier, theurbankitchennashville@yahoo.com, if you are interested in learning more.