Sylvia and Al Ganier's 350-acre family farm, Green Door Gourmet, touches roughly one mile of the Cumberland River in Davidson County, overlooking Bells Bend. The farm once hosted cattle, pigs, and row crops, but today Green Door Gourmet is a farm destination, with a culinary-inspired CSA program, a bountiful farm store full of fresh produce and local goods, and a calendar of community events that bring people together.
Green Door Gourmet is part of a dwindling farm population in Davidson County (1% of land in farms) working to farm well in an ever-urbanizing area. "We are part of the green space that is helping with carbon, that is helping with water quality, that is helping with pollinators, and with refuge for wildlife. Every time a new building goes up, that wildlife is going to be displaced," Sylvia says.
While Sylvia's love of the environment drives many of the farm management practices, it's her love of her customers that really makes those decisions easy. "If you don't take care of the soil, you're not going to take care of the plant and then you're not going to take care of the people who are buying our product. And there has to be that direct link. You are what you eat eats," she shares. Sylvia farms with the belief that the best soils produce the most nutrient dense food.
Thinking about farming five, ten, fifty years down the road instead of just this season or next season is not always easy. Regenerative agriculture can sometimes mean big shifts, slow payoffs, and more planning. But the Ganiers understand the importance of farming for the future. They take price in the efforts they have made to learn how to farm without over irrigating, experimenting with and planting more drought-resistant crops like sorghum and heirloom corn that don't require as much water. They utilize wide riparian buffers, grassed waterways, cover crops, and limited tillage to ensure water leaving the property is as clean as possible. To build the soil life, they generate most of their own compost. And finally, they use only organic methods to manage pests and weeds.
This hard work and dedication to conservation efforts inspired Sylvia to apply for certification as a River Friendly Farmer. "Al and I have worked really hard to put conservation into everything we do here," she says. "So when I saw the certification, I thought, 'Wow, finally someone is thinking about how to give a nod to people that are trying to farm the right way. I just couldn't resist reaching out." In 2021, Green Door Gourmet was the first farm to be certified under the Cumberland River Compact's River Friendly Farm program.
Green Door Gourmet has a flexible CSA program - the first of its kind in the area - which offers Local Farm Boxes throughout the year that are filled with goodies from the farm and other partner organizations.
Sylvia hopes to inspire more people to support local. Supporting local farms, through a CSA or otherwise, helps them plan for the future, knowing that their patrons are on their journey with them, enduring through difficult times and sharing in bountiful times.
About River Friendly Farms
In 2020, the Cumberland River Compact launched a new initiative called the River Friendly Farm Certification. The program aims to foster a community of farmers who utilize methods that improve the health of the soil and our waterways.
How do you become River Friendly Certified?
To find more information about the River Friendly Farm program and certification process, visit cumberlandrivercompact.org.
About Green Door Gourmet
To learn more about Green Door Gourmet, their flexible CSA program, and other farm offerings, visit greendoorgourmet.com.
Copyright ©2024 Edible Nashville. All rights reserved
