Blooms and Blues That Support Clean Water

The movement for locally produced food gets a lot of attention in Edible Nashville, but purchasing flowers from local farmers is just as important for clean water, both in the Cumberland River Basin and across the globe.

Blooming Acres Farm, located in the Lower Harpeth Watershed in Dickson, Tennessee, was certified as a River Friendly Farm by the Cumberland River Compact for its sustainable practices that keep our shared creeks and rivers clean. Cover cropping, mulching, drip irrigating and efforts to reduce tillage keep soil and nutrients in place rather than run into adjacent waterways or seep into the groundwater.

Flowers from Blooming Acres Farm are ones you can feel good about purchasing, as locally grown flowers are estimated to have one-tenth the carbon footprint of imported flowers. Their luscious bouquets not only travel a short distance to their customers but are also free of artificial chemicals and provide forage and habitat for diverse insect populations.

Blooming Acres doesn't just produce flowers, though. They also sell honey, eggs, sourdough bread, dried flowers and blueberries.

They offer several opportunities to purchase their farm-raised products. Mix up your weekend routine by heading out to Blooming Acres' "you-pick" on Saturday evenings to pick your own blueberries and flowers while communing with the free-range chickens and forested hills surrounding the farm.

Alternatively, stop by their new self-serve Farm Stand on Saturday mornings to purchase everything from dahlia tubers to seasonal veggies.