A Ride to Remember
“What better way to spend a summer Sunday than to tour the back roads of Nashville”
It all started with mimosas; the day was a guarantee for success. Before you can even check-in with the Nashville Farmers’ Market, Tour De Farm, a line of welcoming faces are offering you a sausage biscuit, coffee and morning cocktails—a simple taste of what’s to come. The leading ladies of Les Dames, an international organization created to support culture to achieve excellence in food in their communities, hosted their third annual Tour De Farm this summer. This year, the tour featured unique artisans, chefs, and farmers from the Nashville area and treated their guests with a ride to remember.
We kicked it off at the market with two of Nashville’s uniquely operated farms in the market’s “urban residency.” David Goodman of Rally House Farms, the first Nashville-based urban hydroponic farm, gave everyone a peek inside the recycled insulated shipping container placed smack dab center of the market. Matthew Bass of Bass Farms greenhouse let everyone taste his microgreens to educate the gang on where his food comes from before we hopped on a bright pink bus to tour the rest of the list.
Southall Farms was our first stop where chef Nancy Vienneau treated us to a fresh summer salad featuring greener roots lettuce, peaches, beets, and goat cheese from the farm. The sun beamed on our necks, as we couldn’t get enough of the refreshing greens, cold water and stunning views. A quick tour of the greenhouse to learn about the hydroponics and aquaponics on the grounds, then we said our goodbyes to the luscious rolling hills of Southall.
A short route down a graveled road with songs being sung and stories being shared takes the tour to Bear Creek Farm. Bear Creek invited chef Laura Rodriguez to feature their chimichurri flank steak and local carrots, educating us on humane protein farming all the while. Everyone mingled on the front porch enjoying a glass of wine (or two), sharing experiences and excitement for the farms we’ve visited. Last on our trip, we got to wander the complex layout of Bloomsbury Farms. We wrapped up the evening with a pasta salad by chef Paulette Licitra featuring cherry tomatoes, zucchini, pea shoots and nasturtiums gathered fresh from Bloomsbury.
The sun begins to set over Nashville and rain finally breaks the clear skies as we depart our separate ways. Having made new friends, enjoyed fresh-made meals and opened ourselves to the unique agriculture of our home state, Nashville Farmers’ Market finishes yet another fascinating Tour De Farm that we are all eager to return to.
