Conservation News

In celebration of our local farmers and their bountiful harvest of produce, Maryville Farmers’ Market & Foothills Land Conservancy hosted a:

2009 Sunset Harvest Dinner
Saturday, September 19th at 6PM

Supporting local food and farms is more important than ever! According to the American Farmland Trust, every hour we lose 125 acres of farm and ranch land. Eighty-six percent of America’s fruits and vegetables are grown near metro regions, where they are in the path of development. In honor and support of the East Tennessee agriculture community, both the Maryville Farmers’ Market and Foothills Land Conservancy decided to partner together for a ‘first ever’ local field-to-table event. Funds raised by this event benefit the Maryville Farmers’ Market.

Organizer and Maryville Farmers’ Market Association President, Shelly Robinson, believes this is an ideal partnership, “It’s a great way to raise community awareness of farming as both a cultural and conservation minded land resource. We plan to highlight for the audience, as we do every Saturday at the local market, how easy and creative all of us can be when incorporating locally grown food into our diets.” She adds, “The stories of these farmers - their history with the land and various growing techniques are all so different – it’s as diverse as the East Tennessee region we live in. That’s the big story here.”

The host location for this year’s Sunset Harvest Dinner was generously donated by Milne Farm in Greenback, TN (www.milnefarm.com). Both Chris & Caroline Milne enjoyed opening up their farm for such an event and Chris notes that “It is great to see organizations working together on a common goal that will benefit everyone.” The Milne’s 30 acre farm includes a main house built in 1810 and is one of the 4 oldest, and possibly the oldest, in Loudon County. They grow a variety of grapes, muscadines, blackberries, blueberries, and Chambourcin (a French hybrid grape that produces a highly rated red wine).

A gallery of photos from The Milne Farm in Greenback, TN

Local chefs Josh Feathers & Maggie Davidson of Blackberry Farm worked hard behind the scenes to offer a creative and unique culinary experience along with support from John Antun, of UT’s Culinary Institute. Ann Fairhurst, Professor of UT’s Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management and a Maryville Farmers’ Market board member, is excited about the partnership, “These well known chefs will prepare seasonal foods grown within miles of the event. What better way to celebrate our local harvest?”

Teresa Best, who is also on the Maryville Farmers’ Market board, adds that “Field-to-table events have been gaining popularity from coast to coast. I’m excited that we can have our own. Envision sitting in the middle of a vineyard, sampling wine and cheese for starters, then moving on to a spread prepared by some of the best chefs around. That's awesome! It will be a unique and enjoyable experience for this area.” Music provided by John Dupree’s ‘Gritte Fritter’ and a local wine tasting was offered by Tennessee Valley Winery.

The mission of Maryville Farmers’ Market is to promote the sale of local farm products; to improve the freshness, taste and nutritional value of produce available; and to encourage more social contact between the consumer and farmer. MFM also educates the public as to the agricultural traditions of East Tennessee. The Maryville Farmers’ Market is open Saturday mornings now until November 21st from 9AM-12PM (or sell out) and on Wednesday’s until September 16th (4PM-7PM). For location information and other details, please visit: www.maryvillefarmersmarket.org.

The mission at Foothills Land Conservancy is to protect, preserve, and enhance the natural landscape along the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas. In 2008 alone, FLC worked with land owners to preserve for future generations over 1900 acres including: farmland, woodlands, native wildlife, public parks, and watersheds. To date, FLC has helped over 58 land owners in protecting a combined 20,000 acres. FLC is a 501(c)(3) non profit and is not affiliated with any local, state, or federal government. For more information about FLC, please contact us at 865-681-8326 or visit www.foothillsland.org.

For more information about this event or to secure interviews with the participating chefs and local farmers, please contact Shelly Robinson, President of Maryville Farmers’ Market Association, at shelrobins@charter.net or by phone at 865-696-5107.