One of Nashville’s largest printing companies specializing in high end production and fast turnaround services is Lithographics,Inc. Photographer, Sheri Oneal, was sharing her story with one of their sales consultants,Jeff Halliburton, on an elevator last spring. It just so happened that the sales team was looking for a new portfolio piece to share with prospective clients. They asked Sheri to put a production team together and cover a topic of her choice.
First team addition was art director, Joe Smith of Art Dude Creative . With the likes of The Food Network , Food and Wine Magazine, The New York Times and CNN sharing the Nashville love affair, Sheri and Joe settled on food as the subject matter . Their idea was to cover the food landscape of Nashville with a locavore’s authentic voice in mind. A quick phone call from Joe and I was all in.
We met at Nashville Farmers Market one sunny morning for inspiration. Within a few short hours, the three of us agreed that Nashville Loves Food and we should highlight how it is grown, where to buy it and where to eat it. There were a dozen or more photo shoots (some before the rooster’s crow), hours of content development,edits, layouts and designs, the late night press checks and rechecks and finally the print run.
One of the fun parts for me was weaving the story lines. Not only can you buy a farmer’s product at the market, Nashville chefs are incorporating local farms and artisans into their recipes. Soon, I will be sharing some of their stories with you. The fertile soil, an enticing food scene and a rich sense of community are all components of why Nashville Loves Food. Still, not everyone has access to such abundance. So, I will also be sharing some of the compassionate folks who are working to bridge that gap! I encourage you to leave comments about why you love food. Tell me about your favorite farms and chefs. Where do you like to shop? Do you have a favorite recipe? What are some of your concerns about the future of our food?
…and to think, it all started with an elevator pitch!
Meanwhile, the holidays are here. When considering your shopping lists, please keep it local. Every dollar you spend with a local merchant keeps anywhere from 40-80 cents in your local economy. If charitable donations are your preference, here are a few of my favorite Nashville charities with a focus on food security issues:
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
