Some of you know this, many of you may not: along with Food as a Verb, Sarah, Alex and I all work other jobs.

Many years ago, I crossed paths with Robyn Carlton, the leader of Lookout Mountain Conservancy (LMC) a land trust based in St. Elmo and the foothills of Lookout. A friendship formed.

Last year, she invited me to join the LMC team: the land, stories, young folks, colleagues that are more like good friends.

(LMC's nationally-recognized Howard Leadership Program is groundbreaking. We are conserving land while transforming lives, Robyn likes to say. We profiled one intern last year.)

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Thankfully, LMC's work frequently runs parallel with Food as a Verb. Land trusts are fundamentally agrarian institutions: restoring and protecting land and ways of life.

So is Food as a Verb.

With this in mind, here are two videos that came across my desk.

The first comes from students in Andrew O'Neill's Intermediate Film class at The McCallie School. These guys were pros: generous, engaged, so thoughtful.

They wanted to learn more about the LMC story.

In return, they created this video — they're students, remember — for our platform and fundraising.

There's a line in there I like: find some land and love it.

And let it love you back.

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The second video comes from Foothills Conservancy in North Carolina. Longer, it's absolutely gorgeous, with lines I like all the way through it.

Tomorrow if you eat, tomorrow if you breathe, the land is why you're there.

It is what is the foundation for who we are.

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The more we at Food as a Verb continue our work, the more we see it as fundamentally a land-based organization. Media, yes, but also land-centric, land-rooted, land-based.

More on that this Sunday as we celebrate a big milestone.

Now,  a few introductions.

We punch above our weight, our tiny, hustling, underdog team. We've got soft spots for others doing the same. We also like making introductions. Friends of friends, that sort of thing.

First, please meet Dr. Beth Capecchi. She's a Chattanoogan with a counseling practice — it's called Grounded — and a podcast called Never Perfect.

Farmers, mothers, scientists, college students — she talks with them all and about all types of issues: ADHD, menopause, farming, addiction and ... burnout.

Not long ago, she invited me on. Her presence was such a gift: to be received and heard and listened to and asked questions by someone who knows how to listen? What a precious thing that was.

If you'd like to know a bit more about my story, here's the episode.

More importantly, get to know Beth and Never Perfect.

Another podcast?

Our friend Brooks Lamb and the American Farmland Trust just launched Landed — bravo, great name — billed as "a show for those who care about the future of farming."

Here's the first episode.

We're always in Brooks's corner. Why not get him back to Chattanooga for another speaker series at Little Coyote? Come on, Brooks.

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Finally, I ran into a former student — one of the ones you really hit home with — at a wedding. He's about to graduate college in Ohio with a degree in architecture.

He's also in a band.

It's called Friend of a Friend (great name) and they just released a three-song EP called Blue Dream.

If you're a college student in Ohio, you probably know about Friend of a Friend. For those of us further South, I'm glad to share the EP with you.

I loved it instantly. It's easy, thoughtful, fun, layered. Plus, remember the tension of those early crossroads: between starting a career and starting a band? These young Americans are brave, creative and doing what they love.

Cooper Young, you're right on time, my friend. Keep playing music, my friend. The world needs it.

Almost done.

Caleb Kneip, wine director at Imbibe, has a special invitation for our Food as a Verb family.

“A unique winemaker’s dinner,” Caleb said.

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On June 16, 2nd american and Imbibe are hosting a hosting Dieter Cronje, winemaker of Presqu'ile Wines from Santa Barbara County.

This unique event has a limited 60 seats available, and will be held in 2nd's newly renovated "The Hall."

Tickets are $140 per person, featuring a four-course meal with five wines.

The dinner begins at 6.30 pm.

Get your tickets here … and a peak at the menu.

Again, tickets may be found here, and, according to Caleb, seats are limited.

Hope everyone has a richly good week.

One final treat:

We got baby ducks!

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Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in partnering with us? Email: david@foodasaverb.com

This story is 100% human generated; no AI chatbot was used in the creation of this content.

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