Our friend Michael Ryan of NewTerra Compost has launched a newsletter called "The Compost King."

In 2020, Michael and Norm Lavoie launched NewTerra, our region's only locally-owned composting company. In 2024, our visit there was life-changing, altering the way we see the farm-to-table process.

It's not linear, Michael said.

With composting, it becomes cyclical.

Farm-to-table-to-soil.

His opening Substack post asks a damn good question. Here in the first National Park City in North America .... in Outside's twice-named Best Outdoor City ... with all the mountains, rivers, precious biodiversity and Creation care ...

Why the hell don't more restaurants compost?

Here's Michael:

Why is composting still so rare in Chattanooga restaurants?

Especially in a city that prides itself on outdoor beauty, local food, and community pride.

We can do better.

Foodservice teams. Owners. Managers. Chefs.

Chattanooga brings people from all over to experience our trails, rivers, and mountains. Let’s match our environmental reputation with real action — keeping food out of landfills and turning it into rich, living soil, right here at home.

He continues:

One compost container can divert over 1,000 pounds of waste from the landfill every month.

Most restaurants would fill several containers.

Imagine the difference if every Chattanooga restaurant took this simple step.

Lots of ways to support New Terra and the cyclical return of food back to the soil. Sign up for residential and/or business service and encourage your favorite restaurant to do the same.

• Some news - and a new, free event! - from The Table.

We enjoyed a sold-out dinner last night at Calliope, as The Table's opening dinner was a hearty, delicious and tender time.

We ate and drank for 2.5 hours, enjoyed stories and tales from Raven Humphrey and Chef Khaled AlBanna and connected with one another - friends and strangers - alike.

"This is what Chattanooga needs," one woman said on the way out.

Thanks. We agree.

Our next dinner is June 28 at LUNCH with Chef Mallory Grimm. Reserve your spot here.

More on this soon.

Tickets are moving fast for May 29's "Conversation with Randall Tomlinson." He and I are discussing some questions now; get ready for a thoughtful, gut-punch of a discussion on agriculture and food and farming.

We're also pleased to announce a new event:

Words-to-Table: a big + brief writing workshop.

On two Mondays - both June 16 + 23 - join me for a 75-minute online workshop unlike any normal writing workshop program.

Both light-hearted and serious, both easy and precise, our workshop will offer clear instructions and tips on writing a powerful, genuine and short narrative.

About you. By you. For you.

"When are you offering a writers' workshop?" one friend asked recently.

Good question.

This is our answer.

For your free ticket, visit here.

• You can also sign-up for Memorial Day's Chattanooga Chase - the oldest and most party-hardy road race.

Members of The Table receive a discount code on their race registration.

Plus, this is an open invitation to all runners: join our Food as a Verb race team.

It's about the easiest race team to join. Two qualifications:

Are you a Food as a Verb subscriber?

Are you a runner? Slow, superstar fast, we don't care.

Viola. Welcome to the club.

Alex and I will be there at the Block Party - stop by for a sweaty hug and photos - and meet our special guests: Lee Friedlander and his Hixson High students and their abundant produce.

This was one of our favorite stories from 2024; Lee and some students will be selling veggies from their Hixson greenhouse.

It's a road race, farmer's market and block party, all rolled into one.

• John Moore - Vietnam vet, Retired Master Sergeant, trauma victim and owner of the greatest dog Lilly - has something to say to you.

Thanks.

"I would like to thank David and Food as a Verb community for their generosity," he began.

"When Lilly was first diagnosed and the future nonexistent, I spiraled into a very dark place. Thru prayer and a lot of wonderful people, things started to improve."

John and Lilly's story? If you missed it Sunday, theirs is a tender, powerful story of deep love and care, of cancer and vet expertise, of the only hospital (besides Seattle) in the world capable of helping.

Chattanooga's own Canine and Transplant Apheresis Center (CTAC).

CTAC is also our newest Food as a Verb partner.

After Lilly became a patient at CTAC, John's world lifted.

"More light and positive thoughts," he said.

His service dog had been diagnosed with lymphoma, giving her one, possibly two, months to live.

Doctors in Florida recommended CTAC's Dr. Alexandra Gareau and her team.

They found a sibling match for stem cell transplants.

And today?

"Lilly remains in isolation waiting for her [white blood cell count] to come up. Please keep Lilly in your prayers. She has been through so much these past 5 months," John said.

No surprise here, but so many of you responded. You mailed checks + donated to his GoFundMe.

"Lilly never complains and always has that tail wagging," he said. "I wait the day I can give her a kiss, put her service vest on and say let’s go to work.

"Thanks again."

Yes, our thoughts exactly.

• See you all Sunday, as we close out May with a most beautiful story from a most beautiful dairy in north Georgia. We met this ole girl and her siblings. Did we milk sheep that day? Well, we sure tried.

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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