Morning. Got some good news for you.

First, something special's right around the corner.

For the last several months, we've been quietly building a new addition to Food as a Verb - working on a building, as the song goes.

The idea came back in November. We launched our first Speaker Series at Little Coyote. Brooks Lamb came to town and the afternoon was a blast.

Then: a Conversation with Chef Erik Niel.

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Then, last week: A Toast with Shannon Mustipher, who was head-spinningly brilliant and cool as she crafted drinks and taught us all about rum and tiki culture.

All three afternoons, we found something similar: the power of community. The need we have to connect. The delight of listening to and sharing with others.

Hmmm, what if ... ?

Hmmm, could we ... ?

Soon - very soon - we'll be unveiling our newest addition to Food as a Verb. And yes, everything stays the same; every Wednesday and Sunday, we'll publish beautiful stories completely free, completely for you.

Soon, they'll be even more to enjoy.

Grateful for you all.

• Speaking of Brooks Lamb: he was recently published in Gravy, the Southern Foodways Alliance journal.

"A Tough Row to Hoe" spotlights Jess Wilson, our friend and farmer on Monteagle. Plus, there's photography from Chattanooga's Kathleen Greeson.

The essay - like Brooks - is both thoughtful and powerful, commenting on the ongoing crisis of farmland loss and agricultural decay.

"Agriculture is the foundation of many rural economies," he writes. "When farms are replaced with bedroom communities where people sleep but rarely work, dine, or shop—or when dozens of farms are replaced by one large, industrial operation—the financial health of communities can waver."

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* Speaking of Jess Wilson and farmland, some wonderful news.

Last week, the Farmland Preservation Fund bill passed the full House with a resounding 84-8 vote.

Voting yes: nearly all our local representatives: Martin, Vital, Hakeem. On the Senate side, Watson and Gardenhire both voted yes.

The only no-vote from Chattanooga? Newly elected Rep.  Reneau.

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The bill now goes before the governor.

"This does not mean that it's the end of advocacy for us," said Jess, president of the Southeast TN Young Farmers Coalition, in an email to supporters. "Now [Tenn. Dept. of Agriculture] makes the rules for how this will work and it is super important that they make good rules.

"We will be watching, and trying to get ourselves into those rooms to make suggestions and also to hold them accountable. Then, it's implementation time and we need to help spread the word to farmers about this opportunity, watch the process and look for areas for improvement, and continue to be vocal."

• Welcome to Burger Week, Chattanooga.

It started Monday and runs through Sunday. Burgers at more than three dozen Chattanooga restaurants are only $8.

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Use the app, check in at each place, earn points for the title of being the city's Biggest Burger Lover.

Have a wonderful week, everyone.

See you, Sunday.

Thanks for being there for us.

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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