Ever seen prettier garlic than this?

One of our very first (and favorite) stories featured Alysia Leon and Bird Fork Farm on Cagle Mountain. Last September, we spent the afternoon with her: harvesting milky oaks, walking her land, marveling at her produce, orchard, herbal products.

And garlic braids.

So frequently, we are stopped in our tracks by the simple beauty of what we encounter with Food as a Verb. No doubt we'll see many images today on our screens, but – just pausing for a moment – soak in the depth and feel-goodness within Sarah's images here and the garlic braids themselves.

Thankfully, Bird Fork is selling them again. You can buy yours this afternoon at Main Street Farmers' Market.

You can also visit the land from which they grew.

We're inviting you to our first Food as a Verb farm-volunteer day. (Thanks, Kelsey and Michael for the idea!)

On Saturday, July 13, from 9 am to noon-ish, we'll work with Alysia at Bird Fork. It will be a morning of good folks, good community on a good farm. Interested? Please email – david@foodasaverb.com – so we can get a head count.

• This Juneteenth, we honor the transformative life of Rev. James Lawson, who recently died at the age of 95.

Lawson was an American freedom fighter, an instructive teacher to Dr. King and student of Gandhi's who devoted his life to a nonviolent and loving vision of America. Among other things, he led efforts to desegregate downtown Nashville with a young John Lewis.

He was also the uncle of Cynthia Wood, co-owner of Davis Wayne's, the beloved Ooltewah restaurant.

Cynthia, we send our love, prayers and gratitude for the immeasurable impact "Uncle Jim" had on this nation and world.

• This summer, American Farmland Trust is giving away $15,000 to farmers' markets across America.

Sure enough, two Chattanooga markets are included:

• Main Street Farmers' Market
• Chattanooga Market

Be sure to cast your vote by visiting this link and searching for "Chattanooga" in the market search bar.

Winning markets receive up to $15,000.

• Thanks to reader requests, we are working on providing more recipes, especially ones that align with seasonal market produce. Coming soon!

Our "Food on your Phone" series hits the streets next week. Until then, a few images of food taken from a different perspective.

Up at the farm, some little critters are eating the kale.

One rabbit leg, recently gnawed, was found on the split rail fence.

And a stark white egg – cracked and empty – was hidden among the buckwheat.

This is food, too, right?

• This Sunday, we bring you to Meigs County and a small dairy herd of 65 milk cows.

We also introduce you to the man who's been milking them since 1982.

Have a marvelous week, everyone.

All photography by Sarah Unger (sarah@foodasaverb.com)

All design by Alex DeHart

All words by David Cook (david@foodasaverb.com)

Story ideas, questions, feedback? Interested in sponsorship or advertising opportunities? Email us: david@foodasaverb.com and sarah@foodasaverb.com

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