Howell Farms offers homegrown produce, convenient locations

Howell Farms offers homegrown produce, convenient locations

Produce stands and farmers’ markets are popular throughout Nashville during the summer, and Howell Farms takes advantage of prime real estate with its produce tent in Green Hills along Glen Echo Road, only one mile from Lipscomb’s campus. In addition to the Glen Echo location, Howell Farms sells its products at Sharondale, the Nashville Farmers’ Market and their farm in Bellevue. The stand at Glen Echo is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Chad Howell, whose grandfather owns the farm, said his family has been in business for three decades. “We’ve farmed the same farm for 30 years,” he said, taking a break from unloading a truck full of fresh goods. “My great papa farmed tomatoes, and it’s just been passed down from generation to generation to generation.” Under the red and white tent, shoppers will find a variety of fruits and vegetables. Included in the vegetable options are: potatoes, corn, tomatoes, squash, asparagus, peppers, onions, beans, okra and more. The fruit selection includes blueberries, grapes, apples, peaches, bananas, lemons, limes, eggplants, watermelons and cantaloupe among other things. The stand has baked items like breads and muffins from Anne’s Cakes on Trousdale Drive. Howell Farms also sells jams and jellies from Spring Valley Farms in Holland, Ky. The stand also has local honey, syrups, fresh herbs, peanuts and other items like bottled black or green teas. Howell said his family specializes in tomatoes. “Our tomatoes basically speak for themselves,” he said. “It’s hard to beat a homegrown Tennessee tomato.” Dry weather this summer has harmed the farm’s crops, Howell said. “We irrigate, but dry weather has...

Hot & Cold supplies coffee lovers with fresh venue, tasty treats

Hot & Cold, part of the Bongo Java company, adds diversity to the cluster of restaurants and shops found in Hillsboro Village on 21st Avenue South. Hot & Cold, located on the same side of the street as Fido, features Bongo Java‘s coffee, a variety of tea mixes, Las Paletas, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and a few treats to munch on. Not quite as packed as Fido, Hot & Cold is the perfect place to get in-and-out with an order. If you prefer to sit, you can enjoy free Wi-Fi while catching up with friends, or if you’re a loner, sit by yourself and pretend to do something important on your computer. Like Bongo Java, they have summer specialties. The flavors at Hot & Cold, which opened in November 2010, are more unique than just a cappuccino or plain vanilla. But if that’s how you like it, they’ll make it. On the walls, there is a full menu for you to read. Pricing is moderate and worth the quality. Hot & Cold’s location in Hillsboro Village makes it easier to find parking than some coffee shops on 12th Avenue South. Hot & Cold is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 11...
CreateAffect teaches kids social justice, supports creative arts

CreateAffect teaches kids social justice, supports creative arts

A homeless man sitting on a park bench. A single mom searching for work. Foster kids waiting for new homes. At a small dance studio in East Nashville, young children are rehearsing these scenes from a play, and in the process, nurturing their creative talents and learning about social justice. CreateAffect, a weeklong summer camp for children ages 5-11, educates kids about social justice issues like homelessness and modern-day slavery, while supporting the artistic community and teaching kids to express their creative side. CreateAffect Founder Abby Wahlers said she’s seen the kids come alive as they learn the positive impact they can have on the world. “A lot of kids came alive when they realized that what they were doing was making a difference,” she said. “They see that impact, and they flourish and come alive; and they want to do it more and more. Seeing that makes me come alive and makes me want to do more, and I love it. I love that cycle.” Wahlers, who has degrees in elementary education and human development from Wheelock College in Boston, said she thinks it’s important to teach children about social justice so that they more fully develop their innate empathy. “I think we’re all born with the capability to empathize,” she said. “We’re born with it, but I think along the way, we lose it. But these kids still have it. There are so many areas in their lives where they don’t get to choose, and they don’t get to be a force or to make a difference or to have an impact. When they’re able to reach...
[Photos] CMA Fest 2012

[Photos] CMA Fest 2012

Cowboy hats, cutoff blue jeans, cowboy boots, country music stars, street performers, locals and people from out of state and out of the country. Each summer country music fans flock to Nashville for the CMA Fest.  With a record of 71,000 daily patrons, this year’s CMA Fest attendance jumped over nine percent from last year. Here are some photos from the Riverfront and Broadway festivities.          ...
Jerome Reed teaches piano as therapy for the soul

Jerome Reed teaches piano as therapy for the soul

Back when he was in fifth grade, Dr. Jerome Reed didn’t know he was going to become a globe-trotting “therapist for the human soul” with his piano talent. He did, however, know he was going to teach at Lipscomb. He told the president as much. Reed said when he was a child, Willard Collins, Lipscomb’s president at the time, used to speak at Reed’s church in Columbia, Tenn., on the first Sunday of each year. In fifth grade, Reed approached Collins and announced that he would one day be a professor at Lipscomb. Now after 30 years on campus, Reed, the Patricia and Rodes Hart professor of piano, said he couldn’t be more fortunate. “I think I have the best job in the universe,” Reed said, “because I do something every day that I love so much, I would be glad to do it even if I weren’t paid to do it. It’s really a fabulous job.” Reed, also the director of the music division of the Governor’s School for the Arts, has performed across the U.S., Europe and South America. At least 54 times, Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata has been the featured piece. According to Reed, Ives’ Concord Sonata is a musical depiction of some of the authors who lived in Concord, Mass.—Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. For almost a year, Reed spent time creating a PowerPoint presentation that would play during his performances of the nearly hour-long piece. The presentation includes Reed’s photos of the authors’ houses and scenery in Concord along with quotations from the authors. “I put...