Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga

12/12/2024

Letter from Crabtree Farms' Outgoing Executive Director,
Melonie Sherman

It is a bittersweet greeting that I bring today as I announce my departure from Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga with the coming new year. The past six years has seen the organization pivot towards greater efforts around food and land access, creating more meaningful impacts within our neighborhood and the greater community; robust volunteer and educational programming and community events fostering an abundance of connections with each other and the land; board and staff development allowing for diversification and a deeper understanding of how to work alongside our neighbors in community-driven services; and intentional land stewardship initiatives highlighting conservation and knowledge exchanges.

As supporters of Crabtree Farms, you each have played an essential role in this growth and collectively we have utilized this time to strengthen the foundation of Crabtree Farms as an organization. We are positioned to continue this important work as we enter year two of our most recent strategic plan and roll out a new, sustainable staffing model to provide internal support for sound stewardship of your time, talent and treasure.

I am excited to share some new internal appointments including Lena Banks as the new Executive Director, Lauren Russek as the Director of Farm Programs and Annemarie Gero as the Director of Horticulture. This new leadership team, with Lena at the helm, is not only highly qualified and capable of bringing Crabtree Farms to new levels but they are passionate about all the ways Crabtree Farms continues to grow as a culturally-relevant asset to our community. Please join me in extending congratulations as they enter their new leadership roles on the farm.

It has been an honor to serve Crabtree Farms and work alongside my team, the board of directors, our neighbors, hundreds of volunteers, partners, donors and the community at-large in expanding access to locally grown food, provide farm based educational opportunities, and cultivate community. I hope to see you around the farm in 2025 (albeit in another capacity!).

With Gratitude,
Melonie Sherman

12/09/2024

🚨 WE'RE HIRING! 🚨

Crabtree Farms is growing, and we're looking for passionate, driven individuals to join our team in 3 exciting roles:

🌟 Director of Administration & Development
Lead the charge in strategy, operations, and fundraising to help us grow our mission.

📣 Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Spread the word about Crabtree Farms and connect the community to our events, programs, and mission through creative storytelling and outreach.

🌱 Urban Farm Production Coordinator
Get your hands dirty growing food for our community!

Applications are open now through December 28th! Ready to make an impact? Full job descriptions and application details can be found on our website: crabtreefarms.org/participate/

12/04/2024

❄️🥬 Frozen Kale, No Farmers Market Sale 🥶🌱

We hate to miss seeing y'all at the Main Street Farmers Market today, but Mother Nature had other plans! Even for our covered stuff in the high tunnels, the freezing temperatures have left our produce (like this kale 🥬) covered in frost, making them unavailable for harvest.

We will be back to market in a couple of weeks. Stay warm Chattanooga!❄️💚

12/02/2024

Crabtree Farms is participating in ! ❤🥬

This national day of generosity is an opportunity for you to positively impact local food access, education, and community connection in Chattanooga!

As a non-profit urban farm, we rely on the financial generosity of our community to fund the programs and services we offer. From youth and adult educational programming, opportunities for hands-on urban farming experience, the Crabtree Community Garden program, food and plant donations, and community events, we couldn't do this important work without you.

Now more than ever we need community members like you engaged and helping us sow the seeds of greater sustainability in our programming, practices and impact.

Consider making a gift today or helping spread the work by sharing this fundraising post.

Crabtree Farms is participating in ! This national day of generosity is an opportunity for you to positively impact food access, environmental stewardshi...

11/30/2024

🥂Day 30 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🎉

For this last post in our month of gratitude we turn our affection to The Evelyn Center. We are grateful for all the many uses of this beautiful space.

Crabtree Farms’ adult education workshops take place in The Evelyn Center, with a wide variety of offerings including whisk broom making, plant propagation, vegetable fermentation, herbal medicine making, and more!

Our Crabtree Community Garden potlucks and educational classes take place in the Evelyn Center as well. These gatherings are beautiful spaces of learning, sharing and connection.

The Pop Up Project uses the Evelyn Center for their free, biweekly dance classes. The Main Street Farmers Market holds their board meetings there. A local herb circle meets there to share knowledge and homemade remedies.

Last November, to commemorate 25 years since Crabtree Farms began, we unveiled a mosaic created by Jessie Bean of Bean and Bailey Ceramics using tiles decorated by the community. If you haven’t been to The Evelyn Center since then, you should definitely pop over to see it, it turned out beautifully!

We are so grateful to be able to offer an affordable space so that our community can celebrate holidays, weddings, showers, and reunions, and gather to regroup, recharge, and refresh themselves. And all revenue generated through these rentals goes to support the mission of Crabtree Farms. With a full kitchen, open layout and tons of windows looking out on the farm it’s a wonderful place to be, and we hope you spend some time there soon!

11/29/2024

Today we are giving thanks to all of our farm stand vendors and supporters! This year we carried so many amazing products from Cove Creek Farm, Sequatchie Cove Farm, Quail Run Farm, Bird Fork Farm, Randy, Art of Wellness, Tribe 5, Turtlehead Botanicals, Beachy Pal, and Full Circle Candles. We couldn’t be happier with our farm stand vendors and are so grateful to everyone that came out to support the farm stand. We have closed for the year but will be back in the spring. We hope to see new and familiar faces at the farm stand next year!

11/28/2024

🦃🍂 Day 28 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🍁🍗

We are so deeply grateful for each of the volunteers, students, donors, partners, and community members who help make Crabtree Farms a place of learning, sharing, and growth. In the spirit of gratitude, we wish you and yours a peaceful and fulfilling Thanksgiving!

11/28/2024

🍁Day 27 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms🍂

Today, we are thanking the continued support of our community for making the Fall Plant Sale one of our favorite events; knowing cooler weather is on the way and another planting season is on the horizon.

Fall is a great time of year to establish perennials for the coming Spring. It is also the season (our personal favorite) to grow veggies such as kale, mustards, radish, rutabaga, turnips, carrots, lettuce, and more.

We love sharing the joy of Fall with shoppers knowing folks will be growing nutritious foods for their families and perennial plants for their gardens.

Thank you for choosing to shop local and supporting this tiny but mighty community farm!

11/26/2024

🍝🍅 Day 26 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🍽🥕

Today we wish to show gratitude to the wholesale partners we work with at Crabtree Farms. It brings joy to our hearts knowing that so many of Chattanooga’s chefs and shops value local food as much as we do!

Their commitment to financially support small farms, provide high-quality food to their patrons and be advocates for their local food system is inspirational. Their business practices serve as an example of how leaning into your passion and staying your course can make positive impacts that ripple through a community.

Please join us in thanking our current wholesale partners:

The Rosecomb
Chattanooga Food Center (Gaining Ground Grocery)
Lupi's Pizza
Pizzeria Cortile
Easy Bistro & Bar
Main Street Meats
Mac's Kitchen & Bar

11/24/2024

🌟 Day 24 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🌟

Today, we’re giving thanks to our incredible Board of Directors! These dedicated leaders bring wisdom, vision, and a deep commitment to Crabtree Farms’ mission. From guiding us through big-picture planning to rolling up their sleeves and pitching in at events, they are truly the backbone of our work.

Our Board's support allows us to dream bigger, grow stronger, and stay resilient through every season. They’re champions of sustainable agriculture, advocates for local food access, and true believers in the power of community. Thank you to each member of our Board of Directors for your heart, your hard work, and your steadfast dedication to a better, more nourished Chattanooga. 🌱💚

11/23/2024

👩🏽‍🌾 Day 23 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🥕

​​Crabtree Farms is super grateful for our 2024 Urban Farm Team!

Farm Educator & Production Coordinator Tegan Alspaugh and Farm Facilities & Land Stewardship Coordinator Lauren Russek collaborate with dozens of dedicated community members—volunteers and workshares—who give their time and energy to help grow food for our farm stand and market booth. They care for our land through thoughtful crop planning and by adopting increasingly sustainable techniques. Their roles are multifaceted- demanding problem-solving, skill-building, leadership, and physical labor in all weather! They are educators, builders, growers, and wonderful teammates, and we are immensely grateful for you!

As Food and Land Access coordinator Jocelyn Zapata Ruiz works alongside the farm team, focusing on the Emerging Farmers and Community Gardeners. She runs the Farm Stand and coordinates with partner vendors so shoppers have access to meats, eggs, teas, and skincare products in addition to our produce. She also organizes monthly potlucks connected to our bilingual education series Comer, Conocer, Aprender. She has great style and impeccable handwriting and we are so glad to have her at Crabtree Farms!

You all put the farm in Crabtree Farms and we thank you!

11/23/2024

In the case that you are leaving early to work from home:Today we are giving thanks to all of our community potluck participants and instructors! This year we implemented a monthly free educational potluck series. Each month the community was invited to learn something new at the farm while enjoying a great shared meal. The topics of the classes covered seed saving, winter gardening, natural pest management, and herbal skincare. We are so grateful to be a space where the community can gather, and hope to see new and familiar faces at the potlucks next year!

Stay Tuned for next year’s potluck schedule!

11/22/2024

This is what we have at the farm stand this week. Come see us today or tomorrow. We are open from 10AM - 3PM.

-Garlic
-Jalapeños
-Habanero
-Cayenne Peppers
-Shish*to Peppers
-Bell Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Collards
-Sweet Peppers
-Toscano Kale
-Winterbor Kale
-Chard
-Turnips
-Lettuce Allstar Mix
-Kohlrabi
-Rutabaga
-Radishes
-Sequatchie Cove Farm Eggs
-Cove Creek Meats
-Randy’s Honey
-Crabtree Local Honey
-Crabtree Merchandise
-Art of Wellness Products
-Bird Fork Farm Products
-Tribe 5 Soaps
-Randy’s Salve & Candle Sticks
-Turtlehead Botanicals Salve
-Beachy Pal Products

11/21/2024

Today we are giving thanks to Abigail Warner! Abigail is a local gallery artist at In-Town Gallery in North Shore. Her primary medium is acrylic and ink on canvas or wood panels. With nature as her biggest inspiration, she brings flora and fauna to her easel. Last week Abigail finished painting our barn mural and we couldn’t be any happier with the result. Thank you Abigail for our beautiful barn mural!

You can follow her artistic journey on her Instagram .of.ilaria or her Facebook: Fae of Ilaria.

11/20/2024

As winter approaches, the farm stand closes. Our last farm stand days are November 22nd and 23rd. We will be open from 10:00AM to 3:00PM. Frequency Fillery will be having a special pop up event November 23rd during our farm stand hours. They will have various personal care and home products available for purchase. Make sure to stop by and stock up before we close for the year!

We have amazing local products that would make great stocking stuffers or gifts such as teas, tinctures, soaps, bath salts, salves, facial oils, and farm merchandise.

We also have several local ingredients for holiday dishes such as pork products, eggs, and farm produce.

As spring returns next year, so will the farm stand. Thank you for supporting local small businesses!

11/17/2024

💚 Day 17 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 💚

Today, we celebrate the incredible foundations and organizations whose belief in Crabtree Farms fuels our mission to build a healthier, stronger and more connected Chattanooga. Thanks to your generosity, we’re able to grow and share fresh produce, teach sustainable urban farming, and connect more people with the joy of healthy, locally grown food.

A heartfelt thank you to the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, the Weldon F. Osborne Foundation, the Bobby Stone Foundation, the Footprint Foundation, Whole Foods Foundation, the Trust for Public Land, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the USDA, the NRCS and others. You’re not just funders—you’re partners in expanding access to fresh food, nurturing our community programming, and strengthening our connection to the land we love. Thank you! 🌱💚

11/16/2024

🌶 Day 16 of 30 Days of Gratitude at Crabtree Farms 🫔

Estamos demasiado agradecidas por el programa de educación, Comida es Vida!

Comida es Vida (Food is Life) is the name of the monthly gathering we hold on the first Thursday of each month in the Evelyn Center. The series began in the spring of 2022 as a class, taught in Spanish, about using whole grains and legumes as the basis for healthy and economical meals. As the months passed and participants wanted to continue meeting, we adopted a more collaborative format. Now we all share recipes and techniques, and we learn from one another. The participants have shared useful knowledge about the medicinal value of plants we had previously considered weeds! Muchas gracias!!

At the end of each session, the group collectively decides what to prepare for the following month, and participants coordinate the ingredients a week in advance, often incorporating fresh produce from the farm. Children play while the meal is prepared, then everyone eats together. It’s lovely y muy especial!