MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — Community members gathered in Murfreesboro Sunday for the seventh annual Downtown on the Farm fundraiser, which celebrates local food while raising money for future entrepreneurs.
The event highlights Murfreesboro’s small businesses, farmers, and chefs, while also funding a scholarship for a Rutherford County student pursuing entrepreneurship at Middle Tennessee State University.
According to event organizer Missy Lay, the dinner reflects the heart of Murfreesboro.
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“People don’t move to Murfreesboro because we have five Walmarts,” she said. “They move to Murfreesboro because we have an amazing community, we’ve got lots of great small businesses, we have several amazing chefs in our area, so we love to highlight our local everything.”
Chefs prepared meals using ingredients sourced from nearby farms, including Evans Produce.
Chantell Joseph, owner of Simply Pure Sweets, said local food makes all the difference: “No better tomato goes on a sandwich than when it comes out of the field down the street.”
However, farmers said support from events like this is critical as farmland continues to disappear.
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“You see a lot of these big old farms getting sold off, and unfortunately, most of them become subdivisions,” Joseph said.
Farm owner Haskell Evans said local restaurants and markets are helping sustain family farms like his: “It’s really major for us, especially for restaurants…We have some really, really good customers that are restaurateurs. One, in particular, is a weekly customer that’s been with us for probably 20 years.”
From fresh produce to future leaders, organizers said the event is about more than a single meal. It’s about investing in Murfreesboro’s future while keeping its roots firmly in the community.
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