My name is Rebekah and I started dreaming about Eat Food History 10 years ago. My passion for heirloom plants, growing my own food and supporting local farmers was blossoming and five years ago I began an Instagram account for my personal growth in gardening. Every summer since 2005, I’ve had my own garden wherever I‘ve lived from apartment to duplex to our brick ranch house here in East Nashville. It’s been one of the greatest joys of my life to spend summers tending and harvesting some of my own food.

Heirloom and open-pollinated seeds are the foundation of the food I grow for myself and others. Heirloom describes the seeds heritage as it’s been passed down from generations and shared with community. My business name Eat Food History speaks to the tradition, from past generations to us living today, of sharing knowledge and food through the collection of seeds. Open-pollinated plants use bees, butterflies and other manner of critters and nature to fertilize their flowers and create seeds that are true reproductions of that plant. Why are these types of plants important? They’re important because retaining diversity of plant species gives insects, animals and us more, better food to eat. If there was only one type of tomato, it wouldn’t be able to grow in the many plant zones we have in the U.S. alone. So that would limit us as a nation greatly in where and how much tomatoes we could grow.

The big picture idea behind Eat Food History is the consideration of where our food comes from in a curious, story-teller kind of way. I believe in the old adage that you catch more flies with honey, and I want to inspire a loving connection with the food grown by our own hands or the hands of the wonderful farmers in our area. Conversely, I am not interested in pushing disgust or fear surrounding the way commercial food is made and transported to consumers around the world. It is important information and there are many ways to find it if you want to learn.

What I am interested in is recipes handed down through generations and seeds that are saved and shared with neighbors and friends. Gifts exchanged of summers’ bounty by way of shopping bags filled with cucumbers and tomatoes or sharing jars of cordials, jams and pickles at the end of growing season. Why do we feel so blessed to crack open a jar of pepper jelly made by our neighbor when it’s available at the store for less than five dollars? Why does growing our own cherry tomatoes and putting them on crusty bread taste so much better than buying them? There are physical and emotional answers to these questions some involving economics and some involving love and a deep sense of accomplishment. I’m here for the latter.

My mission is to bring food gardening to those who want to learn and enjoy what it can do for their body, mind and spirit. Because truly the most human thing to do is grow food and share it with others.