NASHVILE,Tenn. – Nashville’s locally owned natural foods grocer Turnip Truck has earned certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Supplier Diversity Initiative. The NGLCC is the sole organization that certifies LGBT-owned and –operated businesses.
“While our business is built upon the concept of local – local products, local suppliers and local customers – we stepped into the national arena for our LGBT business enterprise certification,” Turnip Truck founder and owner John Dyke said. “We embarked on this certification process to convey to our community that everyone is welcome at Turnip Truck.”
Turnip Truck is now recognized as a diverse supplier by the NGLCC, its corporate partners and organizational allies. Turnip Truck is now able to participate in NGLCC supplier diversity programs and other organizational offerings. Dyke said this was a natural next step in Turnip Truck’s culture of inclusion.
“We are honored to join a growing number of 800-plus LGBT enterprises, and we encourage other Nashville businesses to consider this certification as well,” Dyke said, “It has been worthwhile and beyond rewarding already.”
ABOUT TURNIP TRUCK
Founded in 2001 by John Dyke, Turnip Truck is Nashville’s only full-service locally owned natural foods grocer. Specializing in local, natural and organic foods, the store has locations in East Nashville and the Gulch.
ABOUT NGLCC
The Natinoal Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and the largest global not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT owned businesses. www.nglcc.org
East Nashville store now home to honeybee population – Bees anticipated to pollinate plants within a three-mile radius
NASHVILE,Tenn. – East Nashville gardeners may notice an increase in honeybees this year, thanks to the rooftop hives Turnip Truck has installed at the Woodland Street store.
“The bees really epitomize the Turnip Truck spirit, making extremely local honey and supporting our neighbors through increased pollination,” said John Dyke, Turnip Truck founder and owner.
Turnip Truck baker Andy Manchester first started beekeeping with his wife Amy as a hobby at the couple’s Nashville home, with the intention of nurturing strong, natural hives. Some of those backyard bees have moved to the rooftop of Turnip Truck, where the Manchesters installed and now manage three hives. Honeybees typically pollinate within a three-mile radius, and Turnip Truck hopes area gardeners will notice an uptick in buzzy backyard visitors this year.
The wooden hive bodies were handmade locally by Bon Aqua Springs Woodenware in Bon Aqua, Tenn. Manchester carries his baker’s sense of creativity into managing beehives. “We name all of our backyard hives, in keeping with the temperaments of the communities,” Manchester said – noting a laid-back colony dubbed Eeyore and a feisty hive called Wiley. “That’s part of the fun for us, and I’m sure we will eventually name the Turnip Truck hives.”
“Our hope is to eventually harvest enough of our own honey to use it in our prepared foods department,” Manchester said. “We also see the hives as an opportunity to build community among local hobbyist beekeepers by raising awareness of the craft.”
The honey flow, when most nectar is available, is in May and June in Nashville. Turnip Truck’s hives are currently installed in preparation for a strong first rooftop honey harvest.
“This is community outreach in its purest form,” Store Director Phillip Hill said.
Store donates organic and natural products to nearby food kitchen
East Nashville’s own local and natural foods grocer, Turnip Truck, has partnered wit Loaves and Fishes to meet increasing demand for meals for the area’s hungry and/or homeless population.
The store donates past-date but still fresh product to the organization, located blocks away from Turnip Truck in East Nashville’s Five Points area. Loaves and Fishes is a mission of Catholic Charities, which provides hot midday meals to individuals and families every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at Holy Name Catholic Church on Main Street.
“Turnip Truck is honored to support the important and worthy work of Loaves and Fishes,” Store Director Phillip Hill said. “We are especially happy to provide high quality and nutritious food to people who would likely not have access otherwise.”
As East Nashville’s population has boomed along with the rest of Nashville, so has the need for food relief. Loaves and Fishes has seen an uptick in both the number of homeless individuals and families living in poverty and unable to afford food. The organization currently provides an estimated 600 weekly meals, in conjunction with 23 community partners.
“Besides meeting a basic need, Loaves and Fishes treats people with dignity and grace – as guests at the table – at a time when they need that most of all,” Hill said. “For us here at Turnip Truck, that is paramount. We look forward to continuing to support this worthwhile outreach.”
“Tabitha Waggoner [The Tennessean], has a tight budget on her time and money. This week, she checks out The Turnip Truck Urban Fare in The Gulch for a filling lunch a la carte.
I didn’t really know what I would find when I visited the Turnip Truck Urban Fare in The Gulch since I had only been there a couple times before and had never eaten off the hot bar. But with temperatures in the 30s and flurries falling, I decided a hot soup would be a great lunch.
The salad bar looked oh-so-tempting as did the deli, but I stayed true to the course and checked out the hot bar. A small soup is $2.99, a medium is $4.99 and a large soup is $8.99. The soup is probably the best deal for a to-go meal this time of year, and there are different options like broccoli cheddar and turkey gumbo along with clam chowder.
With San Francisco on my mind I went with the medium clam chowder and grabbed a large, fresh salmon patty for $2.79 (most hot bar items are $8.99 a pound). After tax I had my meal for $8.50.
The salmon patty was the size of two patties, in my opinion, and of course the chowder (the clam tasted amazing) kept me full for hours. (Literally through the evening.) The only thing that could have made this better would have been a bread bowl, but then I wouldn’t have been able to eat it all.
The greatest thing about The Turnip Truck is the plethora of mix and match options that are fresh and beautiful to the eye. And you can grab it, pay and go or eat right there in the dining area.
Fugett previously worked in specialty retail management in Texas for nearly three decades. She moved to Nashville and joined Turnip Truck after an eight-year tenure as General Manager of Williams-Sonoma in Fort Worth. Soon after coming to Turnip Truck, she helped launch the locally owned natural foods grocer’s new flagship East Nashville store and quickly worked her way into management.
“Robin is an exceptional leader, and we are delighted to have her at the helm of our Gulch location,” Dyke said. “Inside or outside our organization, there was no more qualified candidate than Robin.”
Fugett has spent her time at Turnip Truck learning about the store’s culture of community engagement, including fostering relationships with farmers and food producers. In her new role, she will manage all aspects of the Gulch store – from staffing to customer relations.
“When I moved to Nashville, I made the decision to transition from corporate retail management to working for a locally owned company,” Fugett said. “I consider myself very fortunate to have connected with Turnip Truck, which has given me the opportunity to quickly move into a leadership role at a company I greatly admire.”
