Produce Pals

To those curious enough to read this, hello, I am Landon Easter. I am from Kingston, Tennessee, located just outside Knoxville. I am majoring in kinesiology and working to be a physical therapist. Sports and a healthy lifestyle have been a part of my life since I was young. Most of my friends have been the same way, and that is what has created the bond we share.

Originally, I said I was from Kingston, which isn't a lie, but I lived and went to school outside of the town. I graduated from Midway High School with a whopping 35 other students. The school produced primarily blue collar workers or farmers when looking at the male demographic. The surrounding area of the school is also mostly composed of farmland. With that being said, if I wasn't taking classes to help my future career choice, I was taking agriculture classes.

Every spring, my high school does a greenhouse sale, and the classes are the ones to make sure everything is up to par.

Out of the six, yes six, agriculture classes I took in highschool, one always stood out to me when looking back. The third one I took, I sat at a table with two other people. I didn't know one of them, but we were both mutual friends with the third guy. When you think about it, the first thing that comes to mind when you think about produce typically isn't how fun it is to grow and how you can connect with others. Well, I guess that is, unless you're me. Let's clear the confusion instead of leaving the guys I sat with nameless. The one I was friends with before the class started is Brayden, and the guy I didn't know is Caleb. To this day, I consider these two to be some of the best people and friends I have ever met.

To provide a little backstory, Caleb and I were tasked with watering, aerating, and mixing soil. A simple task that doesn't sound exciting or memorable to most. Again, I didn't know Caleb too well at the time, but we quickly became best buds (unintentional flower joke). Caleb, who is not one for awkward moments, tries to kill that tension, and immediately, I knew this was one of the funniest guys I've ever known. I can't recall exactly what he said, but I remember us laughing until it was time to leave.

                                         In the white is Caleb and Brayden is on the far Right

I mentioned earlier about my friend Brayden, the sole reason I took so many ag classes. You could point out your car and ask this man, "Hey Brayden, what is this plant?" and the dude would be able to tell you, along with when the ideal time for it to grow is. He's learnt this information over years of growing his own plants, to the point that his room has been taken over by them. One day after visting his hous, he asks me and another friend of mine, Evan (who is between Caleb and Brayden in the picture), if we would be willing to come to his garden and help out one day. Now his garden isn't a massive project by any means, but it is most certainly bigger than your grandmother's garden in the front yard. This was our junior year of high school, and we had just a couple of weeks left before summer when he asked for our help. The day he asks us to assist him is the same day as graduation for the class ahead of us. So not only did we wake up to attend the graduation, because we knew some of the people in that class, we also went to one of the graduates' parties. As the party was starting to die down, we left a little early to get started in his garden.

Now I know neither story is all that interesting or intriguing, however when trying to think of what to write about, those were the instances that came to mind first. You may realize how important fresh produce is to your physical health, but what you may not realize is the kind of bond that can come from food. Think back to when you and your friends went out to eat or had dinner with your parents. There is no price you can put on those memories. The other members of Bus 4 Better Health and I have realized this and want to bring that same feeling to those who may not be as fortunate. Please consider helping others in Knoxville live those moments with their family and friends, and join us on the ride.

Growing Up With Gardening

 Hi!

My name is Reagan Bell, and I’m a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I’m originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, and I’m majoring in finance with a collateral in international business. As we continue our series of individual stories, I’m excited to share a little bit about my connection to the mission of Battlefield Farm.

My grandma lives on a farm about 45 minutes from my house in Charlotte, and growing up I went there almost every weekend. A lot of my summer weekends were spent picking vegetables like cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and tomatoes, or fruits like cantaloupe and watermelon.

Right across from the farm, my parents owned a corn maze for ten years. During the season, from September to November, we would open it up to the community, and at the end of the season we’d let locals come pick corn straight off the stalks, which I always thought was really cool.

I loved getting my hands dirty and learning how much work actually goes into growing food. At the time, it just felt normal, it was just part of my routine, something I didn’t think twice about.

But now that I’m older, I’ve realized how unique that experience really is. I didn’t just eat fresh produce but I understood where it came from. I saw the time and effort my Grandma put into caring for and growing food firsthand, and I experienced the difference between something grown in your backyard and something bought at a grocery store. Fresh food wasn’t just something on a shelf, it was something I had a direct connection to.

Some of my favorite memories are the simple ones, picking tomatoes, bringing them inside in an old white bucket, washing them off in the sink, and then making a tomato sandwich with a glass of lemonade. Those moments taught me to value not just the food itself, but the process behind it and the people who make it possible.

That perspective has stayed with me. It’s shaped how I think about food access and why it matters so much. Not everyone gets to experience that connection, and more importantly, not everyone has consistent access to fresh, healthy food. That’s something that shouldn’t be a privilege.

That’s why the mission of Battlefield Farm resonates with me so deeply. I’ve seen how powerful fresh, locally grown food can be, and I know not everyone has the same access or connection to it that I did growing up. Being able to help provide that access to others feels incredibly meaningful to me.

To me, this mission is about more than just food, it’s about connection, opportunity, and community. It’s about making sure that families have access to the same kind of fresh, nourishing food that shaped so many of my childhood memories. I’m proud to be part of something that brings that to others, and even more proud to help carry forward a mission that creates real, lasting impact. 

A Beautiful Day in the Summer

Hello everyone!

My name is Atleana Murrell! I am a first-year student from Memphis, TN, majoring in Public Affairs with a minor in Public Health. I will be starting off our series of individual stories, where you will be able to get to know more about each of us and our connections to the mission of Battlefield Farm. 

I am a firm believer that food is more than just nourishment for the body. It can also serve as an emotional connection to joy, love, and memories. In this series, my group and I will be sharing moments where nutritious food has shown up and served as a reminder of some of our favorite, most meaningful memories.  

Today, I wanted to share one of my core memories: a birthday picnic that I shared with the people that mean the most to me. My birthday falls within the peak of summertime, so the weather was perfect for a day of fun outside. The picnic was filled with some of my most favorite people and things: my loved ones, painting, a beautiful view of Shelby Farms Park, and fresh fruit. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday while taking advantage of the opportunity to get outside and connect with nature. We enjoyed the scenery and activities without any distraction of cell phones or social media. This called for us to tap into our individual creativity, which led us to paint an array of different images such as flowers and landscapes. It was so fun to witness my loved ones immerse themselves in one of my favorite hobbies. This day was filled with love and laughter, while we shared food such as bowls of two of the best fruits (in my opinion): freshly cut pineapple and sweet, refreshing watermelon, which was perfect for the summer heat. Those specific fruits always remind me of summer, which is my absolute favorite time of the year. Some of my favorite memories have always landed in the summer, such as trips with my loving family, my birthday celebrations, time to pour into my hobbies outside of school, and other spontaneous excursions that I get to embark on. Fresh produce has always shown up during these memorable moments, and served as a refreshing part of each experience.

Looking back, it wasn't just a picnic, but also a moment where fresh food, nature, and connection came together to create a meaningful experience that still resonates with me to this day. This realization is why I connect so strongly with the work and mission of Battlefield Farm. Through initiatives such as the Mobile Grocery Store, they stand committed to making fresh produce accessible for all. I believe that everyone deserves this same access to fresh produce. This is why as Bus 4 Better Health, we are working to get others involved in this mission. We hope that you will join us in the fight to provide all Knoxville residents the opportunity to enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods year-round.