John Coffelt, Editor

Thursday through Saturday of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Eat for Equity hosts a communal dinner using local farm-fresh products to benefit global injustice.

Eat for Equity of Minnesota Executive Director Emily Torgrimson called the dinners a beautiful meal and a beautiful experience.   

“Our mission is to build a culture of generosity,” she said. “We bring people together around food, a shared meal and a cause.”

This is the 12^th year Eat for Equity has partnered with Bonnaroo to host the meals.  

Eat for Equity works to find local sources for fresh produce prepared by volunteers from around the country.

“A huge amount of the food is sourced locally. Our menu is based on what we can get from Tennessee farmers. We work really closely with Harvest Local Foods to get greens, carrots, berries and dairy – as much as we can for the dinners,”

There are three dinners over the course of the festival. The World’s Longest Salad kicks the event off. Butcher paper is laid out on the table then greens, herbs, flowers shaved vegetables, all topped with a golden dressing, with a nutty-umami flavor, so good you’ll want to drink it.

“It’s a beautiful meal,” she said.

Friday and Saturday nights are four-course meals, starting with cheese, moving through the salad to the entrée of slow-cooked pork, grilled vegetables and citrus herbs. For dessert there is citrus pots de crème, a lemon curd with kernze grain sweet garnish and topped with berry whip.      

“We joke no shirt, no shoes you’re welcome at the table,” she said.

She said this a time for Bonnaroo producers, artists, activists and an assortment of Bonnaroovians to break bread elbow to elbow.

“Food is a really natural community builder,” she said, “and music too. People from all walks of life might love the same type of music and find connection over a shared meal or concert.”

The meals are served family style. Volunteer servers help break the ice with introductions and spurred conversations. Table hosts from PlanetRoo nonprofits keep the conversations lively with discussions about their efforts.

The beneficiaries are Oxfam America and Eat for Equity.

Oxfam, says Torgrimson, works at the intersection of poverty and injustice, to respond with lifesaving support, food, medical, shelter at times of crisis. The global nonprofit also works to address climate change and poverty prevention.

Eat for Equity works to make food accessible to provide food and care for the community.

Meals are Thursday-Saturday at 6 p.m. near the How Stage and are currently sold out. There are sometimes spaces for walk-ins.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.