Together We Grew: Cul2vate in 2025

2025 was full of blessings, growth, and beautiful memories. Let’s walk down memory lane to revisit some of our favorite moments!

In April, we hosted an event to celebrate some of our Cul2vate Champions. The Volunteer Breakfast took place in the barn where new volunteers – like you – were welcomed and celebrated. It was such a joy to see faithful faces all together! THANK YOU to those who volunteered in 2025 — we couldn’t have done it without you.

That same month, we joined Path United for their Easter Egg Hunt. They are a dear partner organization that serves children living in mobile homes. The children learned about planting and received seeds to take home and grow. Then, in June, our Administrator, Maggie, and Food Processing and Distribution Coordinator, Ashton, further served kids with Path United. They planted tomato seedlings (incubated in a Cul2vate greenhouse) with the kids for them to take care of and watch flourish. It was a true privilege to see their excitement for planting and tending to these plants with their own hands.

Loren Frost came to see us in August. An early and faithful Cul2vate volunteer, Loren and his wife now run Rise Up Grundy an organization that inspires, educates, and empowers youth and their families in Grundy County to make healthy choices. Loren sat down with Joey to discuss Rise Up Grundy and the work that they do in the community. Check out the 3-minute video to hear more about the incredible organization.

At the end of September, we celebrated Mission Increase Middle Tennessee’s 10-year anniversary. Mission Increase is a community that assists faith-based nonprofits through training and coaching, and we are blessed to have been involved since its inception. The anniversary ceremony was a beautiful celebration of the organization, Area Director Anne Calton, and the work they are doing in the non-profit community. It was so meaningful to fellowship with other partner organizations and friends. Our Director of Communications & Development, Jenn Diehl, also spoke on a panel at the event. Watch the 2-minute video to hear her insight.

We hope you joined in the fun at the You Pick Pumpkin Event in October! It is such a fun fall event for the whole family! Our staff, Cul2vators, and volunteers loved helping families find the perfect pumpkin for carving, baking a pie, or fall decor. Everyone enjoyed face painting, popcorn, and snow cones for the as well as coffee and fresh Cul2vate flower bouquets. Hosting community events like these and sharing Cul2vate’s mission through engaging activities are among the things we love most.

Our newest farm, “Buxahatchee”, affectionately called “Bux” for short, is a beautiful property in the Bellevue, Tennessee area, and we have big plans for it. In October, CVS Health, Aetna, and Elmington Capital, invested $120,000 into Cul2vate’s Roots & Roofs Initiative. This initiative is designed to connect affordable, stable housing with food security and workforce development at Buxahatchee and beyond. Our kickoff was an enriching event where we got to hear from all the organizations involved and celebrate a shared vision.

Finally, our year ended with some Christmas festivities. We were so blessed by the catering company Juniper Green this year; they asked our Cul2vators what they would like to gift to their loved ones, then shopped for and thoughtfully wrapped the gifts. Our Cul2vators were able to give their children, parents, partners, and more the presents that would make them smile at Christmastime. Please join us in thanking Juniper Green!

Then, we had our Cul2vate Christmas party! This fun event included staff, Cul2vators, board members, a handful of volunteers, and more! It was so fun to play Santa and shop for special gifts for each Cul2vator. Some generous Cul2vate champions provided catering for us all to enjoy, and we had a fun-filled afternoon of Christmas cheer. It was a perfect way to end the season!

Thank you for an amazing 2025. We are looking forward to all that God has planned in 2026!