about tennessee almanac
A Field Guide to Tennessee Life
Tennessee Almanac is an independent guide to the farms, food, makers, small businesses, places, people and traditions that make Tennessee worth knowing.
Kacie Barlow
Founder and Chief Editor
I was born and raised in Tennessee and have called this state home my entire life. I grew up on a family farm, and some of my earliest memories are tied to the kind of life that feels increasingly important to me now—knowing where things come from, knowing the people around you, and understanding that there is usually a story behind what gets grown, made and built here.
As an adult, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with some incredible Tennessee businesses and the people behind them. I’ve seen how much knowledge, craftsmanship and hard work can exist inside a business most people drive past every day. I’ve gotten to know builders and makers, wellness practitioners, small-business owners and families creating something meaningful right here at home.
Somewhere along the way, I started wishing there were one place to find more of it.
I wanted to know where I could buy beef from a local farmer. Who was making things here in Tennessee. Where to find a good little restaurant or coffee shop, where to take my kids on a Saturday, where to stay for a quiet weekend away, and what was worth pulling off the highway to see.
But I didn’t only want addresses and lists. I wanted to know the people behind them.
That’s where Tennessee Almanac began.
I’m raising my own family here now, and the older I get, the more I want to pay attention to what’s close to home… the food we eat, the people we buy from, the places we spend our time and the Tennessee traditions and stories worth carrying forward.
Tennessee Almanac is my way of documenting and sharing what I find along the way. It’s a growing field guide to life in Tennessee—our farms and food, makers and small businesses, towns and back roads, places to eat and explore, and most importantly, the people who make our beautiful state what it is.
Meet the Team
Editorial Director
Emma Richardson
Marketing & Partnerships
Olivia Bennett
Senior Content Strategist
Sophia Martinez
What We Do
Helping You Know Tennessee A Little Better
our purpose
Finding a local farmer, Tennessee maker, family-owned restaurant or worthwhile weekend destination shouldn’t require hours of digging. We’re building guides and resources that make discovering Tennessee easier.
our approach
We want to know more than an address and a star rating. Whenever we can, we visit, photograph, ask questions and learn the story behind the places we share. When firsthand reporting isn’t possible, we research carefully and tell you what we know.
Our Commitment
Some partnerships help support Tennessee Almanac, but payment doesn’t buy a favorable recommendation. Sponsored content and affiliate relationships are clearly identified, and editorial coverage is guided by what we believe will genuinely serve our readers.
Tennessee Almanac connects readers with the farms, food, makers, businesses, experiences and stories found across our state. We publish practical guides, original stories, recipes and local resources designed to help you buy closer to home, explore somewhere new and feel more connected to the place you live.
Our mission is to help Tennesseans know where their food comes from, discover what’s being made close to home, explore the places around them, and know the stories of the people who make this state what it is.
Tennessee is more than its biggest cities and most photographed destinations. It’s family farms and courthouse squares. Saturday markets and little restaurants. Waterfalls and back roads. Crafts passed from one generation to another. New businesses finding their footing and old ones that have been here longer than any of us.
Tennessee Almanac exists to help more of those things be found.
We believe the places closest to home are worth paying attention to. Tennessee Almanac was created to make it easier to know the farmer raising your food, discover the maker working just down the road, find a new place to spend a Saturday, and learn the stories behind the people and places that shape life here. Because sometimes the best parts of Tennessee aren’t the ones everyone already knows about—they’re the ones waiting to be found.