The Cataylst Newsletter
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Jump to: Making a Sustainable Beer, Become a Food Hero, TennGreen Hike-A-Thon, Guided Spring Hikes, Small Business Environmental Assistance Program, Recipe of the Month
Making a Sustainable Beer
By: Mark Valencia
With Food Waste Prevention Week (April 1st – 7th) less than a month away, we wanted to take the opportunity to share one of the ways some of our previous year’s events have helped to reduce food waste. Through a partnership between two of OSP’s programs, Get Food Smart TN and Tennessee Sustainable Spirits, events known as Bread to Tap were created and hosted at several breweries across the state.
A Bread to Tap event is where a brewery will use unsold bread from a local bakery that would have likely ended up in a landfill, and turn it into a delicious, limited-release brew to raise awareness about the problem of food waste. Brewers also had the opportunity to work with local farms and gleaning organizations to source other produce such as ugly fruits and vegetables to be used to make a special brew with the same purpose. We will have several Bread to Tap events again this year during Food Waste Prevention Week that you can attend in cities across the state including Memphis, Nashville, and Chattanooga.
If you are a homebrewer and would like to learn how to make a beer using discarded foods, we have included a recipe below. The recipe listed is for a 31-gallon batch of beer but can be scaled down (or up) to any size. If you would like to add a little more flavor to this recipe, try adding some ugly fruits to make a fruited blonde ale. 
Become a Food Hero
We are excited to unite with organizations across the globe as a Food Waste Prevention Week 2024 Partner!
Join us for a week full of virtual engagement and educational opportunities, statewide food drives, and regional events featuring food waste awareness activities like upcycled bread beer, live cooking demos, and local resources! Visit GetFoodSmartTN.com to learn more about fun in-person events planned for April 1-7, 2024 in Tennessee.
Learn more about the global movement or register your group as a partner HERE.
Events in Tennessee
 TennGreen Hike-A-Thon
Learn more about the Hike-A-Thon
Help to conserve Tennessee’s precious natural resources by adventuring outdoors? Sign us up! Join the 2024 TennGreen Land Conservancy’s Hike-A-Thon by:
  1. Registering yourself or a team online
  2. Start raising support as early as March 1st by sharing your fundraising page
  3. Get outside during the month of April and log your miles of hiking, biking, climbing, paddling, and more to compete for prizes
  4. Share about your adventures on social media by tagging @tenngreenlc and #Hikeathon24!
All proceeds go toward conserving land where people and nature can thrive.
Register Here!
Guided Spring Hikes
Spring is just around the corner and many of us are anxious to emerge from our hibernation, shed our winter coats, and enjoy the outdoors again. And what better way to do that than to join one of Tennessee State Park’s Spring Hikes.
On March 23rd, State Parks across Tennessee will be offering ranger-led hikes that will highlight the natural, cultural, and historical treasures our parks have to offer. Whether you are looking for a short nature trail or an adventurous endeavor through a park's most remote stretches, there is something for hikers of all skill levels. From the cypress swamps of the Mississippi River in West Tennessee to the rugged ridge tops and waterfalls in the middle of the state to the majestic mountains in the East, every park showcases a unique piece of Tennessee’s outdoor beauty.
 Small Business Environmental Assistance Corner
Visit MillionHearts.gov
Graphic: Million Hearts, US Health and Human Services
You may already be aware that heart disease and stroke are the first and fourth leading causes of death in the U.S. But did you know that exposure to air pollution can trigger heart attacks and strokes in populations that are predisposed? Particle pollution, also known as particulate matter, is a frequent, widespread air pollutant. Particulate matter consists of solids or liquids in air that are so tiny, you cannot see them (see graphic for more information). Particulate matter pollution is measured in two sizes: PM10 (less than 10 microns) and PM2.5 (less than 2.5 microns). Common sources of particulate matter are tobacco smoke, automobile and diesel exhaust, and wood smoke. When inhaled, these tiny particles get trapped in the lungs, which can negatively affect the heart and blood vessels.

 

TDEC’s Division of Air Pollution Control closely monitors levels of particulate matter across Tennessee. Visit the Tennessee Air Quality Forecast Program Facebook page and the AirNow website for current air quality conditions and notifications. 
Recipe of the Month
Clementine Cake
Use up the winter citrus languishing in your fridge in this simple and sweet treat.
Pro tip: try subbing some or all of the clementines for other citrus if you have them on hand
News Articles
Tennessee State University and other HBCUs Awarded Clean Energy Education Prize
Rise of Crypto Mines in the South Raises Concerns for Electric Grid and Rates
Events
Tennessee State Parks Events
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Environmental Education in Tennessee Events
Socket, Nashville's Sustainability Outlet
Funding Opportunities
TDEC Grants and Programs 
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
TDOT Rural Planning Initiative
Grants.gov
Conferences/Workshops/Training Opportunities
green|leader - The Nation's First Localized Sustainability Certificate
    Ongoing Opportunity
Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South, Chattanooga, TN
May 15-17, 2024
2024 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit, Baltimore, MD
June 11-13, 2024
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William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower 312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue
Nashville, TN | 37243 US
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