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Please subscribe us The rumble of a tractor mixes with voices speaking a language not often heard in urban Nashville. An interpreter is explaining how to use the equipment to plow under the remnants of last year's crops. A cover crop of winter rye is being planted to nourish the soil until spring. The machinery is a far cry from what these farmers are used to. The last crops they grew were in Bhutan 22 years ago. They used oxen and hand tools. Some 20 families originally from Bhutan share a half-acre garden off Wedgewood Avenue. The land is leased by a partnership of non-profits, including The Center for Refugees and Immigrants of Tennessee and The Nashville Food Project. "Everyone growing food here, knows how to grow food. We have given them a little bit of training about our climate and how to grow things in Middle Tennessee," said Christina Bentrup, Garden Coordinator of The Nashville Food Project. According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, refugees from Bhutan fled to Nepal amid ethnic tensions in the early 1990's. More than 83,000 of the refugees have started lives in eight countries, including America. Nashville is home to some 5,000 of those refugees, all of whom are in the country legally. One man tending the soil shows off a shirt he brought from his homeland 22 years ago. It's a reminder of the years of displacement and hardship. "Sometimes I really like to cry, because I'm thinking all those things. I drop a tear from my eyes because of these things," Krishaa Dahal said through translator Siddi Rimal. Dahal is one of the few dozen Nashville Bhutanese who once again have access to a slice of land where they can grow food for their families. Next year, the nonprofits hope to expand the program; they'd like more land to serve more families, and they'd like to teach some of the farmers to grow food and herbs they can market for extra income. To do that, they need more space. The Nashville Food project is looking for a bigger piece of land in Nashville to lease. "We're looking for two to 10 acres, the larger the parcel, the more we can do with it. We would like it to be in a part of Nashville with good transportation access,” said Bentrup. "We have a little bitty space right here, it's a good thing, but if we could have a bigger space, we could grow some more vegetables. So this can really support our family," said Rimal. The Bhutanese refugees are grateful for their new life in America. They can once again connect with the soil, and look forward to the promise of a new crop and the freedom to provide for their families. If you are interested in helping out or learning more, contact The Nashville Food Project through their email at info@thenashvillefoodproject.org, or call their office at 615-460-0172. The Nashville Food Project www.thenashvillefoodproject.org The program director for the Refugee Agriculture Partnership Program, Lauren Bailey, can be reached at The Center for Refugees and Immigrants of TN (CRIT), at lbailey@centerforrefugees.org.