The 2023 Packer 25 — John Dyke

Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2023 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.

John Dyke — Owner, Turnip Truck Natural Food

John Dyke founded Turnip Truck Natural Food in 2001 as the only full-service, locally owned natural foods grocer in Nashville, Tenn.

Now with three stores in the heart of the city, Turnip Truck brings the seasonal bounty of area farms to Nashville’s communities. Shelves are stocked with high-quality natural, local and organic foods.

And its connection to farming is displayed proudly.

“We are devoted to fostering the success of area farmers and producers, nurturing the future of our food supply,” the grocer states on its website, adding that its buying mission is to enrich the surrounding community by providing quality, responsibly sourced products.

After settling in the heart of Nashville, Dyke realized how much he missed the fresh produce he enjoyed as a child, and that experience helped inspire him bring the natural goodness of the farm to town, according to the site.

“Growing up on my family’s East Tennessee farm, the natural rhythms of sowing and reaping informed our days and dictated what appeared on our dinner plates,” Dyke said in a Dec. 30, 2022, column for The Tennessean. “Today, science backs that traditional wisdom. Eating real, seasonally available food is simply good for the body, mind and spirit.”

The Turnip Truck website also describes him as “a champion for independent farmers” with a “mission to bring farmers the respect and support they deserve.”