Saturday, September 5, 2009

Farm to Table Fundraiser


Out in the fields

My environmental committee, locally known as the Green Team, recently hosted the only local farm to table event in our bucolic corner of the White Mountains.






Village Trolley takes visitors from farm to farm.

This annual event, our second, was designed to highlight the importance of eating locally grown food, a concept originally championed on the West Coast by Alice Waters. Per person tickets were $125 including an optional four farm tour, pre-dinner cocktails made with locally distilled Cold River Vodka, a four course menu prepared exclusively with locally produced vegetables, fruit, farm raised meat, poultry and dairy products. Local wines were served with each course; after dinner local cheeses and port completed the meal.

The family farm tours were of great interest. Each family highlighted their special crops, their particular sustainable farming methods, rotational planting, water saving methods, animal husbandry, etc. People could buy product, play with animals, view sheep dogs at worki, get up close and personal with animals, learn more about how food can be grown in a healthy, sustainable and chemically free manner and why it's important to buy local.




We hosted 100 happy diners in a huge tented dining area out on the farm fields enhanced by music, dancing and great food prepared by four local chefs.





Individually designed adirondack chairs were auctioned off for charity in our "Art A Ron Dack" auction. Chairs were purchased by sponsors and designs were done by local artists who donated their talent.












Three of the forty artistically designed Adirondacks





























The jolly wait staff made everything special


8 comments:

Baino said...

What a great idea. Looks pretty posh too! I live in a food growing area but nothing like this . . .excellent

Judy said...

Very cool! Glad to hear about this creative event.

Mary Ellen said...

Gosh! Wish I could have been there! Great idea - both fun and educational for all.

Reya Mellicker said...

Wow! Sounds like a tremendous success! Bravo!!

Love the chairs and esp. the cheerful wait staff. Well done, you and your whole committee!

Tanna said...

Excellent!! I am envious of areas that support these Type events. North Carolina can boast several. East Texas, not so much. We do have wonderful farmer's markets! So, you can eat local at home... just no inspired chefs in Tyler... yet! Congratulations on being a part of a wonderful movement and having executed a fun, successful event! I so wish I could have been there!

Skye said...

Now that sounds like a very lovely evening! It looks like you had great success with it, Congrats :)

Rosaria Williams said...

Terrific idea. Lovely and imaginative planning and execution. Congratulations.

Ruth said...

That looks like a great event.

I was surprised when I checked out at Bed, Bath & Beyond the other day and the clerk asked if I wanted to buy something at the counter produced in Michigan. She said they're pushing their local products. It's really catching on.

But a festival with food sounds like the best idea. :)

Christina

Christina
by Cole Scott