I am just over the moon about this upcoming event and wanted to share information with chapelboro.com followers.  Next Sunday, May 20,  from 4 – 7 pm there will be what Bon Appetit magazine has dubbed the “Best All You Can Eat Feast in the Country” and it is being held right here practically under our noses!

The 2012 Farm to Fork picnic will feature pairings of 28 of the Triangle’s best chefs with 28 local farmers whose combined talents and resources will result in amazing dishes that they are eager and delighted to share with you.  If that weren’t enough, there will be 11 food artisans whose creations range from farmstead cheese to local mint julep jelly.

Talk about celebrating our markets’ bounty! 

The event, held annually at the Breeze Farm in Hurdle Mills, is sponsored by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), Orange County/Breeze Farm Incubator, Slow Food Triangle, and the NC Agricultural Foundation. Proceeds from the event will support new and beginning farmer programs at CEFS and the Breeze Farm Incubator, including apprenticeships, education, and mentoring for aspiring farmers.  With the average age of North Carolina farmers at 59, recruiting new farmers is necessary to meet the state’s future food needs. 

One of the event’s participating chefs (and farmers) is Isaiah Allen, Chef de Cuisine at Il Palio restaurant and a new farmer who, along with his wife, established Rocky Run Farm in Hillsborough.   Says Allen, “With a culinary background, growing good honest food just makes sense.  Farming has fallen into place for us and has been heavily influenced during my time spent at Il Palio…Our plan for Rocky Run is to grow produce as sustainably as the land and resources will allow.”


Isaiah and Whitney Allen with rapini, a key ingredient in Il Palio’s Farm to Fork dish

This event usually sells out early, so purchase your tickets soon to join in an afternoon of  revelry and culinary deliciousness!

Tickets for the event are $100 per person, which includes drinks (non-alcohol, beer and wine), and may be purchased at www.farmtoforknc.com.

To read the story by Bon Appetit, visit: http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/bafoodist/2009/06/two-food-events-worth-planning.html.