MENDOCINO Co., 11/23/19 — The Good Farm Fund holds two major feasts a year — one in mid-summer, and the other every December, to celebrate the seasonal bounty of our region, and to raise funds that go towards small farm grants and the CalFresh “Market Match” program, which both supports farmers and increases access to local produce. This year, the 6th annual Winter Feast will take place Tuesday, December 10th, and beyond a enjoying a delicious local meal and supporting our local foodshed, diners will be celebrating the grant winners of the over $50,000 in Good Farm Fund grants for 2019.
This year, the dinner will focus on reducing food waste, to demonstrate how we can create more sustainable food processes, the meal with feature market “seconds” to create a delicious meal. The event takes place December 10 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Barra Winery, and it’s recommend you get your tickets early as the event always sells out. Tickets are available “on a sliding scale from $35 to $60 in advance, $45 at the door (if available), $15 for kids 12 and under,” online at GoodFarmFund.org or at https://gffwinter.brownpapertickets.com, or in person at the Mendocino Book Company and the Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op.
Here’s all the details, below, plus if you’re curious, our coverage of previous Good Farm Fund activities and events:
Good Farm Fund Celebrates Local Food at 6th Annual Winter Feast
(Ukiah, CA) November 20 – The Good Farm Fund is pleased to announce its Sixth Annual Good Farm Fund Winter Feast at Barra Winery (7051 N State St) on Tuesday, December 10 from 5-9 pm. This always-popular event includes a family-style farm-to-table dinner developed by a team of top local chefs including Alan Cox from Mendoughs Wood Fired Catering, Bridget Harrington from Patrona, Nicholas Petti from the Mendocino College Culinary Arts Management Program, and Caroline Radice from Black Dog Farm & Catering will feature locally raised meat, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, artisan cheeses and grains; with local beer and wine available for purchase; a silent auction perfect for holiday shopping; and live music from Jason Wright.
This year’s meal theme is the reducing food waste. Our chefs will be incorporating farm “seconds,” i.e., things that are not pretty enough for most people to buy at the grocery store, and demonstrating how they can become a quality dining experience.
This year’s event will also feature the announcement of over $50,000 in Good Farm Fund grant award selections for 2019. Come help the winners celebrate!
Good Farm Fund, fiscally sponsored by North Coast Opportunities, Inc., is a volunteer driven economic development program that supports local small family agriculture. Good Farm Fund provides funding to support Market Match, a program that doubles the purchasing power for EBT/CalFresh customer when they use their benefits to purchase of local fruits and vegetables at certified farmers’ markets. Good Farm Fund also provides economic development support to small farmers in Mendocino and Lake Counties in the form of small, capacity-building grants as will be highlighted at the Winter Feast. This is the fifth year the Good Farm Fund is awarding grants, which are made possible by farm-to-table dinners like this one, as well as from the generous support of this year’s foundation sponsors, Frey Winery, Redwood Credit Union, Sonoma Clean Power, and Flow Kana.
“These grants have a real, tangible impact for local farms,” says Good Farm Fund Co-Founder Caroline Radice, a farmer herself. “As a kid, I used to go berry-picking with my mom and then she’d come home and make jam, which is how I learned about food preservation. My parents would stop at the farmers market or a roadside farm stand to pick up fresh green beans or corn for dinner. So many of us have wonderful memories like that, and Good Farm Fund is about honoring and continuing those traditions, about creating a community with economic opportunities for small farmers, with thriving farmers markets, and lots of delicious, nutritious food easily available to people who live here.”
Tickets to the Winter Feast are available on a sliding scale from $35-$60 in advance, $45 at the door (if available), $15 for kids 12 and under. This event always sells out. Tickets are available on line GoodFarmFund.org or at https://gffwinter.brownpapertickets.com, at the Mendocino Book Company and the Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op.Proceeds will support the Good Farm Fund’s Farm Grant Program & Market Match Program. The event is sponsored by Sonoma Clean Power, Frey Winery, Flow Kana, Redwood Credit Union, American AG Credit, , Ukiah Natural Foods, Surf Market, Harvest Market, KOZT Radio, KZYX Community Radio, North Coast Opportunities, and The MendoLake Food Hub. Through fundraising events like the Winter Feast, Good Farm Fund and everyone who supports it can continue to help local farms thrive.
For more information, visit www.goodfarmfund.org.
