MENDOCINO Co.,10/1/21 — Every year, the Good Farm Fund organizes a number of farm-to-table event to showcase the bounty of small farms in Mendocino and Lake counties, and these events help raise funds for the non-profit’s ongoing grant program, which supports the same farms to expand their operations. This year, the Good Farm Fund’s fall event will take place on October 12 at BARRA of Mendocino in Ukiah, with a picnic style dinner created by local chefs, live music, a raffle, and family entertainment. Proceeds will go to support the ongoing mini-grant program, and the 2020 grant recipients will be introduced.
Here’s the announcement and details from the Good Farm Fund:
Good Farm Fund is excited to announce a new family-friendly event this year, the Harvest Picnic happening at BARRA of Mendocino (7051 N. State St., Ukiah) on Tuesday, October 12 from 4-7 pm. This COVID-safe event includes a pre-packed, picnic style farm-to-table dinner developed by a team of top local chefs including Caroline Radice from Black Dog Farm Catering, Olan Cox from Mendough’s Catering, Bridget Harrington from Patrona Restaurant, and Nicholas Petti and students from the Mendocino College Culinary Arts Program, all of whom are donating their time and talents.
The menu will feature locally-raised fried chicken, sweet potato biscuits, side dishes made from fruits and vegetables from local farms, and seasonal pies baked by Kemmy’s Pies starring heirloom Mendocino Grain Project flour. People can take dinner to go, or enjoy their meal on the beautiful grounds while enjoying live music from the Back Porch Trio plus lawn games and a kids’ arts and crafts table. Local beer from Anderson Valley Brewing Company and wine from BARRA will be served at the event, and a wheelbarrow donated by Mendo Mill full of prized local goods will be raffled off with tickets available for purchase at the event or online for those who can’t attend.
Proceeds from the evening will support Good Farm Fund’s farm mini-grant program and the farmers market Food Stamp Match program. The 2020 grant recipients will also be highlighted at the picnic: 22 farms were awarded a total of $92,576 to fund critical infrastructure for small farms in Mendocino and Lake Counties, a significant portion of which was made available by North Coast Opportunities, Inc. (NCO) via CARES Act pandemic relief funding.
Tickets for the Harvest Picnic are available online via Brown Paper Tickets (harvestpicnic.brownpapertickets.com). Excellent vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available. Good Farm Fund events historically sell out, so don’t wait too long before buying yours.
The event is sponsored by Frey Vineyards, Cold Creek Compost, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op, Savings Bank of Mendocino County, NCO, BARRA of Mendocino, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Kemmy’s Pies, Little Lake Grange, and Noe Designs, with promotional sponsorship from KZYX and KOZT.
About Good Farm Fund
Good Farm Funds is a volunteer-driven community organization dedicated to providing direct support to small farmers in Mendocino and Lake Counties, as well as increasing local food security for all members of our community. Founded in 2015, Good Farm Fund awards small capacity-building grants to local farms and provides funding for Market Match, a program that provides funds for EBT/CalFresh customers to double their purchasing power at certified farmers markets. Good Farm Fund is a fiscally sponsored program of NCO, a Community Action Agency serving Lake and Mendocino Counties. For more information, visit www.goodfarmfund.org or our Facebook and Instagram pages (@goodfarmfund).