A good number of our incredible chefs and their families joined us on the farm yesterday for our annual Chef Appreciation Day. A great tour and a great meal were enjoyed by all. It’s very inspiring to meet the people who take the food you produce and turn it into something even more special. Talk about meaningful work coming full-circle!
After a farm tour with Joel, we mingled with our loyal chefs, feasting on barbecued Polyface chicken and a whole host of other delicious offerings. A huge THANK YOU and round of applause to our local producers that contributed to the event:
Mountain View Farm Products brought a delicious array of cheeses (Christie creates smooth tasting cheeses from her very own dairy herd’s milk)
Ox-Eye Vineyards offered samples of their exquisite local wines (check out their beautiful tasting room right near us in downtown Staunton!)
Stone House Vegetable Farm supplied the delicious salad makings (the best lettuce and tomatoes to complement our pastured hard boiled eggs and garden sugar snaps – along with a special dressing from Hidden Creek Farm)
Cherry Ridge Organic Farm brought tortilla chips and their summery salsas (we’re talking ABSOLUTE GENIUS combinations like “Mint and Tomatillo”…yum)
Carpe Donut delivered the world’s most perfect donuts (What a fantastic name for a donut establishment, right? SEIZE THE DONUT!)
We also featured the always-incredible Golden Acres Apple Juice from A.P. Thompson’s family farm!
In the spirit of sharing local food, feel free to post a shameless plug for one of your favorite local producers or chefs (even if it’s yourself!)
And….many thanks to everyone who contributed to my post last week on tips for how to Make Do With What You’ve Got! I loved them ALL and appreciate you taking the time to share. I just couldn’t get over the cleverly awesome re-purpose project by Sandy – she turned her kids’ old swing set into a chicken coop! Sandy, I’ll be emailing you for an address to send your prize to. Congratulations and keep on re-purposing!
When we moved into our house just over a year ago, we were thrilled to find out that our neighbor directly across the road grows certified organic produce! She is also a wonderful Christian lady…she and I were just talking about how “providential” it is that we ended up living right by each other–she grows the veggies, we grow the meat! Pretty soon between the 2 of us we won’t need the grocery store at all:) She grows amazing garlic, which she also turns into the best garlic powder I’ve ever used. So far she has given me garlic scapes, garlic powder, fresh garlic, 8 varieties of heirloom tomato plants, Polish hot pepper plants, lavender sachets…and it’s all beautiful and organic! Her heart is simply to bless her community with good food. It doesn’t get much more “local” than that! For anyone in lower Michigan…she sells at the Rochester Farmer’s Market as “Rosemary’s Garden”.
You’re amazing!
What a wonderful post. Delicious looking food and great camaraderie. It is nice to see the connection between paddock and plate and producers.
Tracy
Wood road salad farm is right up the road, love Maggie and all the greens she produces! Tomorrow morning I will be headed down to Middlefield, OH for a produce auction from local farms. My first trip and cannot wait to see what is offered! Taking my camera to be sure
Looks like an amazing day and a good time had by all. The connections we make in our personal and business lives are what makes it all worth while.
Really a great experience to be the part of annual chef appreciation day. It is so wonderful that it has become a memorable day for all.
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