By John Lovett
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress that “the family farm should be protected and preserved as a basic American institution.”
Carrying on that spirit of supporting local farmers is the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food’s annual Farmers for Tomorrow Benefit Happy Hour, 5-7:30 p.m. on June 11, at the CAFF Farm, 1005 Meade Ave. in Fayetteville.
In the event of rain, an alternative location will be announced on CAFF social media and the event website.
Tickets for the event are $75 each or $390 for six. All proceeds benefit the Farmers for Tomorrow Fund to help Farm School program graduates purchase seeds, tools, structures and equipment for their farms.
“Supporting the event increases food security, diversity and a thriving, healthy local food system,” said Heather Friedrich, CAFF program manager. “These farms provide fresh produce to local farmers markets, schools, restaurants and community-supported agriculture programs.”
Guest speakers at the event will include local farmers and Chef Jerrmy Gawthrop.
Chef Gawthrop’s canapés
Gawthrop, the guest chef for this year’s Farmers for Tomorrow event, has influenced the northwest Arkansas food and farming community for nearly two decades.
“From Greenhouse Grille in the mid-2000s, to co-founding the Roots Festival, to crafting wood-fired pizzas at Woodstone Pizza, Chef Gawthrop has long championed fresh, locally grown, chef-driven food,” Friedrich said.
Gawthrop will create a selection of canapés for the Farmers for Tomorrow event using fresh produce grown by CAFF Farm School students.
Music and more
The evening's music will evoke a night in The Big Easy with northwest Arkansas’ own Crescent City Combo.
The event will also feature a tour of the farm, a silent auction, local beers and a seasonal cocktail with a non-alcoholic option from Tonik Mobile Bar.
Source : uada.edu