atf-272x300
On Aug. 25, The Lexington Farmers Market and Sullivan University will work with several community partners to present the third annual “Taste of the Farm Dinner” at the Fifth Third Cheapside Pavilion, an event that will benefit the Lexington Farmers Market and encourage a different type of interaction between the community and the market.
Chefs from the Sullivan University culinary program will use products purchased directly from market members to prepare gourmet recipes from “Beyond the Fence: A Culinary View of Historic Lexington,” a cookbook that features a collection of recipes from Lexington area food writers, restaurants and chefs. Specific menu items will include a fresh corn and red pepper salad, grilled chicken with warm tomato dressing, gazpacho and banana pudding. Local bluegrass and old-timey music radio program Red Barn Radio will present live music from the Downtown County Band during the event.
The dinner will be buffet-style with a cash bar, with a special “sponsored table” option for businesses and individuals looking for a more family-style, sit-down experience. Sponsorships will feature reserved tables for eight, table service, a bottle each of red and white wine at the table, and other amenities not available to other ticket holders.
Jeff Dabbelt, the executive director for the Lexington Farmers Market, wants to emphasize that each ticket or sponsorship purchased is a direct investment into the farmers market – an organization whose value extends beyond the goods it provides by contributing to the overall health, vitality and quality of life of the Lexington community.
Among the multi-faceted goals of the dinner are to drive home the branding and location of the popular Saturday morning market, and to educate and inform the Lexington public about the diverse offerings of the market – more than the typical “row crops,” the market offers cheeses, eggs, meats and other proteins, many of which will be featured ingredients in the dinner. The event is also a fundraiser for the organization, with all proceeds directly benefitting the market's long- and short-term goals. Established in 1975 as the Farm and Market Garden Cooperative Association, the member-owned market now features four different locations and five markets a week during warmer months (for a full schedule, click here). The fees from participating members (i.e., farmers and other sellers) pay all the associated costs of running the market.
“To defray those costs is very important to us,” Dabbelt said, adding that keeping the member fees as low as possible is especially important.
The dinner is 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25; individual tickets are $45 and available at www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com. For more information on sponsored tables and other options to support the event, call Dabbelt at (859) 608-2655.