Kent County’s Bounty Farm to Fork

August 29, 2016

The second annual Kent County’s Bounty Farm to Fork dinner took place on Saturday evening at G&S Dairy Farm in Harrington, Del. Organized by the Delaware Farm Bureau, this signature event is quickly becoming a community favorite. More than 70 guests dined al fresco alongside 50+ dairy cows and a corn field – you can’t get more Farm to Fork than this! All proceeds from the event will benefit our hunger-relief efforts in Kent and Sussex Counties.

Fortunately for these guests, the day’s humidity gave way to a cool summer evening filled with fine wines and beers, conversation and a five-course dinner prepared by Food Bank of Delaware Executive Chef Tim Hunter, Chef Instructor Tish Badamshin, students from The Culinary School at our Milford Branch and Owner Kevin Reading and Chef Ryan Cunningham from Abbott’s Grill in Milford and Seaford.

As guests arrived, G&S Dairy Farm owners Gregg and Stephanie Knutsen welcomed visitors to the 75-year-old farm and explained their operation through a guided wagon tour of the farm. From the tour, you could tell that the Knutsen family is passionate about the dairy industry and the family business. Gregg even knows the names of all of his cows!

After the tour, the farm wagon dropped guests off to the cocktail hour featuring beers from Mispillion River Brewing in Milford, wines from Harvest Ridge Winery in Marydel and a signature cocktail, seasonal peach sangria. Students from the Delaware FFA leadership passed hors d’oeuvres, including pickled deviled eggs, pea and mint vichyssoise and beef brisket spring rolls with blue cheese and an Asian peach dipping sauce – all featuring local foods from Delaware farmers!

When the cocktail hour wrapped up, guests were invited to dinner under a lit tent. A beautifully set table with silverware and glassware welcomed each guest. After brief remarks from Kent County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Chair Sandy Virdin, Kent County Farm Bureau Vice President Richard Wilkins and our President and CEO Patricia Beebe, “waiters” and “waitresses,” local farmers, including our board member, Dave Marvel, served the first course  – smoked chicken and corn chowder. Next up, a mixed green salad tossed in a roasted tomato vinaigrette and topped with roasted corn and bacon.

The first two courses were absolutely delicious! To cleanse our pallets, waiters brought a homemade raspberry sorbet, followed by the main entree – smoked barbecue beef brisket, grilled chicken Oscar with lobster and hollandaise sauce and grilled asparagus – delicious! The meal was topped off with peach-semi freddo for dessert.  The menu and event were truly top-notch!

“Being here on the farm reminds me of my home back in Wisconsin,” said our President and CEO Patricia Beebe while addressing the evening’s crowd. “This is my favorite event, and I truly mean that. Thank you to Delaware’s agricultural community, the Delaware Farm Bureau and the Knutsens for organizing such a wonderful event. Special thanks to our culinary team and Abbott’s Grill for preparing such a delicious meal. What a treat!”

Thank you to all of the sponsors who made the night possible:

Event: Dover Federal Credit Union, Delaware State News

Entertainment: Delaware Electric Cooperative

Cocktail: Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, It’s All Good in Delaware, Inc., Willard

Program: Lazy Day Farms, Shore Unlimited Bank

Table: Kriss Contracting, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association

…And food donors:

Bacon: Sudlersville Meat Locker

Peaches, Cucumbers and Tomatoes: Fifer Orchards

Brisket: T.A. Farms

Heavy Cream and Half & Half: Lehigh Valley

Eggs: Misty Blue Acres

Lima Beans and Peas: Lazy Day Farms

Potatoes: Broad Acres, Inc.

Chicken: Perdue

Water: Tidewater Utilities

Wine: Harvest Ridge Winery

Beer: Mispillion River Brewing

Corn: Papen Farms

Watermelon: Dave Marvel

 

 

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