This season, we are planning a series of Farm to Table Dinners, where delicious food from our farm and surrounding local farms will be artfully prepared by Gainesville area celebrity chefs, highlighting our wonderful local food culture. Among our goals as a nascent sustainable farm is to explore new and interesting ways to connect people to food and community. The farm dinner scenario accomplishes this with style. Each dinner will be a one-night-only four course creation based on what’s ripe and good from our fields. We will be pairing a wine or local beer with each course. These dinners will make the perfect anniversary gift, birthday present, family occasion, group outing, romantic date, or just a wonderful way to experience the farm.
Why?
Each dinner will be linked to a specific goal or project on the farm that furthers the Swallowtail mission of cultivating the farm as a model of true sustainability, and the purchase of your ticket will directly seed the creation of your dinner’s project. For example, the goal of one of the dinners is to purchase 3-4 heritage Florida cracker cattle. We will be pre-selling the tickets online so that we can have the project finished by the time the dinner rolls around so you as our guests can see exactly what your money has accomplished. We are particularly excited about this model of fundraising; we feel it connects people to the farm through a tangible, creative and inspiring process. The food will be superb, of course, and the experience truly magic, but our motivation is not profit driven. Our goal is to make our farm better through the support of our community. We have lots of folks who support us faithfully through the grit of their labor. The dinners enable you to uplift the farm with a wine glass in place of a spade.
Where?
Dinners will be held at a family style harvest table (unless otherwise stated) surrounded by the beautiful bounty from our gardens. You will enjoy the freshest possible fare and sip on an expertly-paired local Swamphead beer or Organic, American wine, with a lovely view of the farm fields and the rolling hills beyond.
What?
4pm – Guests will arrive to the farm to a snack and reception prepared by your farmers. Feel free to dress casually and wear comfortable shoes. Sip on a beer or cocktail and take in the scene.
4:30 – We will talk a bit about our farm, who we are, and what we are all about. After our brief introduction we will take you on a tour of the farm where you will have an opportunity to see the project you helped make materialize.
6:00 – We will gather back at the harvest table for cocktails, music, good company, and appetizers. During this time you will get a chance to meet the chef, and they will talk a bit about the meal they have prepared for you.
6:30 – Cheers! The rest of the courses will follow from here. Take your time and enjoy your meal. After all, It’s a one night only seasonal dinner prepared with love.
