| SEPTEMBER 3, 2010 -- The Connecticut Farmland Trust is hosting a Sept. 12 event at Laurel Ridge Farm in Litchfield celebrating Connecticut agriculture. Thirty restaurants and chefs will take part in the organization’s annual event. The organization is also celebrating its 10th Anniversary.
Between noon and 4:30 p.m. a group of local Connecticut chefs and farmers will come together for the largest eco-friendly food and wine event in the state.
“It really gives people a sense of what Connecticut has to offer,” said Katie Matus, communication associate for the organization. “We have this wonderful agricultural history. You don’t always get to see that every day. It really reminds [us] of the bounty our state has to offer at the same time we support our local farmers that are growing this wonderful food for us. To see it presented in such a beautiful way by these fantastic chefs is really exciting.”
The Connecticut Farmland Trust is the only private statewide conservation organization dedicated solely to permanently protecting Connecticut’s farmland. It was established in 2002 and holds agricultural conservation easements that protect 1,766 acres of farmland on 20 farms around the state. It has assisted partners in the preservation of 602 additional acres and serves as a leading resource on conserving Connecticut’s working farmland, according to the organization’s Web site www.ctfarmland.org.
The event, called “the hottest food event in the state” by Connecticut Magazine, will have honorary chair persons including actress Christine Baranski, Faith Middleton from NPR and Jacques Pepin, a celebrity chef who has worked closely with Julia Child and who hosts “Fast Food My Way” on PBS. Michel Nischan, the chef and owner of the Dressing Room in Westport has just joined on the Board of Directors, according to Ms. Matus.
The event will have hay rides, a silent and live auction and there will be food prepared by local chefs using local foods, all to benefit Connecticut Farmland Trust. There will also be farm tours and live music from the rock and blues band, Bone Dry.
“There will be local wineries and breweries reprsented as well, all Connecticut grown,” said Fumiko Foos, director of administration.
There are several Litchfield County places involved, including Tilden Clam Bake from Litchfield, Torrington Country Club, Ox Hollow Farm in Woodbury, River Bank Farm in Roxbury and New Morning Natural and Organic in Woodbury, to name a few.
“It is held every year at a select local farm. Last year it was held in Lebanon at Graywall Farms,” said Ms. Foos.
The chefs will be preparing their specialties to celebrate Connecticut grown. Every year, the event hosts 800 guests as well as 500 others, including chefs, staff, wineries, breweries and other volunteers, who strive to practice responsible waste management strategies and work to have little impact on the farm.
“It’s a really fun day. It’s a pretty exciting event,” said Ms. Matus. “There are so many chefs, restaurants and farms involved.”
For more information on the event, visit www.ctfarmland.org and call 860-247-0202. |
