consciouseating


While the format varies, dinners are typically hosted on working rural or urban farms, last about three


hours and include aperitifs and a tour before the meal.


PopUpRestaurants.com. “People like to meet the meal maker and know more about the origin of what they eat.” “I started Dinner on the Farm nine


FEAST IN THE FIELDS The Rise of Pop-Up Organic Dining by John D. Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist


T


he flip side of enjoying farm to table is taking the table to the farm. So- called “pop-up feasts” are booming at farms throughout the country during growing and harvest seasons. While the format varies, dinners are typically hosted on working rural or urban farms, last about three hours and include aperitifs and a tour before the meal. Wine pairings or beer tastings and live music may be among the enticing activities offered. Gabriele Marewski, owner of


Paradise Farms, near Miami, Florida,


was a pioneering forerunner of the trend. For 10 years prior to retirement, she hosted more than 50 chefs, served thousands of guests an organic Dinner in Paradise and raised more than $50,000 for area charities. Periodic onsite dinners continue (ParadiseFarms.net). “Many chefs are active in farm-to- table dinners on the West Coast. We also see participation among wineries, orchards, cheese makers and breweries,” says A.K. Crump, CEO of TasteTV, in San Francisco, which also supervises


years ago to create unique experiences that connect people to the places their food is grown and the people that grow them,” says Monica Walch, whose pop- up dinners are served picnic-style for friends and families that bring their own tableware. Her company’s Midwest events, usually offered on Minnesota and Wisconsin farms, always feature local chefs, food ingredients and brew- eries (DinnerOnTheFarm.com). “There’s nothing like being com- fortably seated in the field where your food is growing and having the op- portunity to enjoy it just hours after it’s been picked. Then, add in one-on-one conversations with your chef, brewer and farmer, as well as like-minded community members,” observes Walch, who grew up on an organic dairy farm in Minnesota.


Setting the bar for high-end, white tablecloth, adults-only communal events, Outstanding in the Field tours the country to offer a taste of fresh, local cuisine prepared by top regional chefs. They’re known for serving meals on long tables set up in fields on


THINK BEFORE


YOU BUY: make the green choice. 12 Austin Edition AustinAwakenings.com


photos by John D. Ivanko


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