What happens when Four Square restaurant joins forces with Four Leaf farm? When Fowl Attitude farm meets Fullsteam Brewery? Well, you'll have to attend Farm to Fork 2009 (www.farmtoforknc.com) to find out.
Farm to Fork, a large community picnic with fresh-grown, artisanally prepared food, is also a fundraiser benefiting local farms. Admission is $50 (kids 12 and under are free) and proceeds fund the apprentice programs sponsored by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (www.cefs.ncsu.edu) and the PLANT @ Breeze Farm Enterprise Incubator.
The list of participating chefs, caterers, restaurants, farmers and food wonder-makers is too long to enumerate here. In short, each land-based group will team with its kitchen-based counterpart to whip up something yummy. For example, Bill Dow of Ayrshire Farm in Pittsboro, who has been farming sustainably since 1978, is teaming with Scott Crawford, who just took over the kitchen at Herons Restaurant (100 Woodland Pond, Cary, 447-4200, www.heronsrestaurant.com), to prepare ... who knows?
The meal will include the season's first field-ripened tomatoes; heritage pork; a shrimp boil; grass-fed beef; farmstead cheese, preserves and breads; all-local snow cones; grilled pizzas made from Triangle-grown wheat and produce; and the season's last strawberries.
It happens north of Hillsborough, Sunday, June 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the W.C. Breeze Family Farm Extension and Research Center (4909 Walnut Grove Church Road, Hurdle Mills). Tickets are available at www.farmtoforknc.com or by calling 755-3804, and must be purchased in advance. If it rains, head to the Durham Farmers' Market pavilion.
Participants as of June 1 include:
18 Seaboard
3CUPS
Abundance Foundation
Acme Food & Beverage
David Auerbach
Ayrshire Farm
Bluebird Meadows
Brinkley Farms
Cane Creek Farm
Carolina Crossroads
Castlemaine Farm
Celebrity Goat Dairy
Chapel Hill Creamery
Contrarian Farm
Coon Rock Farm
Counter Culture Coffee
Durham Inner-city Gardeners at SEEDS
Dutch Buffalo Farm
Eco Farm
Elaine’s on Franklin
Elysian Fields Farm
Farmer’s Daughter
Fickle Creek Farm
Foster’s Market
Four Leaf Farm
Four Square
Fowl Attitude Farm
Fullsteam Brewery
Glasshalfull
Harland’s Creek Farm
Haw River Wine Man
Herons
Irregardless Café
Jujube
Lantern
Lil’ Farm
Lucky 32
Maple Spring Gardens
Neal’s Deli
Panciuto
Panzanella
Peregrine Farm
Perry-winkle Farm
Piedmont Biofarm
Piedmont
Plant @ Breeze Farmers
Poole’s Diner
Sage & Swift
Scratch Bakery
Southport Seafood
The Barbecue Joint
The Weathervane
Fred Thompson
Timberwood Organics
Tiny Farm
Toast
Triple B Farms
Watts Grocery
Wild Hare Farm
Zely & Ritz