FarmFolk/CityFolk’s annual Feast of Fields will be held in the Central Okanagan this year, at Claremont Ranch Organics in Lake Country.
This is the fourth Feast of Fields to be held in the Okanagan Valley, although similar events have been held in the Lower Mainland since 1995, and on Vancouver Island for the past number of years.
Participants will be handed a wine glass and linen napkin when they arrive at the farm, and dozens of the valley’s top chefs, winemakers and brewmasters will offer tastes of locally-sourced, seasonal foods, often made from products grown right in the fields where the event is held.
This year, 58 producers will feature products from more than 40 local farms, including Kelowna chef Rod Butters’ honey glazed Sterling Springs’ chicken with dried apricot and hazelnut crust. It will be paired with an infused apricot cocktail using Meadow Vista Honey Wines.
The Vintage Room at the Coast Capri will be offering pulled bison and plum ravioli with peppered saskatoon berry dust on arugula, while Poppadoms will offer an Okanagan saag paneer pakora.
The idea is to help consumers make that link between the food that goes into their mouths and the farms on which it is produced.
At the same time, chefs delight in preparing food that is as fresh as possible—and to serve it in the field it was grown in, makes it pretty fresh.
The host farm this year was the McCoubrey Farm until Matt and Molly Thurston purchased it last year and returned its original name to the property, Claremont Ranch. They’re celebrating the 100th anniversary of the farm this year.
They have an orchard and also a market garden, so can offer a variety of fresh produce to chefs participating.
There won’t be onsite parking so a shuttle bus will take participants from George Elliot Secondary School to the farm.
Live music will include Sarah Mainland and her Celtic harp; Chloe, Kyle & Company; Scratchpony; Jennifer Boal; Becca Mabbett; Quiannah Kendal-Ward and Alexandria Colter.
In addition to fine food and drink, there’ll be farm tours at 2 and 4 p.m. and a variety of silent auction items as well as a marketplace where local products will be available.
Funds raised go towards the work of FarmFolk CityFolk, including the Meet Your Maker Okanagan which helps local producers and buyers meet and network; a seed saving workshop at Sunshine Farm in Kelowna as part of the B.C. Seeds project; and Shared Harvest, an online resource for those wanting products, or having products available.
Tickets for this year’s event are available from Choices Market in Kelowna or online at: www.feastoffields.com
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
