Local food enthusiasts often use the term farm-to-plate; meaning, the way in which most of our food makes its way from its source to our dinner table. The average American meal travels nearly 1,500 miles before we even take our first bite, consuming large quantities of carbon-emitting fossil fuels over the course of its journey. It stands to reason, then, that if you want to reduce your impact on the planet, you should shop locally whenever possible.
But most city dwellers and suburbanites (myself included) who frequent weekly farmers markets to savor just-picked produce still have no idea what really goes on at the farm; the love and care, for instance, it takes to turn the milk of a grass-fed cow into that Point Reyes Blue you so greedily gobble up with your glass of Pinot Gris. After all, when was the last time you brought your plate to the actual farm?
It’s forging this kind of connection that is at the heart of Outstanding in the Field, which brings together the people who raise our food with the people who eat it, in a kind of utopian farm-dinner dining experience. Every summer, the OITF team tours the country, orchestrating alfresco family-style feasts that feature the talents of top local farmers, chefs, winemakers, and food artisans. And the settings are spectacular: Aside from the traditional farm mise en scène, former dinners have been staged in pastoral gardens, on majestic mountain tops — even in a secluded sea cave.
At $220 per person, an Outstanding in the Field dinner is, for most, a once-in-a-lifetime experience (the perfect green wedding gift, perhaps?). But at least you get bountiful bang for your buck: The price includes a five-course meal with wine pairings, gratuities, purveyor discussions, and a tour of the farm.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to splurge this year, just don’t hesitate when the tickets for the 2010 season go on sale this Saturday (at 9 am Pacific Time, according to the website — they’re not messing around): Last year’s events sold out within hours of their announcement.
Click here to see the North American tour schedule.
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