As of late, I would argue that the concept of ‘farm to table’ meals has gained tremendous popularity. Perhaps this stems from a desire from the general public to have a better understanding of how and where food is produced and prepared, and if so, I think an increase in this meal concept is a wonderful thing in terms of education pertaining to agriculture and the industry.
A few nights ago, Blaine and I were invited to join good friends of ours as they were attending a ‘farm to table’ experience via Thrive Norfolk. If you’ve never heard of Thrive, here is some information pulled directly from their website:
“Thrive aims to celebrate the true meaning of ‘farm to table’ by cultivating, preparing and cooking individual ingredients in their prime and showcasing them in our beautiful ‘dining room’ located in the heart of our garden, where the walls are forever changing. What better way to experience the bounty of Norfolk County ‘Ontario’s garden’ than dining in the middle of it?
”On our family farm of 30 years, centrally located on the sandy soils of Norfolk County, we thrive on what our land has to offer. We grow, raise and forage as much as we can here on our farm but we simply can’t do it all. This is where the amazing folks of Norfolk come into play. Norfolk County farmers, fishers, etc. offer amazing products that I am proud to support and present alongside my own.
”Collaborating within our bountiful community allows for endless culinary creations for our guests,” the website states, in the words of Matt Demarest, the founder of Thrive.
I really cannot put into words how much I enjoyed this dinner. It was by far one of the most refreshing and unique dinner experiences I have ever participated in, and I was able to taste things I never had and likely wouldn’t ever try normally, for example, lamb, caviar, and cedar pudding, to name a few.
While Thrive has ended their outdoor farm dinners for the year, they will be back likely by June of next year. I will absolutely attend again, and as someone who comes from a farm, I cannot stress enough how educational and informative this experience is for anyone who wishes to broaden their knowledge of farming and how food is produced for our consumption.
Be sure to check out Thrive’s website, linked above, and their social media pages. You won’t regret it.
ontheedgeofeverything 