Dinner on the Farm

With the U.S. economy in a tailspin, I’m going to focus tonight on something local and pleasant: our weekend plans to attend a “Dinner on the Farm” this Saturday. Local farmers and Slow Food Atlanta members Chris and Jenny Jackson were among 15 Georgia delegates selected to go to the Terre Madre conference in Turin, Italy, where more than 6,000 food producers, chefs and educators from 120 countries will convene. To help them cover expenses they’re hosting a benefit dinner, featuring local and traditional foods -- including heritage hog and seasonal produce grown straight off the farm and prepared by Chef Eric Arceneaux of The Big Eddy Club and Shannon Klein of Food Blossoms Catering.

Kids are welcome (and if they’re under 12, admission’s free for them) and the event will feature storyteller Pam Avery and cooking demos by Chef Arceneaux well as a tour of the farm. It’s $40 per person but kids under 12 are free, so the money you save on babysitting can help cover the difference for a pricier than average meal. Chris and Jenny sell their produce at the downtown market in Columbus on Saturdays (although they’ll be skipping this Saturday to prepare for the big event). I’m looking forward to the chance to explore their farm with Will and Owen and to talk with Will about where exactly the food we eat comes from (when we manage to get it locally, anyway). Not to mention the opportunity to savor what I expect will be an exceptionally tasty meal.

The reservation deadline has been extended to Thursday (Oct. 2) so there’s still time to make plans to attend:

Time: 4-8 p.m. Saturday Oct. 4
Location: Jenny-Jack Farm Pine Mountain
707 White Cemetery Road
Pine Mountain, GA 31822
Price: $40 per person; kids under 12 are free

For reservation information contact: dinneronthefarm@yahoo.com