If there's anything the last four years have taught us: It's that people dig farm-to-table food for a number of reasons:
Taste the Freshness: It's all about that fresh flavor. Farm-to-table stuff is picked at its peak, not sitting on a truck or in storage for ages.
More Nutrients: Fresher usually means more nutrients. None of that long-distance travel and storage draining the good stuff.
Support Local Legends: Choosing farm-to-table helps out local farmers and keeps money circulating in your community. Small farms for the win!
Eco-Friendly Vibes: Less travel for your food means a smaller carbon footprint. It's a bit of a nod to Mother Earth.
Mix It Up with the Seasons: Menus change with the seasons, so you get a mix of different foods throughout the year. It's like a culinary adventure.
Know Your Food's Story: You can trace the journey of your food. It's not some mystery - you know where it came from and how it got to your plate.
Chef's Playground: Chefs love it because they get to play with fresh, local ingredients. Expect some tasty, creative dishes.
Local Hangouts: Farmers' markets and local food events create a sense of community. It's a cool way to connect with the folks growing your grub.
In a nutshell, farm-to-table is all about tasty, local, and feeling good about what you're eating. Good for the taste buds, good for the community, and good for the planet.
Subscribe
Sign up for our mailing list to stay in the loop on farm-fresh product availability & exclusive events featuring Florida Farm Finder.
"When Chef Jeffrey Schlissel invites you to dinner, you should be honored, you've won the farm-to-table jackpot! The entire evening was an incredible tasting experience from the second we sat down, and we learned so much. Our tablemates became fast friends, we couldn't have asked for anything better."
Jillian & Luke Childs
"When Chef Jeffrey Schlissel invites you to dinner, you should be honored, you've won the farm-to-table jackpot! The entire evening was an incredible tasting experience from the second we sat down, and we learned so much. Our tablemates became fast friends, we couldn't have asked for anything better."
Jillian & Luke Childs
The Plans:
Chef Jeffrey posted in our Facebook group back in February of 2022, looking for resources and information about our community on the Gulf Coast as he prepared to relocate from the Palm Beaches to Tampa. Within the season he had a series of farm-to-table dinners in the works, bringing farmers, growers and foodies all over the region to the table, and the Farmer's Craveable Dinners were born! It was so great to watch many of the pieces for the event come together in our forum, and I was thrilled to receive an invitation.
Location Host:
(From their Website) Cahaba Clubs Herbal Outpost sits nestled on a 10-acre parcel in Odessa, Florida, just northwest of downtown Tampa. Surrounded by large oaks, cypress, and a fish pond, you can hear the birds chirping and the steady hum of the greenhouse fans. Breathe deeply, and you can smell the fresh micro-greens through the air. Marvin, our founder, began his hydroponic growing operation in this serene setting in 1999. Twenty-three years later, the farm is still evolving.
Marvin even met us in the parking lot to guide us to the seating area, we felt entirely welcome from the second we arrived. The farm now hosts several cozy cabins and offers a serene AirBnB stay opportunity that has dozens of happy reviews on their website. Our only regret from the event was that we arrived too late because of my day job schedule, & didn't get a chance to explore the farm and see all of Marvin's growing spaces!
Chef Jeffrey Schlissel
@Bacon_Cartel
When This Guy Invites You To Dinner, You Absolutely Must Go!
Our Favorite Bites:
Jillian's Favorites:
The Shrimp & Kimchi Chip
The Chicken, esp the Crispy Skin
The Edible Dirt (Ya'll know how I feel about fungus, Chef may have changed that for me! I ate mushrooms twice willingly.)
Luke's Favorites:
The Brisket
The Chicken
The Espresso Chocolate Cake (He doesn't like coffee!)
Special Mention:
The Honey Crackling & The Caramel Brittle
All of the different microgreens!
Conclusion:
We use the term "favorites," but selecting them was genuinely challenging. Each dish we sampled was distinctive and innovative, a departure from our usual fare as parents of kids who consider mac-n-cheese a food group. The joy of consuming seasonal produce directly from the farmer lies in its freshness and peak flavor. Food harvested and prepared ASAP rather than transported and refrigerated for extended periods. It was evident that every component of this meal was meticulously curated with precise timing and care. Jeffrey took the time to discuss and share his experiences obtaining and preparing the products, and there was lots of laughter and even a few tears. I am also so very grateful that they gave my soapbox a few minutes to discuss how important it is to support these small producers in our current economic situation. Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in creating this event, making it an inspiring and enlightening experience for us.
We're so looking forward to the next one!
It was so great to finally be in the same room as some of the people that I've been yelling about on the Internet for years! Special thanks to Amy from Yee Farms, Inc and Vicky from Happy Tails Farm for all of their amazing product and dedicated support in promoting the event, and also Happy Birthday to you both! It was great to meet Nadya & her husband from Crunchy Tampa Bay Moms and Rachel & her husband from Tampa Food Mom! (I have to give Nadya credit for the chocolate cake photo above, I ate mine too fast!)
Special Thanks To
