Thank You for Being a Part of Our 7th Annual Harvest Dinner!

It may have rained on the farm, but it couldn’t rain on our parade. In the dry warmth of Whitaker & Atlantic, cheeks glowed red from a few glasses of very good wine, and from the reflected crimson light of a giant neon sign reminding us we were in “RALEIGH.” We hope you paused for a moment that night, like we did, to remark on what interesting things we Raleighites get up to, in some pretty fab spaces, in this singular city of ours. The farm could have all the rain it wanted (and after two months without it, the farm wanted it bad) because the kind of party we were throwing could happen anywhere. All we really needed were our farm friends (that’s you), a few people to run the show (that’s us), oh and one of the best chefs in town, Coleen Speaks. Check, check, check. 

What a spectacular evening it was, with an amazing, seasonally driven, 4-course meal from Chef Coleen. And though we were not at the farm, the farm was there with us. Our farm partner, Infinity Hundred Farms, grew many of the outstanding veggies that filled that silky, savory vegetable pot pie, and the greens that came with it, right there on our one-acre site. Did you bite into that pot pie and never want it to end? Same. Fortunately, we can all savor that memory and many others by looking at photos of the night by the immensely talented Juli Leonard. 

And the best part? We combined good food, good people, and good fun, not to mention some amazing art and other auction items, with a good cause. By night’s end we had raised $30,000—our highest net total ever—to support Raleigh City Farm’s mission to grow the next generation of farmers by connecting our community to sustainable agriculture. 

We have so many to thank. Chef Coleen, for rolling with the punches that Mother Nature threw at us, graciously offering us an event space that was the best Plan B anyone could have asked for, and creating a phenomenal dinner for our guests that was simple yet innovative, and, by all accounts, so so so good. 

To our Host Sponsor, Easter Maynard. Now as ever, your leadership support drives this event. We are proud to call you a friend, and a true champion of our work to keep food local and sustainable through a network of thriving farmers.

Thank you to our Event Sponsors: Logan’s One Stop Garden Shop, Smith Anderson, JDavis Architects, Leaf & Limb, Garden Supply Company, and Land & Title Law. Additional thanks to our Farm Partner, David McConnell of Infinity Hundred Farms, and our Event Partners: Hummingbird, Wine Authorities, Fullsteam Brewery, Standard Beer & Food, Locals Seafood, Two Roosters Ice Cream, CompostNow, and Goodness. To all of our volunteers: Your efforts were crucial to our success. We appreciate you! To John “JB” Davis, our fearless Auctioneer: You always encourage us to aim high, and we are better for it. To the artists who donated their work, and those painting “en plein air,” we thank you for adding more sparks of magic to the evening. As always, this event would not have been what it was without our all-star board members and Harvest Dinner planning committee—people who believe in Raleigh City Farm and work hard to keep it strong and growing. Today and every day, thank you for all that you do. 

And last but not least, thank you to all of our guests for letting us be your host. We loved having you and hope you had a memorable night. Until next year!