Thank you for joining Harvest Dinner at Home

Every October, we at Raleigh City Farm swirl into a frenzy of activity as we busily count down to our biggest event of the year: Harvest Dinner. There are dishes to order, waitstaff and volunteers to recruit, tickets to sell, an auction to plan. And of course, there’s the job of transforming our working farm into an event space, ensuring that it looks its Sunday best. Then the big day arrives. People are seated. There is good company, an excellent locally sourced meal paired with wine and beer. An exceptional few hours ensues. When the last guest has left for the evening and the night is winding down, our team high fives and clinks glasses in celebration of another successful feast under the stars. It’s a labor of love.

So when we realized this year that we needed to pivot — that Harvest Dinner would need to become Harvest Dinner At Home — we wondered if we, and you, the community, would still feel the same energy and excitement for this annual event.

WELL. We needn’t have worried. What came together was a sold out dinner series featuring four of Raleigh’s finest chefs that raised critical operating funds for RCF and supported our diverse network of partners. There are countless successes to celebrate. At a time when restaurants everywhere are struggling to stay afloat, we were able to reinvest $18,000 in our four restaurant partners. Over $2,500 has been raised to date that will be divided evenly between our five Black farm partners: Golden Organic Farm, The Harriet Tubman Freedom Farm, Off Grid in Color, Sankofa Farms and Tall Grass Food Box. We were honored to collaborate with 30 sponsors and partners who contributed everything from funding to wine to the grocery bags the meals were packed in. We engaged over 28 volunteers in all aspects of event planning and coordination. And of course, we are thrilled to report that we’ve raised close to $24,000 for Raleigh City Farm, allowing us to continue our mission of connecting this community to sustainable agriculture.

We have so many to thank here. Cheetie Kumar (Garland), Coleen Speaks (Hummingbird), Caroline Morrison (Fiction Kitchen), and Andrew Gravens (A Place at the Table) filled our homes with smells and flavors that were spiced, pickled, toasted, sweet, and savory. Every single dish was imaginative and thoughtfully prepared. Sitting down to one of these meals instantly elevated an ordinary Sunday night to something special, a mix of something at once refined and comforting. We are grateful to these chefs for taking on this challenge and delivering meals every bit as extraordinary as we’d hoped.

Big thanks is also due to our dynamic team of volunteers who showed up for us in countless ways this year. We can’t imagine a more capable, dedicated, and committed cast. Special thanks to our host sponsors, Easter Maynard, Spoonflower, and Leaf & Limb, and all of the other sponsors who provided the funding to get this idea off the ground and help it soar. Josh Sattin, our farm manager, is responsible for much of the produce featured in each meal, and we continue to be grateful for all of the hard work, passion, and skill he’s brought to our 1-acre plot.

And of course, this event wouldn’t have been possible without YOU, our community of Farm friends, embracing Harvest Dinner At Home with enthusiasm and excitement.

While we’ve accomplished a lot, there is still more good work to be done, and you can continue to be a part of that. If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation to the Support Black Farmers fund (deadline is today!) and bidding on some of the great items in our online auction, which concludes December 1.

This year, while we missed the warmth that the feeling of sharing a meal together under the stars brings, we loved having the opportunity to send something extra special (and above all, delicious) to your home. Thank you for inviting us in.