OREGON – A popular dining trend is the Farm-to-Table Dinner.
These dinners are designed so that the food on the table comes directly from the farm without going through a store, or distributor.
“We come very close to that” said Debbie Leffelman, event coordinator for the Oregon Park District.
The District offered a Farm to Table Dinner Fundraiser last year and it was so popular that the community asked for another one.
“After being recognized by the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association and honored with the award for Outstanding Special Event in 2018, we had to offer the dinner again,” she said.
The event is a win-win for the community. People love to eat good and fresh food.
“Our Celebrity Chefs have put together a great menu and will offer an amazing meal for our guests to enjoy while also benefitting the youth of the community,” Leffelman said.
The Farm to Table Dinner will be on Friday, July 26 at Oak Lane, Oregon. Local celebrity chefs, from local restaurants or businesses, volunteer their time and cooking talents to prepare a fabulous meal with as many of the ingredients as possible harvested locally.
Menu for the evening is appetizers, garden salad, artisan breads, honey butter, ribeye steak, pork kabob, mixed summer vegetables and a dessert sampler.
Several local growers as well as the Oregon Market Vendors donate the items for the dinner and some of the ingredients are grown at the community garden in Oregon. It’s a collaborative effort with many volunteers and a lot of community support. The U of I Extension Master Gardeners work with the Camp OH-PEA-DEE kids to create the centerpieces. The Groenhagen Family and Circle G Farms sponsor the entertainment for the evening which is Dina Bach Music.
Local businesses that are not involved with the cooking side of the event have donated items for the auction. Oregon High School FFA students volunteer as wait staff for the evening. Oak Lane of Oregon provides a wonderful venue for the fundraising dinner.
With the help of many, the Oregon Park District staff look forward to the upcoming 2019 Farm to Table Dinner on July 26. Again, the dinner is a fundraiser for the Oregon Park District Youth Scholarship Fund. The goal for the park district is for all local youth to be able to participate in sports and recreation programs which is why the Scholarship Fund is so important.
Stop at Nash to purchase tickets or to reserve an entire table of eight. Tickets are $50/person or $400 for table of eight. There is limited seating for this event so be sure to get your tickets now. Reservations can also be made over the phone with a credit card by calling 815-732-3101. For more information on the Farm to Table Dinner visit www.oregonpark.org or contact Leffelman, Event Coordinator at debbie@oregonpark.org.
