Okanagan Feast of Fields 2015
We came – we ate – we drank!
Not so long ago, in a land not so far away, chef Michael Standlandter partnered with Jamie Kennedy to create an event that got urbanites out to Ontario farms. In 1995, with permission to use the Feast of Fields name in BC, FarmFolkCityFolk organized Feast of Fields as annual fundraisers to highlight the connections between farmers and chefs and to increase the connections between farm folks and city folks.
What can I say except that it was a bloody brilliant idea!
I am currently reminiscing about all the tastes and smells and smiles from my fifth Feast of Fields event (their seventh okanagan event), held August 16, 2015 at Meadow Vista Honey Wines in Kelowna.
The weather was gorgeous (as is usual for mid-August in the Okanagan) and the venue was superb. Judie Barta (Meadow Vista) and Alison Love (Spatula Media) did a fantastic job of creating an inviting space for this event.
There was the perfect amount of space, rows upon rows of delectable delights, and a fantastic group of servers and pourers with nothing but smiles and passion for their food and drink.
Plus there were the hundreds of people milling about and having fun! It’s not hard to do when you’re at an Okanagan Foodie event with dozens and dozens of vendors supplying you with seemingly endless food and beverages.
Raudz was my favourite this year for the most refreshing, delicious nibble of the day.
Okanagan College Culinary was the tastiest, and literally everyone else came in a close second. Wines and ciders, spirits and mead, flowed freely with vendors reminding guests they could always come back for more. Another favourite was the “punches” made by My Tea, by mixing in wine, ginger ale and other ingredients. Refreshing to say the least.
The most common phrases heard on Sunday were “Oh, you must try this!” and “Where did you get that?” Closely followed by “Damn that was good,” and “I’m going back for seconds!”
There was great information on things like green tourism, organic farming, gardening and seeds, as well as a working beehive and some chicks.
Do yourself a favour, sign up for the eAlerts and get your tickets for next year. If you like fresh, locally grown, locally created food and libations, then this is a must attend event. Come and support your farm folk, and the food and beverage artisans in your community. Your taste buds will thank you.
