Typically, at Bricker-Price Block we are inviting folks to come inside our beautiful building, but on Sunday, October 20th we are shaking things up a bit. For the first time since our inception we are welcoming guests directly outside our building to celebrate our first annual farm-to-table dinner and fundraiser, The Harvest Gathering.
On October 20th, if you take a stroll down Chestnut Avenue in Earlham, Iowa, you won’t see the bustling small-town main street that you might expect. Instead, you will likely run into a closed street, lined with community members, gathered together under a canopy of lights, breaking bread and seated together on one very large farm-style table. And if the smell of a locally-sourced five course meal doesn’t lure you in, the ever-familiar sound of Nada’s singer/songwriter, Jason Walsmith, will invite you to the table.
Why would we host this type of an event?
First of all, a little background on the farm-to-table movement that has become increasingly popular in the United States. The goal with these farm-to-table dinners is to get to the roots of where food comes from, and how it makes its way from the fields to our dinner tables. As community members of Earlham, a largely agricultural community, this type of event just makes sense.
One of our Harvest Gathering committee members and event planners, Jen Fagan (co-owner of MADE for this. Events) said it best when she said, “fall is the perfect time to celebrate community by honoring the efforts of our local farmers and entrepreneurs.”
Second of all, one of our primary visions for our Bricker-Price building and our nonprofit business is to be community-focused. But what does that mean?
To our Board of Directors and to myself, this vision means opening our doors and our events to EVERYONE in our town, county, state and beyond. We strive to create and plan popular and trending programming and events that gauge the interests and meet the needs of EVERYONE.
Lastly, we wanted to extend this community opportunity to as many people, businesses and organizations as we could. There are so many people involved in this event, from the food suppliers to the chef, our committee, our sponsors, our welcomed guests and our amazing volunteers, we could not even come close to doing it alone. We appreciate everyone’s efforts in making our first annual farm-to-table event a success.
Here are just a few folks we’ve got to tell you about:
Joel Mahr, our chef, came highly recommended through the buzz of several folks across central Iowa. He and his wife Jill own Primrose in Corning, Iowa. Their farm-style food concepts with a modern twist is the same experience we are striving to give at our farm-to-table on October 20th. At Primrose, Joel & Jill keep it simple: the people are approachable; the food is farm-fresh and affordable; and it’s a family friendly atmosphere that keeps folks coming back.
Adding some more flavor to this event are the folks behind RJ Home, Jordana & Kasey Henke. Jordana & Kasey will use their unique vintage & handmade talents, showcased in their two downtown Earlham, Iowa shops, RJ Home North & RJ Home South, to breathe life into the streets of downtown Earlham.
Regan Doely, owner of Doe A Deer Design, is our graphic designer and creative genius for the Harvest Gathering. Regan’s talented designs are showcased through the Harvest Gathering logo, programs and our menus, that are creatively printed on her famous flour sack towels as a take away keepsake item from the event!