Farm to Table Dinner Continued

Local writer, Jason Konopinski, wrote a fabulous blog post about our upcoming event! Read his article and learn a little bit more about each of the farmers and purveyors that will be in attendance at the event.

Join Me at the Accomac’s Farm-to-Table Dinner!: Part One

September 7 by Jason

Now I’m sure you’re asking yourself – “why is there a post about sustainable agriculture, local food and the famed Accomac Inn on a blog about new media?”   Well, as much as I am a student and practitioner of the socialization of business,  I’m also an advocate for sustainable agriculture and always strive to educate my friends and colleagues about the importance of complete transparency in matters of food production and knowing who produces and harvests my food.

It’s why I leapt at the opportunity to spend a Friday in the company of good friends Philip Given and Allison Bitzer of The Susquehanna Photographic, winding through the backroads of York County in a Subaru Impreza on what can best be described as a treasure hunt for the senses.  Our aim was simple: visit each of the purveyors participating in the Farm-to-Table event, capture some great photos and quotes and, if we were lucky, sample some of what they were providing to Chef Andre Ebert for the event.   The farms and purveyors are all within twenty miles of the family farm and Accomac Garden in West York, the perfect setting for a dinner a-field.

Stepping onto Codorun Farm on an early Friday morning is a delightful way to start, well, any morning, especially when the hosts are as excited to have you as you are to be there. Charlene and Doug were gracious hosts as always, making preparations for the attendees that will be enjoying cocktails in the stately barn and dining in the pasture. Heirloom tomatoes, Swiss chard, peppers and zucchini straight from the garden will be on the menu. It’s been an exceptional year for tomatoes at the farm – 42 plants have yielded in excess of 850 pounds!

Fitzkee’s Candies in York is right at home amidst the hustle and bustle of Eastern Market, and the Friday of our visit was no exception.  Farmer’s markets are among my favorite places on earth and they always kick my senses into overdrive.  In continuous operation since 1934, Fitzkee’s has provided many a family with confectionary delights and remains a family business to this day. And what better way to enjoy chocolate buttons than nestled between graham cracker and marshmallow in a S’more toasted over a bonfire in the company of friends as attendees will enjoy following dinner?

After the din of Eastern Market, our visit to Brogue Hydroponics was nothing short of serene, save the barking of two rather nervous Jack Russell terriers who seemed thoroughly put out by our intrusion.  Established in 1983 by owners Bob & Nancy Kilgore, Brogue Hydroponics has grown from one greenhouse of butterhead lettuce to six-plus greenhouses filled with a wide variety of lettuces, herbs, edible flowers, garnishes, tomatoes, red raspberries, potted plants and hanging baskets.  Just stepping into one of greenhouses is immediately calming and the vibrancy of life unmistakeable.   These are closed systems that take advantage of bioprocesses to recycle and replenish nutrients in an ecologically sustainable manner.

Carl Helrich, head winemaker at Allegro Vineyards, has a no-nonsense and honest approach to his wines, wines that celebrate the spirit of the grape.  Allegro is tucked away in Brogue, but you can toss aside those mental images of a idyllic chateau winery with a world-class view.   Allegro is clearly oriented toward being a production winery.  One of my favorite wines comes from Allegro; Cadenza is an earthy and spicy Bordeaux-style Cabernet Sauvignon that personifies the philosophy about winemaking first set forth by Allegro’s founders John and Tim Crouch.  It’s the wine that brought Carl and his wife Kris to Allegro and they’re preserving that heritage with every vintage of Cadenza while continuing to innovate and carry the brand forward.

Stay tuned for Part Two!

Tags: Accomac Catering, Accomac garden, buy local, farm to table dinner, sustainable agriculture, York PA