On Thursday, September 19, more than 500 guests joined in celebration of local food at Saratoga PLAN’s 14th annual Feast of the Fields fundraiser at Saratoga National Golf Club. With dozens of farm-to-table tasting stations featuring twelve chefs, a multitude of drink vendors and live music from the Hot Club of Saratoga, attendees had a ball of a time tasting everything from tacos to oxtail sliders, and everything in between!
Saratoga PLAN is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to preserving the scenic and natural beauty of our lovely city. This year’s Feast of the Fields raised $120,000 to support conservation projects in Saratoga County. Each of the participating vendors celebrated the local wonders of the agricultural community by sourcing all their ingredients for the event from a total of more than 70 farms within a 100-mile radius of Saratoga. And, in an effort to curb waste and benefit another area nonprofit, chefs donated the leftover food to Shelters of Saratoga, spreading the good work of Saratoga PLAN even further.
“Creating the connection between farm and fork, and, as a result, between farmer and neighbor, is one of the most rewarding parts of our work,” says Alex Fylypovych, PLAN’s Community Engagement Manager. “As the community’s connection to the land strengthens, so does their concern and desire to conserve it.”
In addition to fresher-than-fresh dining, the event also included live and silent auctions, which saw items, such as a Bianchi Touring Bike from Adirondack Ultra Cycling, a beach getaway in Sanibel Island and the original artwork for the Feast of the Fields invitation by local artist Elisa Sheehan, go for top dollar. Some $30,000 was raised for PLAN internship and stewardship programs. “Now, more than ever, it’s critical to educate the next generation of conservationists,” says Flylypovych. “Guests’ donations on Thursday night are giving us that opportunity.”
