Sugar & Olives Hosts Harvest Dinner to Support CT Farmland Trust

What’s the perfect way to send off this harvest season of farm food and the local bounty? A Harvest Dinner at Sugar & Olives in support of the Connecticut Farmland Trust. The Connecticut Farmland Trusts Annual Harvest Dinner is a fundraiser for the only statewide private conservation organization dedicated solely to the protection of agricultural land. Since its founding in 2002, Connecticut Farmland Trust has permanently protected over 2,690 acres of our state’s most valuable farmland. Recently, Connecticut Farmland Trust worked with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and the Town of Lebanon to protect the 22-acre Beltane Farm in Lebanon, Connecticut that is well known for its award-winning goat cheese. The farm is one of 32 family farms that Connecticut Farmland Trust has protected. 

Sugar & Olives is one of Fairfield County’s premier destinations for authentic local Farm to Table dining, and has become a mainstay in the community. The harvest dinner will showcase the relationships that the restaurant has with it’s many local suppliers. Chef Jennifer Balin and her team will prepare pub style hors d’oeuvres including scotch eggs, smoked beets and their well known bacon jam beef sliders on chocolate bread toast plus black currant jello shots. Balin likes to feature preservation foods from previous harvests like the black currants she receives annually from The Hickories in Ridgefield which get cooked and preserved into relish, bar syrup and compote. The celebration will continue with craft cocktails and a hands-on cocktail station including recipes, lead by cocktail aficionado Chris Grimm.  A multi-course family style dinner will follow featuring trout from Rowledge Pond in Newtwon CT and lamb from Sepe Farm in Sandy Hook.  Several other area growers will be featured including The Hickories, Steizel Farm, Beltane Farm, Speckled Rooster Farm, Millstone Farm and Fort Hill Farm. Local booze will include Greenhook Ginsmiths and Litchfield Distillery and wine from the North Fork of Long Island. 

Pull up a seat next to one of the farmers who grew your food (several will be in attendance) and other local food enthusiasts and farmland preservationists from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Saturday October 15th. You can get your tickets here.

All proceeds from the event will support Connecticut Farmland Trust, a non-profit organization whose sole mission is to protect Connecticut’s working farmland.“The most rewarding part of our work is helping farm families protect their land. We’re always thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase produce from these and other family farms.  We’re looking forward to sharing a fun evening of great local food and conservation with CT family farmerss”, said Elisabeth Moore, Connecticut Farmland Trust’s Executive Director.

Tickets for the event cost $150 per person and there are a number of sponsorship options available. For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please visit the website at ctfarmland.org or contact Danielle Breakell at 860-247-0202 x 223.