From the savory embrace of squash soup and sourdough bread to the mouthwatering delight of pumpkin pie ice cream, College of Western Idaho's (CWI) annual Farm to Fork dinner was a culinary adventure through a variety of delightful flavors and tastes! Eighty people from across the College and around the Treasure Valley devoured a tasty, five-course meal at the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) Friday, Oct. 6, to support CWI's Campus Garden.
The 2023 Farm to Fork dinner raised more than $5,000 for the garden, which provides CWI students access to fresh produce and supports agriculture coursework. Hosted by Agricultural Sciences faculty and students, showcases an authentic farm-to-fork meal featuring ingredients harvested from CWI's Campus Garden and specialties sourced from local partners in the Treasure Valley.
"It’s great to facilitate an event that supports the campus garden, highlights our local community, and brings people together to share a wonderful meal," said Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Agricultural Sciences, Andrea Schumaker.
The evening commenced with Schumaker leading guests, and volunteers on a tour of the Campus Garden located east of the NCAB parking lot. People were able to see where much of the night’s meal came from.
The meal started with a zucchini garlic fritter and a cheese sauce, from the Campus Garden and Eden Creamery, prepared by Schumaker, the Tower Grill Chef, Nate Lindskoog, and 10 Barrel Brewing Chef, Keith Moreno. This course was paired with Par Terre’s Albarino white wine. Following was a salad greens, pears, tomatoes, and cukes from the CWI Campus Garden, a culinary creation by Moreno. This was paired with Sunny Tom Mint Kombucha from Idaho Kombucha.
A warm and tasty soup followed made from a variety of squashes from the Garden, prepared by Lindskoog and served with sourdough bread from Hudson Bakery Co. paired with 10 Barrel Brewing's Witching Hour beer. The main course was delicious tri-tip from Hoagland Meats, with a delicious side of sautéed mushrooms from Ferg's Fabulous Fungi, mashed taters, and beans paired with Chicken Dinner Red Wine from Huston Vineyards.
Guests then wrapped up their meal with a sweet treat — pumpkin pie ice cream from Stella’s Ice Cream made from pumpkin puree created by Schumaker from pie pumpkins grown in the Campus Garden. Several also enjoyed pairing their dessert with Apple Cider Whiskey Smash from Centerfire Distillery in partnership with Craft Lounge.
This year's event was extra special as Schumaker, Tower Grill employees, and Farm to Fork guests were able to spotlight and recognize the event's longstanding chef, Lindskoog. Lindskoog has been a major supporter of the annual Farm to Fork event and has a deep appreciation for supporting and spotlighting his local community.
"He embraces what Farm to Fork is all about," said Schumaker.
Farm to Fork feature: Tower Grill's Nate Lindskoog Farm to Fork feature: Hannah Wilson
Thank you to all who made this year's event a success!
