To the over 300 supporters — co-chairs, dinner committee members, board members, long-time and new friends — that came to the 9th annual Farm to Table Dinner on Saturday, July 23rd, thank you!
The farm was at its peak harvest, with cucumbers and onions nestled between rows of bold and beautiful zinnias and bee balm. Dusty clusters of cinnamon and lime basil, lovage, and mint burst from the soil in time for guests to taste their way through The Learning Garden with the guidance of our students. During cocktail hour, Questar students shared their cooking and recipe development skills by serving up a garden-grown hors d’oeuvres — zucchini canapés stuffed with fresh ricotta, garden vegetables, and edible flower petals strewn atop — that they created during their Sylvia Center class sessions. Students from Perfect Ten Afterschool Program also handed out freshly picked herbs to stimulate the senses before dinner and reminded us to eat healthy food and treat our bodies well through their “Don’t Be Plastic” song about health and being real.
The dinner bell rang as the rain clouds danced around the farm, and guests scurried to the dinner tent where tables were topped with wildflower centerpieces, hand painted fruit and vegetable signs, and an array of appetizers that appealed to a wide range of tastes, including a crowd favorite – Char Grilled Scallions with Katchkie Farm Romesco Sauce. Liz Neumark welcomed the guests and invited Perfect Ten students to take the stage and share their most memorable Sylvia Center experiences and their favorite (and not so favorite) vegetables. Mia, a student from Hudson, hopped on stage and proclaimed her love for rhubarb. “Who doesn’t love rhubarb?”, she asked gleefully.
Soon afterwards, thunderclouds parted as the sun began to sink behind the clouds. Bruised clouds turned into hues of pink and gauzy blue, forming a perfect backdrop for a moment of unexpected beauty over the tent — a perfect double rainbow. The colorful arcs wooed and awed our guests, and the dinner continued into the evening as guests feasted on a flavorsome, local dinner prepared by the amazing Great Performances culinary team.
As the evening wound down, guests moved from table to table to greet their friends, as they indulged in some of our favorite warm weather desserts, like Buttermilk Biscuit Blueberry Pandowdy and Rhubarb Cornmeal Betty. It was a delicious and unforgettable evening and we are happy to report that we raised over $100,000 in sponsorships, tickets sales, and gifts, plus $26,000 from our very first, sunflower themed Fund-a-Need led by our auctioneer, Jerry Croghan. Thanks to the generosity of so many, we will be able to provide farm programs to 2,000 young people this year, so that kids like Mia will be able to experience the joys of planting, harvesting, cooking, and eating fresh produce from our Learning Garden. We hope to see you at the farm next year!
FLOWER SPONSORS
Trudy Elbaum Gottesman & Robert Gottesman
Bloomberg Philanthropies
LEAF SPONSORS
Judith R. & Alan H. Fishman
Nina Freedman & Michael Rosenbaum
Steven Harris & Lucien Rees-Roberts
Liz Neumark & Chaim Wachsberger
ROOT TICKETS
David Adler & Amie Weitzman
Didi & David Barrett
Tara & Joseph Gendelman
Jean Hamilton & Rick McCarthy
Bella Meyer
Susan & Harry Newton
Michelle Ores & Charles Schorin
Linda & Jack Pelaccio
Anita Sabatino & Janet Silverman
Michael Scanlon & Susan Liquori, Sysco Metro NY
DONORS
Augie Treat
Beth’s Farm Kitchen
Chatham Brewing
The Chatham Berry Farm
Cheval Farmstead Dairy
Consider Bardwell Farm
Crown Maple
Farmer Bob Walker
The Flammerie
Flower Blossom Farm
Great Performances
Jean Hamilton
Harvest Spirits Farm Distillery
Hawthorne Valley Farm
Hillrock Estate Distillery
Hudson-Chatham Winery
The Hudson Standard
Kinderhook Farm
Beth Linskey
Liquid Assets Coffee
Little Ghent Farm
Chef Albert Lovelace
Lover’s Leap Farm
Nine Pin Ciderworks
Old Chatham Sheepherding Co.
Kim Thomas
Tierra Farm
Valley Variety
Thank You to the GREAT PERFORMANCES culinary team for this delicious dinner!
SPECIAL THANKS
Farmer Bob Walker & The Katchkie Farm Team
Danica Andler & The Design Team
Jim Colvin
Emily Schreiber
The Perfect Ten Students
The Questar Students
DINNER CO-CHAIRS
Betsy Jacobs Berliner & David Berliner
Judith R. & Alan H. Fishman
Steven Harris & Lucien Rees-Roberts
Renée Iacone & Steve Clearman
Liz Neumark & Chaim Wachsberger
DINNER COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Sherrell Andrews & Rob Kuhbach
Rob Arango & Gary Stefanick
Courtney Archer-Buckmire
Susan Ball & John Brigham
John Banta & Daniel O’Donnell
DINNER CO-CHAIRS
Debbie & Ralph Gardner
Anthony Fassio & Jamie Pierce
Nina Freedman & Michael Rosenbaum
Trudy Elbaum Gottesman & Robert Gottesman
Jean Hamilton & Rick McCarthy
Nicholas Haylett & Timothy Husband
Gillie Holme & Camille Massey
Hilah Iaulus & Jeff Krasner
Beth Linskey & Charlie Brennan
Amy Todd Middleton & Curt Middleton
Peter Aschkenasy
Didi & David Barrett
Jennifer Baum
Scott Berrie
Myra & Chuck Biblowit
Warren & Lenny Collins
Wendy Dessy
Julia Dobtsis
Lucy Gardner
Benjamin Giardullo
Liz & Steve Gruber
Judy Grunberg
John Hannam
Carole & Frank Lalli
Richard Martin
Dean & Kathy Martinus
Scott Millstein
Susan & Harry Newton
Linda & Jack Pelaccio
Michael Pollack
Steve Rosenberg
Nina Simmons
Krystle Watler
Arielle Solow Wein & Michael Wein
Bonnie Yochelson & Paul Shechtman
