Grimmway Farms Celebrates Organic Farming By Uniting Influencers with Industry Leaders
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Grimmway Farms’ iconic organic produce barn in Tehachapi, California, became the destination for its first farm-to-table dinner experience. Co-hosted by company President Jeff Huckaby and acclaimed chef Guy Turland of Santa Monica’s hip eatery Bondi Harvest, the event celebrated organic farming as well as cultivated conversation around the state of the organic industry and its influence in culture today.
“We are growing a community of passionate organic advocates across the country and we wanted to connect our food influencers, farmers, trade leaders, dietitians, chefs, and retail partners, while providing a noteworthy experience straight from the farm,” said Huckaby.
A feast for the eyes and the stomach, the beautifully set four-course dinner featured artisanal, vegetable-forward cocktails and dishes inspired by Cal-Organic Farms produce, according to a press release.
“I wanted to highlight the natural flavor and beauty of each ingredient. When produce is this good, you don’t need to do much to it,” said Turland. “We served up a magical experience within the walls of a gorgeous, old barn—candle-lit to perfection and dressed with wild flowers. It really took the saying ‘farm-to-plate’ to the next level.”
Preceding the dinner, Huckaby led attendees through a farm tour of Cummings Valley.
“Grimmway’s nearly 1,000-acre operation in the Tehachapi Basin alone showcased their decades-long commitment to organic agriculture. The event highlighted how the techniques used to rotate crops for disease control and implement cover cropping for soil health make for both good neighbors and world class vegetables,” said Laura Batcha, CEO of the Organic Trade Association.
The evening presented a unique opportunity for a diverse group of food lovers, all passionate about organic practices, to share a meal and learn about the integrity behind the Cal-Organic brand. Kellen Stailey, Vice President of Marketing at Grimmway Farms, noted that this is just the beginning of its plans to unite all types of organic food lovers and pioneers.
“We aspire to host more curated experiences in the future to bring together consumers, retailers and the many contributors empowering the organic food movement,” she elaborated. “But keep in mind, you won’t any find white tablecloths at Cal-Organic dinners—less than 48 hours after the meal, we started selling beets and broccoli from the same barn at the community farmers market we open every summer.”
This event comes on the heels of Cal-Organic’s launch of its ‘Handled with Care’ docu-series created in partnership with food media company Tastemade that we reported on earlier this year. The company said the experience encapsulated the importance of integrity in farming and the true meaning behind Cal-Organic’s ‘Handled with Care’ mantra. In total, the docu-series and recipe video campaign has garnered more than 6.6 million views since having launched in March of this year.
Cheers to Grimmway Farms and Cal-Organic for pushing the organic produce movement forward, and here’s to many more experiences to come!
