Chefs For Farmers Raises Nearly $40,000
A record-breaking 3,000 foodies gathered at Old City Park for Chefs for Farmers’ main event Nov. 6. This year marked 11 years of the popular food and wine festival, which raised nearly $40,000 for the Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots.
Attendees enjoyed a lineup of 12 local farmers, artisans, and more than 80 local and out-of-town chefs, for a total of 150 booths.
There were also several new attractions, including the Rosewood Ranches Beef, Beer & Bourbon Lounge, which featured Rosewood Ranches beef bites prepared by Chefs Michael Scott, Kent Rathbun and Nolan Belcher of B4 Barbeque & Boba paired with Maker’s Mark and WhistlePig cocktails and craft beer from Yuengling, along with a hat bar pop-up from Felt and Feather, where guests could purchase and customize their own felt hats.
The American Airlines AAdvantage Mastercard Lounge returned again this year, and cardholders popped in throughout the event to receive signed copies of “Spectacular Spreads: 50 Amazing Spreads for Any Occasion,” by author Maegan Brown, known as the BakerMama, and “Knife: Texas Steakhouse Meals at Home” by Michelin-star chef John Tesar.
Returning from last year’s event was the beloved Eataly Dallas Rosé Garden, featuring Italian cuisine, gelato, and a variety of rosés provided by the local eatery and sponsor, Eataly Dallas.
To commence the event, Iris Midler and American Airlines MasterCard announced the winner of the best bite award that went to Burger Schmurger’s Dave Culwell and his farm partner, Profound Farms, who were each awarded 50,000 in airline miles. The winning dish was Culwell’s signature Maverick Burger, a Double Smashed Cheeseburger made with Honor Wagyu Meat with a smoked pork belly bacon jam on an Inverted hamburger bun. In addition, Midler surprised guests and partnered with Texas staple, Pappas Steakhouse, to present a check of $14,000 to North Texas Food Bank, in the festival’s commitment to fight hunger in North Texas.
The days leading up to Main Event held several Chefs For Farmers events, including the From Dirt to Dish dinners, the North MEATS South feast, DEVOUR: The Ultimate Bite Night at The Exchange, and Farm Tour hosted by the Seed Project Foundation.
“Chefs For Farmers 2022 was bigger and better than we ever could have imagined,” said Iris Midler, founder and producer of Chefs For Farmers. “As our number of attendees has grown, so has the impact we’ve been able to make on our charitable partner. It was amazing to watch the North Texas community come together to support this mission. Each year surprises us more than the last, and we are truly thrilled to see what year twelve has in store.”
For more information, visit Chefs for Farmers’ website.
Best Food and Wine festival on the Planet! Congrats to Iris and her staff!