Farm to Table Event

Farm to Table

             This marked the 4th year for the Williston Area Chamber of Commence Ag Committee hosting this Farm to Table event! The original farm site location had to be switched last minute due to the plethora of rain this spring. Graciously, Horizon Resources hosted this event at their fertilizer location in Williston. This year featured keynote speaker Michelle Miller aka the Farm Babe, talking about the misconceptions of food labels from companies. A drone demonstration from Train ND –Northwest highlighted the benefits of spot spraying. Along with all this great entertainment, guests were able to enjoy a locally sourced menu from appetizers to the main meal, to dessert. To accompany their meal, folks were able to try a brand-new debuted beer from Busted Knuckle Brewery called “The Final Forty” along with other beers and wines that are made right here in our state. Guests in attendance also received generous gift bags as well as a customized beer glass. This event would not be possible without our generous sponsors, volunteers, and caterers that made this event possible! The Ag committee is looking forward to next year’s event being the best one yet!

The 3rd Annual Farm to Table dinner was our best one yet! This was our second year involved with this event; partnering with the Williston Area Chamber of  Commerce Agriculture Committee. We chose to make it a bigger event than last year by seeking more sponsorships and by bringing in a keynote speaker to strengthen our educational outreach.

This year featured keynote speaker Calli Thorne. Calli talked about the       operation that her and her family own and operate. As well as a few humorous stories of their own experiences of triumph and challenges they faced along the way. They are located in Western North Dakota and operate multiple enterprises including a backgrounding feedlot, cow/calf operation, and sell beef directly to consumers.

A drone demonstration was also provided by Train ND demonstrating how drones can be equipped with sprayers to apply pesticides or fertilizers precisely, reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact. For that night’s purposes they filled their sprayer with water and drone sprayed a field close by the tree shed.  Keith Brown from the Williams County SCD gave a short presentation on the 5 principles of soil health as well as provided a history and   update on the cover crop trail that is taking place on NDSU research station. He also   provided a cover crop tour for those that were interested afterwards.

Dinner was catered by Doc Holliday’s Roadhouse and featured commodities that are grown locally within the Mon-Dak region. Desserts were provided by Whisk It Good, which consisted of banana bars, lemon tarts, and double chocolate chip cookies. All of the desserts contained chickpea flour and 41 grains. Beverages were sourced from Busted Knuckle Brewery located in Williston. Wine was sourced from Pointe of View Winery in Burlington, ND and Fluffy Fields Vineyard & Winery in Dickinson, ND. They use North Dakotan fruits and honey to make their wines. 

Every attendee received a take home bag that contained educational materials along with goodies for home use. The Williston FFA students did a great good serving the meal and helping with the event.

We couldn’t have done this event without our wonderful sponsors and volunteers!

The 2nd Annual Farm to Table Dinner was a success!  This was our first year involved with the event and we hope to be a part of it for years to come!  We partnered with the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee.  We chose to bring in speakers to strengthen our educational outreach.  The event is designed to increase awareness and education about the importance of the local agriculture industry and its products to the broader Williston community.  We highlighted crops grown in the Mon-Dak region as well as the livestock industry by incorporating them into the meal. This was done to educate the public about how farming and ranching is right on their doorstep.  We want everyone to know the process of “Farm to Table”.  Education on how the crops are grown in fields, harvested, and then processed to make food and drinks on our tables is very important to us.  There are some who think they’re food comes from a grocery store.  They may not truly understand the whole process of how it gets to the store, who is involved, or how much is sacrificed so they have those foods available to them.

The idea was to bring rural and urban residents together to understand and educate one another.  The relationship between the two is the foundation for a successful community.