2009 Foodie & Chef to Farm Tours

–For the first time, FYS’s summer farm tour is open to the public!

Last year’s Chef-to-Farm event was a sold out success, receiving coverage in local papers and magazines, and introducing some of Buffalo’s best chefs to local farmers.  This year, Feed Your Soul developed two tours, one for everyday people (Foodie-to-Farm) and a second annual Chef-to-Farm tour.  Additionally, a private tour was arranged for Erie County Community College’s Culinary Arts program.

This year’s tours included visits to T-Meadow Farm to meet Farmer Rich Tilyou, who raises heritage breed hogs on pasture in the most respectful way we’ve ever seen.

From there we headed over to Cambria’s Arrowhead Spring Vineyards to meet Robin & Duncan Ross, the palates behind some of the best wine in our region.  They walked us through their organic vineyards and treated us to a barrel sampling using a wine thief, in addition to a more traditional tasting in their picturesque tasting room.

The next stop was at Old Fort Niagara where we enjoyed a remarkable lunch featuring local produce and beef from Teacup Farm, prepared by the notable Chef Carmelo Raimondi of Carmelo’s in Lewiston.

After a little rest and relaxation, we traveled just a mile or so to Tom Tower’s Farm for a field walk with Mr. Tower, a talented and charismatic farmer whose family has been farming in our area since the early 1800s.  Mr. Tower’s produce is prized by many of our area’s top chefs.

Guests returned home well-fed, having met some of our region’s greatest farmers and achieved an up-close-and-personal understanding WNY’s agricultural bounty.