File Photo /J.T. WAMPLER
Chef Chrissy Sanderson, left, of Fayetteville’s Mockingbird Kitchen, seen here with chef Joshua Walters of Bentonville’s MOD Restaurant & Social during the Roots Festival Chef Cookoff 2017 at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market, is one of four local chefs performing cooking demonstrations at the market Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon.
The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market’s “Harvest Fest” on Saturday promises to be a big celebration of local chefs, local food and local farmers, says FFM business coordinator Leann Halsey.
“This is a great chance for people to engage with their local community and support and celebrate our local farmers,” Halsey says of the event, scheduled to run from 9 a.m. until noon. The festival is the culmination of a two-year USDA grant that allowed the market to host local chefs for cooking demonstrations.
“These are chefs that have also supported the Farmers’ Market by purchasing local foods,” Halsey explains. “This grant was to help teach people about the local foods that are available to them.” Halsey says chefs from Ozark Natural Foods, Mockingbird, The Farmer’s Table and South in the Mouth will be on the square, cooking recipes using locally sourced ingredients. Observers can take home copies of the recipes to try in their own kitchens.
“Several local nonprofits will also be present, conducting workshops that will focus on activities that are relative their their own particular organizations,” says Halsey. Those organizations include Feed Communities, Seeds That Feed, Tri Cycle Farms, the Walton Arts Center, Washington County Master Gardeners, Washington County SNAP-Ed, Ozark River Stewards, Ozark Slow Foods and FoodCorps Arkansas.
Halsey says live entertainment will also be offered, as well as a jam and jelly tasting featuring local producers from the Farmers’ Market.
“It’s just a wonderful chance for folks to taste products from local sources,” says Halsey.
— Lara Hightower
