Chefs For Farmers Food & Wine Festival
Announcing 2022 Chef Lineup and Farm Partners
North Texas culinary community of chefs and farmers join together at The Main Event
(Featured photo courtesy Chefs for Farmers.)
North Texas food and wine festival, Chefs For Farmers, returns this fall for its 11th year with a robust lineup of participating chefs and restaurants. The packed schedule of events begins on November 3 and leads up to The Main Event on Sunday, November 6, 2022. This year, Chefs For Farmers is partnering with The Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots a food donation garden that grows and supplies fresh produce to local nonprofits, churches, and schools, alleviating hunger with healthful, nutrient-dense food.
Attendees can expect to experience fun activations, mouth-watering dishes, refreshing and refined sips from local wineries and spirit brands, and will contribute to the growth and sustainability of Dallas’ local farm industry. As the years go on, the event continues to grow in both attendees and impact. “We feel so honored to have a front row seat to the rapid growth of Chefs For Farmers,” said Iris Midler, founder and producer of Chefs For Farmers. “It’s amazing to see how this event expands year after year and the impact it has on the North Texas community in so many unique ways. These farms play an essential role in providing Dallas with an abundant and safe food supply, and it’s vital that we as a city do what we can to support them.”
The mission of Chefs For Farmers is to see local family farms build strong connections with those in the culinary industry to ensure the growth and success of each participating farm. This year’s event will feature 10 local farms with a wide range of offerings from greens to meat, and everything in between. Participating farms includes Rae Lili Farm, Reeves Family Farm, Texas Fungus, Profound Farms, Comeback Creek Farm, Desmases Farm, Driftwood Meadows Farm, Bella Hampton Farm, and Jubilant Farms. These farms bring variety and sustainability to the North Texas food industry that deserves to be celebrated and supported, and that’s exactly what Chefs For Farmers is striving to accomplish.
The festival is a collection of the greatest minds and most talented individuals in the Dallas culinary scene. This year, Chefs For Farmers boasts an extensive lineup of acclaimed Dallas and out-of-town chefs, including Victor Villarreal of La Onda, Andrea Shackelford of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen, James Johnson of Pappas Steakhouse, Junior Borges of Meridian, Rebecca Weitzman of Flora Farms, Amber Fletcher of Fletcher’s Original State Fair Corny Dogs, Christian Dortch of Georgie by Curtis Stone, Eric Dreyer of Monarch Restaurant, and many more. Guests can expect to taste a variety of bites prepared by the finest local and national chefs. For a full list of the 70+ (and counting) chefs participating, visit chefsforfarmers.com/dallas-talent/.
Festival attendees can wash down those mouth-watering eats and start the party with libations from one of the numerous breweries, distilleries, wineries and other alcohol vendors present at Chefs For Farmers. This year’s alcohol vendors include Maker’s Mark, Yuengling, Justin Vineyards & Winery, Berkshire Farms Winery, Angels Envy Bourbon Whiskey, High West Distillery, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, and more. For a full list of partners, visit chefsforfarmers.com/partners/.
Every piece of Chefs For Farmers, down to each entertaining activation and delicious dish, unites under one mission that defines the event’s purpose. The mission, to connect local family farms with talented chefs to ensure that their businesses thrive, is the heart and soul of Chefs For Farmers, and the 2022 weekend of events will continue to celebrate and impact the North Texas culinary scene in immeasurable ways.
To purchase tickets for all event programming and for the most up-to-date festival information, visit www.chefsforfarmers.com.
2022 Event Programming
From Dirt to Dish: A Dinner on the Farm Series with Chefs Andrea Shackelford and Andy Knudson
Where: Water Boy Farms, 670 Wendy Ln, Lucas, TX 75002
When: Thursday, November 3, 7PM-10PM
About: Buckle up folks … It’s about to get delicious! Your hosts for the evening are none other than the highly acclaimed Chefs Andy Knudson from Camp Lucy and Andrea Shackelford from Harvest Seasonal Kitchen, who will be taking you on an intimate journey of an all-natural, farm-to-table dishes that will blow your mind! Hosted at Water Boy Farms, this intimate farm-to-table dinner affair will be supporting our official charity partner, The Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots, dedicated to support their efforts in conservation and farming sustainability that positively impact Texas’ communities. Expect nothing less than the perfect, multi-course dinner menu showcasing the best products of the season paired with sophisticated wines that will tantalize your palates all night long.
SOLD OUT: North MEATS South: a CFF Culinary Mashup with Chefs John Tesar and Junior Borges
Where: KNIFE Plano, 6121 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX 75093
When: Thursday, November 3, 7PM-10PM
About: Celebrated culinary masterminds, Chefs John Tesar and Junior Borges, will join forces for a not-to-be-missed evening filled with iconic creations. The dynamic, Dallas duo will be bringing their own signature styles to Knife Plano for a decadent feast of the ages. From dry-aged, locally sourced meats to Brazilian delights, prepare to indulge as you sip curated wines and more!
DEVOUR: The Ultimate Bite Night at The Exchange
Where: The Exchange at AT&T Discovery District®, 208 S. Akard Street, Dallas, TX 75202
When: Thursday, November 3, 7PM-10PM (VIP: 7PM-10PM | GA: 8PM-10PM)
Tickets: VIP: $115 | GA: $85 Capacity: 1,000
Chefs for Farmers’ DEVOUR: The Ultimate Bite Night at The Exchange is an elevated approach on your favorite street food eats. Join us for an all-inclusive feast featuring Dallas’ most indulgent sips and elevated street eats. Hosted at The Exchange at the AT&T Discovery District® from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., guests will get to treat themselves to a variety of Dallas’ best bites from some of their favorite chefs at The Exchange and beyond. Each ticket purchased includes unlimited food and drinks, making DEVOUR: The Ultimate Bite Night an all-inclusive event that Dallasites can’t miss! Buy tickets for DEVOUR at the Exchange HERE.
SOLD OUT: From Dirt to Dish: A Dinner on The Farm Series with Chefs Alex Seidel & Rebecca Weitzman
Where: Bonton Farms, 6915 Bexar St, Dallas, TX 75215
When: Friday, November 4, 7PM-10PM
About: Chefs Alex Seidel & Rebecca Weitzman will be taking their talents to the farm. Bonton Farms that is! Dedicated to cooking all things local, seasonal and utterly delicious, this award-winning chef trio will be flexing their culinary prowess through a bold-flavored menu that won’t be forgotten any time soon. Throughout the evening, your plate will be filled five-star cuisine, all sourced from the farm, as you savor exceptional blends poured straight in your glass.
Chefs For Farmers Farm Tour with the Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots
Where: Pick Up Location – McKinney Roots, 5595 FM 1461 in McKinney, TX
When: Saturday, November 5, 10AM-4PM
Tickets: $125 | Capacity: 100
About: We’re taking our talents to the farm! Chefs For Farmers andThe Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots have curated an interactive farm tour, where some of our favorite family-run farms will be opening their gates to give guests fun, hands-on experiences. Get ready for a fun-filled day of supporting local agriculture with Texas-made drinks and seasonal dishes from three of the area’s best chefs. All proceeds from the event will benefit McKinney Roots, the Seed Project Foundation’s donation farm aimed at eliminating hunger in Collin County with fresh, organic produce. This event is suitable for ages 21 and over. The tour will begin at McKinney Roots, 5595 FM 1461 in McKinney, and the bus will depart to the other farms from there.
Tour Stops Include:
o Stop 1: McKinney Roots in McKinney, TX, paired with Andrea Shackelford of Harvest Seasonal Kitchen
o Stop 2: N&P Farm and Dairy in Princeton, TX
o Stop 3: Profound Microfarms in Lucas, TX, paired with Joel Orsini of Profound Foods
Buy tickets for Chefs For Farmers Farm Tour with the Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots HERE.
The Main Event
Where: Old City Park, 1515 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75215; Event Entrance is on 1717 Gano Street.
When: Sunday, November 6, 2PM-6PM (VIP entry: 2PM|GA entry: 3PM)
Tickets: $135 GA | $200 VIP Capacity: 2500
About: Returning for its 11th consecutive year, don’t miss the Main Event, a.k.a. our signature festival celebration, highlighting the best of the best from Texas and beyond. Taking place at Old City Park , turn up the heat on your taste buds as you sample delectable bites, showcasing the very best tastes from The Lone Star State. We’ve curated a collection of the most talented chefs from our own backyard and other favorite, culinary destinations across the country, pairing them with an array of local, family farms from the 214 to concoct unforgettable dishes to show you why supporting local is what it’s all about. But that’s not all!
We’ll keep the drinks flowing as you WINE down with sips from various wineries and spirit brands. Loosen up your belts, folks – each ticket is all-inclusive of unlimited food, drinks, live entertainment and more.
Want to be a VIP? Buy today as it will SELL OUT and DIG in an hour early at 2:00pm and access the VIP experience with top chefs. This year the VIP will feature a Celebrity Cruises Wine Garden, the icing on the cake… $25 of the General Admission ticket will go directly to The Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots.
Buy tickets for The Main Event HERE.
About Chefs For Farmers:
Chefs For Farmers is an annual, three-day food and wine festival in Dallas, TX that grew from an intimate farm-to-table dinner in 2010. Our goal is to showcase the dynamic talents of Dallas chefs, artisans, and farmers, who make exceptional, seasonal, and sustainable food possible. Chefs For Farmers celebrates Dallas as an established foodie town through a handful of exquisite and mouth-watering experiences that highlight the local dishes this city has to offer. For more information visit, www.chefsforfarmers.com/dallas/and follow Chefs For Farmers on Facebook and Instagram.
About The Seed Project Foundation’s McKinney Roots:
The Seed Project Foundation (SPF) funds educational, agricultural, and community initiatives that support sustainability. Sustainability is a social challenge that improves the current quality of life without compromising future generations. The Foundation was established on the premise that funding sustainable ideas today will support ecological and social balance in the future. Providing seed money for causes that enhance the principles of sustainability is our mission.
Since 2020, the SPF has operated McKinney Roots, a food donation garden in McKinney that supplies fresh, organic produce to the food insecure by growing and distributing it to local nonprofits, churches, and schools. A few of McKinney Roots’ current nonprofit partners include the Samaritan Inn (Collin County’s only homeless shelter), Community Garden Kitchen, McKinney Little Free Pantry, and Community Lifeline Center. McKinney Roots grew and donated over 10,000 pounds of organic produce in 2021 and aims to double that number in 2022. Volunteer or donate to help McKinney Roots keep growing more to give at www.mckinneyroots.org.
The SPF hosts a series of events every year to support the North Texas farming community. Our Symposiums feature expert speakers and serve as networking events for farmers, ranchers, chefs, restaurateurs, and local food advocates. Our Farm Tours foster connections between the public and local farming community, educating participants on how our food is grown and highlighting the farmers that do it. The Farm Crisis Fund (FCF) was initiated to help our local farmers and ranchers in times of natural disaster and economic crisis. Recently, we distributed over $74,000 to eight local farms to help them stay in business through the COVID-19 crisis and Winter Storm Uri.
PARTNERS: American Airlines Mastercard, Angels Envy, Aperol, Balcones Distilling, Beef Loving Texans, Berkshire Farms Winery, Capital Distributing, Celebrity Cruises, Chefs’ Produce, CultureMap, Desert Door, Don Julio, Eataly, The Exchange, Edible Dallas & Fort Worth, Element, Escape Hatch Dallas, Hattie B’s Chicken, Hidden Hangar, High West Distillery, Hill Country Dairies, Honor Wagyu Beef, Jackie Converse, Justin Vineyards & Winery, Ketel One Botanical, La Colombe, LaCroix Sparkling Water, Maker’s Mark, Melinda’s Hot Sauce, Mesero, Old City Park, Origin Bank, Oyster Bay Wines, Ozarka, PaperCity Magazine, Rosewood Ranches, Shag Carpet Prop Rentals, Society Insurance, Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits, The Statler, Tequila Patrón, Tito’s Vodka, and Yuengling.
(This Philanthropy Lifestyles eBuzz courtesy Chefs for Farmers.)
