When a community comes together for a harvest dinner in an area like ours, it’s typically a time to share the bounty, hopefully after the corn has been chopped and the season’s last cutting of hay is undercover. This fall’s Foodlink dinner is Friday, October 19 from 6-9 pm.
Our community came together at our barn four times last year to help Foodlink help Livingston County families. The money raised at our dinners through raffles and donations stays in the county. Four thousand dollars was raised at our dinners last year providing 12,000 meals for our neighbors! Right here in Livingston County, recent findings show that more than one in ten people are food insecure. That number almost doubles for our area’s children—18.7%! (source: Feeding America: The Map the Meal Gap report, www.feedingamerica.org)
Being part of our community here at True North Farm does not mean you have to live in York. Friends come from an hour or more away, families travel from even greater distances and neighbors bring visitors from out of state. People have lively conversations with others they just met. Kids dance to the music. Recipes are traded.
Our two big raffle prizes for this dinner come from people with big hearts who believe in Foodlink’s mission and want to help us help our neighbors. Naomi Silver, CEO/COO of the Rochester Red Wings is donating eight tickets to a ball game next spring (exact date to be determined.) The lucky winner will be able to bring seven friends to spend a wonderful evening together at Frontier Field.
Bob Grant is a York native who trained at the Culinary Institute of America. He will be offering his services (again, date to be determined) to design and prepare a lovely gourmet meal that will be served at our home. The winner of this raffle will be able to invite seven others to join together at our dining room table and be pampered with service to a great feast.
Both of the raffle prizes are designed to bring small groups together to enjoy each other’s company. That’s worth a lot in our busy world.
Celebrating and building community is needed now more than ever. Absolutely everyone is welcome and encouraged to come, regardless of race, religious belief, country of origin, sexual orientation or political affiliation.
Everyone has the right to know where their next meal is coming from. Come help us help Foodlink.