First of all, we would like to send a huge thank you to everyone who made our 6th annual Taste of the Farm dinner possible! From our restaurant partners to our volunteers to our guests, what we do at Youth Farm would not be possible without all of you.
This year’s event took on a different feel than past years, with dinner hosted inside of Northside brewery, La Doña Cervecería. La Doña is a fully operational brewery and event space that strives to celebrate the merging of Latino and Minnesotan culture while supporting social, economic, and environmental issues. La Doña’s alignment with the mission and values of Youth Farm made it the perfect space for our signature fundraising event.
With this beautiful brewery as our backdrop, we still wanted our guests to have the opportunity to see some of our working gardens. Just blocks from La Doña are two of our Northside gardens, Peace Haven Herbal Garden and Irving Avenue Garden. In true Youth Farm fashion, we brought the farm to the city, offering our guests hayrides to and from our nearby garden spaces.
Paired alongside delicious beers from La Doña Cervecería and wine from The Wine Company, this year’s dinner was one for the books! We were beyond ecstatic to have two of the best chefs in Minnesota, Alex Roberts, of Alma and Brasa, and Ann Kim, of Young Joni, tag team the menu for the night. Both Alex and Ann are James Beard award-winners and have been highly respected members of the Twin Cities’ food scene for many years. The menu they created drew on inspiration from the family style eating traditions of Mexico and Korea and featured grilled meats, vegetables, and sauces that were eaten wrapped in fresh tortillas and lettuces.
Throughout dinner, guests heard spoken word from several of our youth, enjoyed music from DJ SciPreme, watched as local artist DelStarr worked his magic, and participated in a live auction. To wrap up the night, desserts were served and raffle winners were announced.
We are beyond happy with the way the night came together. Bringing good food, drinks, music, art, and community together is sure to create an experience to remember, and this year’s Taste of the Farm proved just that. As we relax and unwind after another successful dinner, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the people that support our work. Together, we are uplifting youth in the Twin Cities, allowing them to develop the leadership skills they need to create bright futures for themselves and their communities.
We look forward to hosting many of you at next year’s Taste of the Farm dinner and hope to connect with you somewhere between now and then!