I was fortunate enough to attend the sold out sustainable dinner organized and hosted by the Nicholas School Farmhand student group.  Farmhand begun in spring 2007 and is a volunteer effort geared toward building awareness of sustainable agriculture throughout the Nicholas School community by providing physical labor for local, small-scale farmers that produce healthy food for the Durham/Triangle community. I had a chance to speak with John Kerkering, co-founder of Farmhand, about a typcial day and he summed it up with "students typically visit one or two local farms twice a month and spend the day working in the countryside, outside of the computer lab, and in the rich, luxurious dirt."  Just recently, the group spent the afternnon chasing chickens for a farm based in Chapel Hill.

The "tasting menu" seemed more like a full dinner and featured an entirely local menu with food and beverages sourced from small-scale, area farmers, brewers, and vintners. The night began with the company of hors d'oeurves and fine beverages. Soon after, a wholesome fare was served in the main dining room where local farmers spoke about the importance of supporting local foodshed and their experiences as producers and stewards of the land in the greater Triangle area.

Just writing this blog has me hungry for the next Farmhand sustainable dinner.  When I spoke to John about the possibility of one more dinner in the Spring, he mentioned "it is a possibility but I may try to invovle more people in the actual harvesting of the food.  There is nothing like eating the food you physically take out of the ground with your bare hands."  Sounds spectacular.

Drumroll please. The menu included:

Spicy Pork Casserole
White Lasagna
Pepper Crackers
Local Cheese
Sweet Potato Soup
Vegetable Curry
Carolina Brewery beer
Chive Scones
Pumpkin Pie
Whipped Cream
Apple Crisp

A sample of producers included: 
Elysian Fields, Elise Margolis: pork
Fickle Creek Farm, Noah Rannells and Ben Bergmann: eggs, pork
La Casa de Formaggi, Allesandra Trompeo: cheeses
Hillsborough Cheese Company, Dorian and Cindy West: cheeses
Maple View Farm, Nutter Family: buttermilk
Fresh veggies Eastern Carolina Organics

Speakers included:
Ken Dawson and Libby Outlaw - Maple Springs Gardens
Noah Rannells and Ben Bergmann - Fickle Creek Farm

John Kerkering and Jessica Gottlieb, Farmhand Co-founders