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Arts & Entertainment

Chef-to-Farm Dinner with MAX Group and The Farmer's Cow

What do you get when you combine world class cuisine with the sublime outdoor beauty of a Connecticut farm and foot stomping music?  Why “Bluegrass, Beers & BBQ” of course!  This event presented by MAX Restaurant Group and The Farmer’s Cow will be held on August 11th at Graywall Farms in Lebanon, one of the six family-owned Connecticut dairy farms that make up The Farmer’s Cow.

“Bluegrass, Beers & BBQ” is part of the MAX Group “Chef-to-Farm” series, which was recently named by Fodor’s Travel as one of the “five fabulous farm dinners this summer.” It is a unique culinary experience that gives patrons the opportunity to enjoy the freshest of foods and produce in the natural setting of a working Connecticut farm. Each dinner is cooked from scratch and showcases that day’s best produce.

The evening at Graywall Farms will include dinner prepared on-site by Executive Chef Scott Miller, with tables dressed in white linen and candlelight providing views of the lush fields as well as the al fresco kitchen.  The inspired menu features BBQ’d Noank Oysters, Crudites of Local Vegetables, Gourmarvian Farms smoked chicken, grilled striped bass, roasted corn tamale, summer slaw, breads from Hartford Baking Company,  local cheeses from Beltane Farms, Cato Corner and Beaver Brook Farms, and of course The Farmer’s Cow fresh ice cream, among many other delicious selections.

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Cocktails utilizing Rime organic vodka from Westford Hill Distillers of Ashford and The Farmer’s Cow Lemonade, good naturedly nick-named, “The Farmer’s Cow Corrupted Cow Cocktails,” will be served along with beer from Thomas Hooker and wine from Rosedale Farms Vineyard in Simsbury. Dinner guests will also be able to take a tour of the farm, see the cows being milked and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding fields while listening to bluegrass music.

There will also be door prizes from The Farmer's Cow including a Farmer's Cow Fan Basket and a gift certificate to the new Farmer's Cow Calfe & Creamery opening soon in Mansfield.

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A portion of the proceeds from the event at Graywall Farms will benefit the Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT), a statewide conservation organization dedicated solely to permanently protecting Connecticut's farmland.

“We are really excited to be hosting this event,” says Robin Chesmer, owner of Graywall Farms and Managing Member of The Farmer’s Cow, “It will bring a first quality restaurant experience out into the fields surrounded by growing crops and allowing guests to see first-hand where their food comes from.  Plus, it supports The Farmer’s Cow mission to promote and preserve agriculture in Connecticut.”

“Every year, Connecticut loses more farmland than it is able to save,” says Jim Gooch, Executive Director of Connecticut Farmland Trust.  “In response to that threat, CFT has saved 26 farms and over 2,100 acres of land to date.  We are so grateful to The Farmer’s Cow for all they do to help us in our work, and to MAX for seeing the value in that partnership.  Together, we’re making real progress – and that means more and better locally grown food for the future.”

Seating is limited. Tickets are $115 per person for this one-time event that will be a highlight of the summer season. To purchase tickets visit www.maxdiningcard.com. For more information call The Farmer’s Cow at (866) 355‐COWS, or email farmers@thefarmerscow.com.

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