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Image credit Jeremy Fenske for Outstanding in the Field
Outstanding in the Field (OITF) is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999, OITF has traveled around the country setting their long table in fields, gardens and vineyards, and on beaches and mountaintops. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table. Their mission is to promote local food and agriculture, reconnect diners to the land and the origins of their food and to honor the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it. The organization donates to a number of farm- and food-related groups whose missions align with those of OITF.
Farm dinners are very popular in today’s culture. People are excited to get to know farmers, visit farms and celebrate real food culture. Farm dinners have caught on, and OITF now organizes as many as 90 events a year. This nationally recognized event presents an opportunity for the Berkshires to make known its historical roots in agriculture and to promote the food culture of the region, especially the strong ties between farmers and chefs and the collaborative practice of farm-to-table values in the region.
Berkshire Farm & Table helped bring OITF to the Berkshires and continues to support and promote the remarkable chef-and-farm combinations for our region. Outstanding in the Field’s first visit to the Berkshires took place in 2012 at Indian Line Farm in South Egremont, the birthplace of the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm in North America. The event sold out in four hours the day tickets went on sale. We’re excited to have them back and hope we’re on the map for years to come.
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