About 100 guests sat down to enjoy “A Taste of the Heartland” Aug. 19, 2017 in historical main street Stettler, Ab. following a full-days bus tour of several local farms specializing in different areas of agriculture as part of Stettler County’s Open Farm Days. ECA Review/L. Stillinger
A Herbed Beef Tenderloin with Border Cross Whisky Sauce created by Chef Jimin John.
Stettler County’s August 19 Open Farm Days included two separate events designed to raise awareness about where our food comes from and how it is produced and connect urban and rural Albertans with area farmers.
A full-day bus tour began with a pancake breakfast at the County’s new public works facility before participants were loaded onto two buses to visit area farms specializing in different areas of the agriculture industry.
The four farms toured included Fox’s Goat Farm, Buffalo Hills Beef, Haustein Dairy Farm and Rairdan’s Grain Farm.
During the tour participants were able to observe equipment and facilities, take a ride on a hay wagon and enjoy lunch at Buffalo Hills Beef overlooking Buffalo Lake.
According to Stacey Benjamin, Executive Director of the Stettler Regional Board of Trade, “This event was a great opportunity to showcase the awesome producers in the area.”
The second event was the Taste of the Heartland Long-table Dinner which took place on historic main street Stettler.
Throughout the dinner, County of Stettler’s Shawna Benson introduced each course, profiling the chefs who created the meal and acknowledging every producer and supplier who contributed to the event.
The evening began with the Prairie Caprese appetizer salad prepared by Chef Rieley Kay of Cilantro and Chive in Lacombe as guests mingled over beverages supplied by the Hansen Distillery, Blindman Brewing and the Fireside Winery.
The first sit down course was a zesty gazpacho prepared by Chef Brenda Brinson of Brenda’s Cozy Café in Stettler made with produce from Kempf’s Greenhouse.
Chef Rieley Kay created a spinach and saskatoon salad with Fireside Winery’s black currants, Kempf’s local produce and wild boar belly from Canadian Heritage Meats.
The main course prepared by Chef Jimin John, of the Otherside in Stettler and the Delburne Bistro featured tenderloin from Buffalo Hills Natural Beef and a tasty whiskey sauce highlighting Hansen Distillery’s Border Cross Whiskey.
Chef Lutz Kintzel owner-operator of Chef’s Dining Room in Rocky Mountain House created the dessert featuring a zucchini brownie with a hint of Thai chili, a taste of honey glazed wild boar bacon provided by Canadian Heritage Meats paired with a saskatoon berry salsa from Fireside Winery & Garden Market and a choux pastry filled with raspberry cream created from Applejack Ranch and Primrose Farms.
According to Shawna Benson, “We couldn’t be prouder of our local producers. Every supplier for this dinner has a local story and each of the craft professionals sources their produce.”
Linda Stillinger,
ECA Review Reporter
