Fresh, Local and Tasty

Nissa Henslee is passionate about her home of Bonners Ferry and the agriculture that is an integral part of the community. In an effort to share her passion, she came up with the idea of putting on a “Farm-to-Table” Community Dinner. While her original intent was to host it this year, she has decided to plan this inaugural event for 2017. But the time to start planning is now.

“We have major details yet to plan for, and the summer is moving quickly,” said Henslee. “We will do this in 2017 so that we can fully plan this right.”

Henslee shared that Bonners Ferry is a community that lives and works off of the land, and the Farm-to-Table dinner is intended to highlight what this fertile area can produce. “I also want to promote local small farming activities,” said Henslee of her motivation behind the planning the event.

While she has never attended a Farm-to-Table dinner, Henslee shares that she is excited about the concept and has supported local farms and farmers markets her entire life. “I also enjoy experimenting with recipes that use fresh and simple ingredients,” said Henslee.

So what exactly is a Farm-to-Table dinner? The concept is one that involves promoting local food through direct acquisition from the producer of the food, whether it is a ranch, farm, or even a local winery or brewery. And while Henslee’s intent is to educate the community, it is also going to be a fundraiser as well.

“I would also like to add a charitable element to account for community members who are in need of the basic necessities to survive,” said Henslee. “This includes food bank donations and any profit of ticket sales to go towards food packages for people in need.”

So while the event is still a year away, Henslee is looking for volunteers to help make it a huge success and possibly an annual event. “We need mostly growers, but also any volunteer help would be appreciated,” she said.

The produce supplied for the event would be purchased with ticket sales. “Donated or discounted food items would be appreciated and would help to feed more families in need,” said Henslee.

To date, several business have expressed an interest in helping with this event including Under the Sun, The Rusty Moose, Far North Deli, Bonners Ferry FFA, Heart Rock Wines and the Bonners Ferry Farmer's Market.

“Since we have decided to postpone this event one year, this will allow for involvement from others in the community who may want to participate,” said Henslee. And while the details are still to be determined, the plan is to ideally to hold the event on Main Street in downtown Bonners Ferry.

While the community Farm-to-Table dinner is still in the future, you can practice the same concept at home now. Shop our local Farmer's Market to purchase locally grown food from our many area farmers. You will not only be eating healthier, you will also be supporting our local economy. Invite friends and spread the word about how we as a community can eat healthy and support one another at the same time!

If you would like to get involved, please send an email to Nissa Henslee at nhenslee@picturesque-bf.com.

#local #lifecommunity