Farm Table Dinners
All Farm Table Dinners have sold out for 2013
If you tried to get tickets but weren't able to, our apologies. Wish we had a bigger barn. Here's good news, though. Occasionally, someone who purchased tickets needs to sell them. The best place to watch for those opportunities is on our Facebook page.
About our farm-to-table dinner series
Our fifth season of Farm Table Dinners continues our love of, and passion for, fresh, seasonal food prepared by some of Kansas City's most respected chefs.
Among our guest chefs this year: familiar favorites as well as a few new friends who will join us in the barn for the first time. Each chef is eager to create a special one-night-only menu that includes our own grass-fed lamb, sheep's milk cheeses and yogurt, and locally grown and produced fare that celebrates the very best of our local food culture.
Guest chefs aren't the only ones who relish the unique farm-to-table dining experience at our barn. For the last three years, every Farm Table Dinner has sold out quickly.
View FAQs about Farm Table Dinners >
2013 Schedule
Saturday, May 11 Sold out!
Chef Ted Habiger, Room 39-Midtown
Ted has been a strong supporter of the farm from the beginning, utilizing our grass-fed lamb and sheep's milk cheeses on his restaurant menu. As owner and executive chef of Room 39-Midtown, Ted combines seasonal ingredients and exceptional value with a warm atmosphere and friendly service. Room 39 has become a fixture in Kansas City for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We love starting our season with Ted and can't wait to see what he brings to the table this year.
Saturday, May 18 Sold out!
Chef Alex Pope, The Local Pig
This marks Alex's third Farm Table Dinner, and we're delighted to welcome him back. The Local Pig is Kansas City's premier full-line butcher shop dedicated to locally sourced products and humanely raised meats. Since its early spring opening last year, The Local Pig has been satisfying food fans across the city. Alex shares our belief that you should know where your food comes from. His culinary perspective centers on the use of fresh seasonal ingredients and innovative cooking techniques to create new and exciting flavor profiles, as has been proven through his one-of-a-kind pop-up restaurant installations with Vagabond.
Saturday, May 25 Sold out!
Chef Brandon Winn, Room 39-Mission Farms
Brandon returns for his four appearance at the farm this season. As executive chef of Room 39-Mission Farms, Brandon specializes in seasonal American cuisine. His ingredient-driven menus reflect his passion for local ingredients. He believes the best-tasting food comes from local farmers who use sustainable harvesting and growing practices. The ultimate goal is to leave the land better than it was before.
Sunday, June 9 Sold out!
Chef Howard Hanna, The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange
Howard believes that Kansas City is in a prime position to develop a cuisine that speaks to its people, celebrates the bounty of our region, and can be unique and special. As The Rieger's chef and owner, he is proud to focus on quality ingredients, sound techniques, and connections between where our food comes from, the people who prepare and serve it, and the guests who come to enjoy it. This is Howard's fourth Farm Table Dinner appearance, and we can't wait to see what he puts together for us this season.
Sunday, June 16 Sold out!
Chef Michael Foust, The Farmhouse
No stranger to farmhouse cuisine, Michael has built a restaurant around it. Executive chef and owner of The Farmhouse, this is Michael's fourth appearance at the farm. His farm-to-table ethos, tip-to-tail approach to cooking, and homestyle restaurant in Kansas City's historic River Market are a perfect fit for our farm. We love how Michael couples his commitment to our local farming community with classically creative comfort foods of all types.
Saturday, June 29 Sold out!
Chef Debbie Gold
Fresh from her role as executive chef of The American Restaurant, Debbie joins us for her third season of Farm Table Dinners. A James Beard Award-winning chef ("Best Chef: Midwest" in 1999) and active member of our culinary community, Debbie will create a meal that highlights her culinary wizardry. She will combine Old World techniques with a New American approach to create food infused with incredible flavors. We are honored to have Debbie return to the farm and can't wait for what will undoubtedly be another incredible dining experience.
NEW FOR 2013
Sunday, August 4 Sold out!
Chef Martin Heuser, Affäre
When Martin and wife Katrin opened Affäre in 2012, the native Germans continued a long family tradition ... almost 200 years long, in fact. The Heuser family has owned Im Steinhaus in Bonn for nearly two centuries, and it is there that Martin developed his love for cooking. Given Martin's passion for modern German cuisine and local seasonal ingredients, it's no surprise that he was a semi-finalist for this year's James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest. We are pleased to welcome Martin to his first-ever Farm Table Dinner.
NEW FOR 2013
Saturday, August 24 Sold out!
Chef Max Watson
Kansas City native Max Watson started his culinary career at his mother's knee, learning to make cream puffs and chicken noodle soup in the family's kitchen. He took that early love of good food to the kitchens of Room 39, The Rieger, and Port Fonda's iconic airstream trailer before taking on the role of executive chef at Remedy Food + Drink in Waldo. A chef who embraces farm-fresh ingredients, Max makes his first appearance at the farm this season. We're looking forward to seeing (and tasting) what he brings to the table.
Saturday, Sept. 7 Sold out!
Chefs Colby & Megan Garrelts, bluestem and rye
Given this power couple's busy schedule, we're delighted they've found time to fit TWO Farm Table Dinners into their calendar! Colby, who just received the 2013 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest, and respected executive pastry chef Megan Garrelts, share their culinary skills with guests at bluestem, their landmark Westport restaurant, and rye, their new restaurant that opened in Leawood's Mission Farms in December. The Garrelts have been bringing their love and passion for contemporary American cuisine to guests since 2004.
Saturday, Sept. 21 Sold out!
Chef Patrick Ryan, Port Fonda
Patrick was instrumental in helping us get our series of Farm Table Dinners off the ground and onto the table in 2009. As co-owner and executive chef of Westport's wildly popular Port Fonda, Patrick offers a menu that ranges from complex and high-end regional Mexican cuisine to bold, innovative Mexican street food. We love Patrick's passion for seasonal flavors, and anticipate another remarkable dinner from this talented chef.
Saturday, Sept. 28 Sold out!
Chefs Colby & Megan Garrelts, bluestem and rye
Colby and Megan love autumn and the bounty of farm-fresh ingredients that reach their peak at this time of year. So it's no surprise that they're back for their second dinner this season near the end of September. Rye, the Garrelts' new restaurant in Leawood, offers traditional Midwest cuisine with a fresh, contemporary flair. We are delighted to celebrate rye with Colby and Megan, and we welcome them back to the barn this season.
Saturday, October 5 Sold out!
Chef Ken Baker, Pachamamas
Ken is no stranger to seasonal and local ingredients. His restaurant backs up to the Lawrence Farmer's Market, and he has used farm ingredients his entire career. Through his focus on New American Market Cuisine, Ken's goal is to reintroduce us to America's great culinary heritage with an emphasis on seasonality and sustainability. Ken is a proven champion for his commitment to local agriculture and continued support of our farm products.
Every Farm Table Dinner is a one-of-a-kind dining experience.
Held in the fully covered barn on our farm just north of Weston, Missouri, a Farm Table Dinner is a feast for all your senses. Your dinner will start with a sampling of one of our most delicious cheeses, passed hors d'oeuvres and a seasonal "cocktail", served while you enjoy the beautiful setting of our farm. You will meet our local guest chef as he or she prepares dinner, which will be served at a single harvest table that seats 30. You'll also meet your fellow guests and the farmers and food artisans who have contributed to the dinner.
Once all guests have arrived, we will sit down at the harvest table to a four-course plated dinner prepared by the guest chef that features our 100% grass-fed lamb and award-winning artisan sheep's milk cheeses. In keeping with our focus on local food culture, other ingredients—such as produce—is sourced from area farmers. Each course will be paired with a carefully selected wine, beer or cocktail. At each course, the chef will discuss the ingredients used and where they came from, and what inspired each dish.
The reception portion of each dinner typically begins at 6:00 p.m. We will sit at the harvest table and begin dinner at approximately 7:00 p.m. Dinner usually lasts a couple of hours. Entrees are served just as the sun is setting. Depending on the season, some mid-summer dinners may start later in the evening. Guests often linger to enjoy the candlelight and pastoral setting of the barn.
To stay up to date on announcements regarding Farm Table Dinners, Cheese Appreciation Events and other events at the farm, subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Facebook or sign up to receive our emails.