It was a grand night for sipping.
“Twas indeed!” The second annual Farm to Table event in support of the Nelson-Garrettsville Community Cupboard on Saturday, July 29, at the Candlelight Winery was an all ‘round success, with a good turnout of nibble &sippers, a gorgeous evening and an adventurous menu. Local lights filled the tables, volunteers saw to the set-up and prep work and serving. Table décor was courtesy of Art-N-Flowers; tent donated by Tents for Rent. An array of fabulous baskets was featured on the raffle table; they later went to surprised and happy ticket-holders. One of those raffle prizes was a have-your-own-casino-in-the-family-room slot machine, provided by one of the gold sponsors, Double D Slots, LLC, of Garrettsville. Other gold sponsors –several represented in the crowd– included Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, Middlefield Bank and Perme Financial Group. Silver sponsor was Kepich Ford. Amanda and Chris Conkol ( chef du jour) of Candlelight Winery and their staff were, as usual, “the hosts with the most” who played a major part in the success of the event.
The menu utilized ingredients donated by : Bee’s Eye View Honey, Bello’s Bakery, Birdsong Farm, Black Dog Acres, Bue Jay Orchard, Forest Fungi Farm, Geauga Farms Country Meats, Hermann Pickle Farms, Krzys Family Maple Syrup, McKenzie Creamery, Maggie’s Donuts, Monroe’s Orchard, Sky Plaza IGA, The Tiny Jelly Company—all located in the area, from Garrettsville to Troy Twp., to Hiram, to Windham, to Burton. All to good effect, realized as the servers brought tasting samples to the gourmand wannabes.
The raffle baskets included a back-to-school collection, a golf mini-outing, Here We Go, Cleveland and prime seats with all the trimmings, at an Indians game, wine and cheese, pancake breakfast, car wash, a camping-canoe-cabin package, a Hometown Proud IGA collection, a G-Ville Entertainment collection with bowling, movies, skating, a money tree, a dining out in G-Ville opportunity covering every restaurant in town, a beauty package , cases of pickles, freshly-roasted selections of coffee, a mother-daughter set of prayer shawls, hand-turned silver maple bowl, a hand-carved wooden mushroom lawn ornament, a racing package, an Italian dining collection. There were spontaneous outburst of applause as the winners collected their booty. After sampling the extensive menu offerings and the four wines and four beers on offer, it was a cheerful crowd.
The brief history of the Nelson-Garrettsville Community Cupboard by Michele Elias highlighted the reason for the revelry, as the group’s commitment to together “Shut the Door on Hunger” in the community.
When can we start planning for next year?
