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Celebrate the Season with a Vermont Picnic

June 23, 2021

A fundraiser for Vermont Fresh Network

Special announcement! This summer, we are super excited to partner with several of our members to offer a delightful picnic series in celebration of our 25th anniversary! Grab some friends and choose your location. These picnics celebrate summer’s flavors and showcase Vermont farms & chefs. The funds raised with this series of picnics support Vermont Fresh Network and our mission to cultivate the farmer-chef-community relationship.

Vermont Fresh Network supporters, enjoy a taste of summer in celebration and support of our local food and farm community! Tickets for these picnics are limited. 

See below for details and menus for our August picnic series:

  • Lakeside picnic at Shelburne Farms (Shelburne) on Aug 7th (sorry, SOLD OUT!)
  • Mountaintop picnic at Spruce Peak (Stowe) on Aug 21st
  • Riverside picnic at Artisan Park (Windsor) on Aug 29th

Artisan Eats & Path of Life Sculpture Garden:

Sunday, August 29th, 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Windsor, VT

Experience a culinary delight at the Artisans Park with an afternoon picnic! Chef Jenny Williams of Artisan Eats is preparing an exquisite picnic with local products featured in each menu item. Located in the Artisans Park, grab a beer at Harpoon Brewery or a cocktail at SILO Distillery before or after your picnic in the Path of Life Garden. Meander through the maze, labyrinth, and eighteen works of art along the Connecticut River. Garden admission included in ticket price. Picnickers will be set with all the fixings, including a special Vermont Fresh Network picnic blanket. Catch outdoor music at SILO Distillery from 2:00-4:00. Pre-registration and tickets are required for the picnic: $102+ for two (including tax + minimum donation amount).

TICKETS CLOSED

 

MENU

To Start: Tomato and Pesto Galette with MapleBrook Mozzarella and a balsamic drizzle (Featured farms: Honey Field Farm, Nitty Gritty Grain Co, and Cedar Mountain Farm)

Entrees: choose one (feeds 1 person)

  1. Smoked Pork, Cornbread, Coleslaw, and Baked Beans (Springmore Farm, Nitty Gritty Grain Co, Cedar Mountain Farm, Honey Field Farm, chef’s garden) 
  2. Farmers Salad with farro, a selection of the most seasonal vegetables, roasted and raw, pickled spring medley, brie cheese, nuts, and berries (Edgewater Farm, Nitty Gritty Grain Co, Cedar Mountain Farm, Honey Field Farm, VT Farmstead, Clay Hill Corners, chef’s garden) 
  3. Smoked Beef and Roasted Veggies with sourdough bread and pesto (Cedar Mountain Farm, Edgewater Farm, The Miller’s Daughter, Deep Meadow Farm) 

Dessert: Eton Mess with local berries and jam, whipped cream, and crushed meringue 

Beverages: choice of featured iced tisane or tea on arrival

Spruce Peak:

Saturday, August 21st, 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Stowe, VT

Indulge in a mountain top picnic in Stowe at Spruce Peak! Pick up your picnic basket full of local goodies expertly prepared by Executive Chef, Sean Blomgren, and team, consult the map for best picnic spots, and enjoy an afternoon of breathtaking views. Lounge on the green, venture into the Enchanted Forest, or meander along a trail up Spruce Peak. Picnickers will be set with all the fixings, including a special Vermont Fresh Network picnic blanket. These picnics are perfect for two! Pre-registration and tickets are required: $102+ for two (including tax + minimum donation amount). 

TICKETS CLOSED

 

MENU

Entrée: choose one (feeds 1 person):

    1. Fried Chicken Salad Sandwich (Misty Knoll Chicken, Potato Roll, Heirloom Tomato)
    2. Israeli Sabich Pita (Triple J Farm Boiled Egg, Knee Deep Vegetables, Hummus, Tahini)

Sides: Elote Potato Salad (Native Corn, Dug Potatoes, Queso Fresco, Tajin, Lime) & Stone Fruit Salad (Ginger, Labne, Mint)

Served with: Two Sons Baguette, Spruce Peak/Jasper Hill Farm Slopeside Cheddar, Spruce Peak/Blake Hill Wild Blueberry Jam

Dessert: Summer Berry Galette

Beverages: choose a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage of your choice upon arrival or upgrade to wine, beer, or cider on-site.

Shelburne Farms:

Saturday, August 7th, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Shelburne, VT

Feast on the summer bounty with a picnic along the shores of Lake Champlain at Shelburne Farms! Executive Chef, John Patterson and the kitchen team at the Inn have created a menu that’s not to be missed featuring local farms and produce grown onsite at their Market Garden. Pick up your picnic at the Coach Barn in a canvas tote bag along with your Vermont Fresh Network picnic blanket. Explore the grounds to find your perfect picnic spot, lounge along the lake shore, or wander up to the formal gardens at the Inn to catch one of Vermont’s finest sunsets. Pre-registration and tickets are required: $107+ (including tax + minimum donation amount). Thank you for supporting our work!

SORRY, SOLD OUT!

 

MENU

To start: Shelburne Farms Cheddar Baby, O Bread rolls, and Shelburne Farms Market Garden Ratatouille  

Entrée: choose one (feeds 2 people): 

  1. Smoked Half of a Maple Wind Farm Pasture Raised Chicken, Sweet and Sour Eggplant, Potato Salad 
  2. Maple Wind Farm Glazed Pork Chop, Charred Onion Ranch, Wilted Greens, Potato Salad 
  3. Shelburne Farms Oven Roasted Gilbertie Tomato, Nitty Gritty Grain Company Wheat Berry Salad (DF)

Dessert: Shelburne Farms Market Garden Sour Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

Beverages: choose a refreshing beverage upon arrival (Aqua ViTea or Shrubbly) or pack your own.

We are excited to gather with friends and family again, reveling in the best that Vermont has to offer. This picnic series takes the place of our beloved Annual Forum Dinner, which we plan to host again in 2022! Join us in our love of local food and beautiful outdoor spaces this summer. 

Thank you to Flavor Plate for donating their time and effort to the design and co-development of our website.