4 Reasons to Attend a Local Farm to Table Dinner

If you have never attended a farm to table dinner before or have been on the fence about whether or not you should attend one, then be sure to check out these 4 Reasons to Attend a Local Farm to Table Dinner...

This post was created in partnership with Taste of Blue Ridge. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

Through my work as a food & travel blogger and my involvement with the local food & culinary scene in my area, I have been fortunate to have been able to attend a handful of farm to table dinners over the past few years. 

Although each featured a different venue & highlighted different local chefs & farms, one theme remained the same- a love for & focus on locally sourced, grown, & raised ingredients. 





If you have never attended a farm to table dinner before or have been on the fence about whether or not you should snag a ticket to your next local food event, then today's post is for you! :) Below I am sharing my 4 top reasons why a local farm to table dinner is well worth your time & the price of admission...

McAllen, Texas: An Unexpected Foodie Destination

McAllen, Texas has become an unexpected culinary incubator in southern Texas- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience...

This post was created in partnership with Visit McAllen. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

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When I traveled to to the city of McAllen in the southern tip of Texas last November, I expected to find some amazing local Tex Mex & Mexican restaurants. After all, McAllen is located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, just a short 10 minute drive from the Mexican border. And while I did sample some amazing traditional Tex Mex fare during my stay, I was truly surprised by the number of restaurants in this city that had embraced the farm to table concept in new, exciting, & delicious ways. 

I was introduced to a bodega that proudly cures it's own meats. To a restaurant & bar in the New American style of dining that prides itself on it's cocktails inspired by locally sourced ingredients. To a wine bar & bistro that is redefining fine dining in the Rio Grande Valley area by bringing the freshness of the valley to each and every one of their dishes. 

The local food scene of McAllen, Texas definitely far surpasses the expectations that you may have of a just north of the border Texan city. This bustling metropolis, which attracts about 18 million visitors each year, has become somewhat of a culinary incubator- melding traditional Tex Mex & Mexican cuisine with a Texan twist on the farm to table dining experience...

Exploring Willamette Valley, Oregon- The OXO Farm Tour

From a local farm cooperative to a true farm-to-table restaurant experience, explore the Willamette Valley and immerse yourself in the local foods scene of Portland and Oregon...

I had the pleasure of attending the first ever Indulge Conference in Portland, Oregon at the end of last month. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you may have caught some of my photos and experiences from that trip. I promise to share all the details of the conference and my thoughts on exploring Portland's local food scene (can we say all the foodie fun?) with you all soon, but today I am going to give a little recap of Day #2 of the conference- the OXO Farm Tour. 

OXO happened to be one of the major sponsors of this year's Indulge Conference, and in partnership with Travel Oregon generously arranged for the food bloggers in attendance to experience one of two farm-to-table outings on the last day of the conference- Hood River or Willamette Valley. I opted for the Willamette Valley tour myself. If you happen to be into the whole farm to table experience, then you are definitely going to want grab a cup of coffee and sit back and read through today's post... And then start planning a trip to Oregon. ;)