Heritage Turkey Sunday Supper 2018

Our November 4 event, Heritage Turkey Sunday Supper, benefits farmers, students, and local youth agriculture.

We will be celebrating our food and ag community with celebrity emcee/auctioneer Liam Mayclem, a meal by an all-star team of local chefs, auctions and great music.

Heritage Turkey Sunday Supper 2018

Julie Atwood Events and Slow Food Russian River invite supporters of agriculture and lovers of extraordinary food to gather for the Heritage Turkey reception, dinner and auctions on Sunday, November 4, 2018, at Atwood Ranch in Glen Ellen. The event begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are available on Eventbrite, and start at $100 for individual tickets. Hosted and sponsored tables of 10 are also available. Learn more at heritageturkeysupper.eventbrite.com.

The Heritage Turkey Sunday Supper benefits programs that support the tradition of family agriculture and prepare young people for local careers: Sonoma County 4-H Heritage Turkey Project youth farmers, Slow Food Russian River, and Sonoma County Farm Trails Agriculture Scholarships. Have a preview of the terrific auction lots.

During the “Farmyard Reception,” guests will mix and mingle with the kids and their turkeys, and dozens of local chefs, purveyors, vintners and brewers. They’ll also be able to bid on one-of-a-kind items in the silent auction. Dinner will be a four-course family-style meal prepared by a team of celebrated local chefs including Daniel Kedan of Backyard, John Stewart and Duskie Estes of Zazu Kitchen & Farm, Bryan Jones, recently retired Executive Chef at St. Francis Winery, WOW Executive Chef Robb Ledesma, and Pastry Chef Condra Easley of Pâtisserie Angelica. Members of the Sonoma County 4-H Heritage Turkey Project will show their prized birds during a live auction. Diners will have a chance to bid on a Heritage Breed Turkey to serve at their Thanksgiving meal, as well as on some unique and exciting culinary experiences.

The Sunday Supper is the culmination of months of hard work focusing on the preservation of Heritage Breed Turkeys and other delicious heritage foods being brought back to our local markets. Young members of the agricultural community buy their own feed and raise the young turkeys to maturity for the Thanksgiving market. Some of the project members have raised breeding pairs and hatched their own healthy birds. The project, launched by Slow Food Russian River in 2006, has brought awareness to the community and to farmers of all generations about the value of biodiversity and the support necessary for the future of farming. The Heritage Breeds Club has raised more than 2,400 turkeys to date.

Slow Food Russian River is committed to maintaining a diverse food supply by supporting the producers. Eight Heritage Turkey breeds are part of the Slow Food “Ark of Taste,” a collection of delicious and culturally significant foods that are in danger of extinction. By promoting awareness about these foods, they remain in production. Catherine Thode, Slow Food Russian River project leader, says, “We’re not just raising heritage turkeys, we’re helping to raise a new generation of farmers. Our goal is to educate them – and the public – about ethical animal stewardship, the need for diversity and our Slow Food values of Good, Clean and Fair food.”

Emmy Award-winning radio and TV personality Liam Mayclem will preside over the evening. Best known as the host of “Eye on the Bay” on CBS KPIX 5 and as “The Foodie Chap” celebrating San Francisco Bay Area culinary stars daily on KCBS Radio, Liam will bring his special brand of charm and panache to the auction stage.

“The Sunday Supper celebrates community, our beautiful landscapes, bountiful farms and ranchland, and the people who grow the food and make the products that nourish both body and spirit,” says host Julie Atwood, who is the event planner and a longtime supporter of youth agriculture in Sonoma County. “The generosity of our chefs and guests will help honor the legacy of the pioneers and nurture the next generation and the future of agriculture.”

About Sonoma County Farm Trails Agriculture Scholarships: Through a fiscal partnership with Slow Food Russian River, Sonoma County Farm Trails provides scholarships for students interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. Scholarships are for both local colleges and on-farm experience.

About Julie Atwood Events: Julie Atwood Events focuses on philanthropy and collaboration with deserving communities through elite events supporting agriculture, at-risk children and seniors, and community emergency and disaster preparedness.

About Slow Food Russian River: Slow Food Russian River is a local chapter of Slow Food International. A worldwide organization, Slow Food endorses a global food system that values good, healthy food, clean environments, fair pay, and food justice for all. Slow Food Russian River works locally to support biodiversity and youth agriculture through its projects such as Heritage Turkey, the Sebastopol Gravenstein Apple Presidium, School Gardens and our participation in Snail of Approval of Slow Food in Sonoma County.