Farm-to-Table Dinner in Millheim to Feature Sustainable Agricultural Leader, Showcase Local Food

The Penns Valley Conservation Association is partnering with Elk Creek Cafe & Aleworks in Millheim to host a Farm-to-Table Dinner showcasing and celebrating the fresh and nutritious foods that local farms can offer.

The speaker for the event on Sunday, Oct. 25, is Hannah Kinney Smith, local farmer and leader of Pasa Sustainable Agriculture, a statewide nonprofit organization that supports sustainable farms and equitable food systems. Smith is a former deputy secretary of agriculture for Pennsylvania. Her talk is titled “What The Table Holds: Food, Farming and the Wisdom of Wendell Berry.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to try a variety of dishes prepared by Elk Creek chefs Mark Johnson and Maggie Bierly. The culinary team will introduce the meal and the farms that provided the ingredients.

Kinney Smith will offer a presentation weaving stories from her own farm with her poetry and the work of Wendell Berry, a noted farmer, author and poet who passed away in September. Describing her talk, Smith wrote, “Together, we’ll explore the beauty, struggles, and unexpected connections that bring food to our plates—and what it means to belong to a place and to one another.” 

The Penns Valley Conservation Association has been active in the Penns Creek Watershed for more than three decades, working with landowners on native plantings and stream restoration projects and funding an environmental education specialist in area schools.

The organization has a long history of working with local farmers to establish plantings, fencing and conservation projects on their farms. Preserving and protecting agricultural land is a part of PVCA’s core work.

The number of farms in Pennsylvania has dropped by 17% since 2016, and fuel, fertilizer and equipment costs have hit record highs. While residents of the state love the rural character and scenery offered by its agricultural valleys, farm owners struggle to stay in business. PVCA hopes that the Farm-to-Table event will inspire attendees to new awareness of the issues facing farmers, and raise support for local foods in the regional marketplace. 

Doors open for the event at 4:30, and tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Information and tickets can be found on PVCA’s website, and on Elk Creek Cafe’s website. For more information, email info@pennsvalley.net.