Blackwood Educational Land Institute

Night two at this inspiring 33-acre educational farm where host farmer Cath Conlon and her team tend to a variety of vegetables, fruits, laying hens and apiaries. The farm calls itself a “living laboratory,” using restorative agriculture practices to find the essential balance between land preservation and food production. Blackwood serves local youth through summer camps and field trips while hosting workshops, tours, and weekly volunteer events for the community. Our farm tour will tell you even more. Guest chef Dawn Burrel will cook the evening’s meal in the field. Dawn is an Olympic-athlete-turned-chef. In 2000, she competed in the Summer Olympics as a long jumper representing Team USA. In 2021, she competed on Bravo’s Top Chef. After traveling the world with the USA’s Track & Field team, she worked in a slew of celebrated Texas kitchens including Uchi and Kulture. Her newest venture Late August opens in Houston this summer — with a menu that aims to “bring the soul of Afro-Asian flavors to the table.”