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These views are too good to stay for just one night, so we are back at Moose Hill Farm for round two. This historic cattle farm spans 347 acres of restored woodlands and pastures, with a charming farmstead that operates as a nature-focused preschool on weekdays. After reception, we’ll have a wander through the hayfields up to the table — where there’s a panoramic view of Great Blue Hill. Derrick Teh will join us in the field kitchen with modern Malaysian-inspired cuisine from his lauded pop-up, Sekali. What started as a pandemic project now has a loyal following, and has earned Chef Derrick a place as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Northeast. We can’t wait to see what he creates for us from Moose Hill’s offerings.

Jim met Dan Meiser at the Hickories in 2021, and decided to swing by his farm the next day. After thirty seconds on this 200-year-old estate, he knew we had to host an event here. Between the orchards, vegetable gardens, greenhouses, and ornamental garden behind the pristinely preserved manor house, there is outstanding beauty and history in every corner of the property. In addition to the CSA and farmstand, Stone Acres provides farm-fresh produce to the 85th Day restaurant group, which includes the Oyster Club and Port of Call in nearby Mystic. Chef Renee Touponce runs the kitchen at both locations, focusing on the freshest ingredients from coastal Connecticut’s many farms and fishermen. She never ceases to impress us – there or in the field kitchen. Last year, she received a standing ovation for her dinner in the fields at Stone Acres, and we cannot wait for this year’s encore.

Moose Hill is the second highest point between Boston and Providence, and it happens to look out at a spectacular view of the first: Great Blue Hill. It has been an agricultural site since the 1600s, and is now managed by The Trustees of Reservations, who have revived its history as a cattle farm. The expansive property is full of hidden history peeking out of dry stone walls, hiding in the picturesque barn and wandering up the walking paths to the hayfield, where you can catch a glimpse of the Boston skyline. Our guest chef, Erin Miller, passionately sources New England’s best ingredients for her intimate, thoughtful restaurant, Urban Hearth. She is sure to have an incredible time planning a menu for us. It will be that perfect few weeks of summer that makes chefs in New England rejoice, when the long wait of winter redeems itself with a riot of perfect produce to compliment Moose Hill’s beef.

We met Christa Barfield last year on Elkins Estate, where she charmed us with her approach to organic farming, civil rights leadership, and food sovereignty. After quitting her career in healthcare five years ago, she was inspired while traveling abroad to commit herself to urban farming and work to expand food access in her hometown of Philadelphia. FarmerJawn has had a year of rapid growth since then, and we can’t wait to hear all about it as she tours us around her urban farm on the grounds of the historic Elkins Estate property. We’ll be joined by Chef George Madosky in the kitchen, leading the team from Fork. We love to work with them anytime we’re in the Philadelphia area – Fork is one of Seth’s favorite restaurants in the country. They just celebrated their 25th anniversary and seem to only be getting better with age.

We’re setting the long table just outside the Lancaster Central Market, the oldest continuously running farmers market in the US, and featuring local makers from across the region in our table settings. This is the heart of Amish country, where the tradition of handmade goods is still strong. Kyle Sollenberger, owner of soon-to-be-opened Passerine, has been asking us to visit him in Lancaster for years. So, it was easy to decide who we would invite to the table. Passerine’s chef, Joshua Manny, has a particular passion for working with regional growers and producers, making him the perfect choice.

This is one of a special series of Community Table Dinners, where we highlight not just farmers and the ingredients they provide, but also local makers and artisans whose work becomes our tablescape. OITF seeks to connect us through a celebration of all that is handmade, local and personal – forging bonds between those at the table and the people and the place that helped create the meal.