A few thoughts as we celebrate our 25th season of events…
In 25 years you may think we’ve nearly seen it all, yet we are constantly surprised. As the saying goes, you can’t step in the same river twice—and that goes for farms, too.
Every time we go somewhere, even if we may have been there many times before, it’s always new. Seasons change, time moves on, and the world keeps turning. That’s great, because one of our goals is to keep it interesting, and we’ve almost over-succeeded. Seeking whimsy and wonder as guiding principles has, for the most part, been successful, and our guest chefs, farm hosts, and guests at the table have been kind enough to go along with it. Thank you all!
On Outstanding in the Field’s annual journey, stepping outside of one’s comfort zone potentially includes “stepping in it,” especially on a farm. There are countless challenges to doing what we do. But each time we roll up to the next dinner site, the Outstanding crew works so hard to make an event happen because we know how great the reward is. A long table of contented diners, connecting in a special kind of way, is its own kind of beauty.
Our task at Outstanding in the Field is to appreciate the people whose hard work brings good food to the table. Outstanding in the Field began as an appreciation of my oldest brother, organic farmer Bill Denevan. He’s been an inspiration to me since my teen years, when he roped me into helping out at his fledgling farm in Santa Cruz. Farmers are always growing, always learning, and Bill is no exception. A recent visit to his orchard in Happy Valley revealed new things to see and taste: avocados, wine grapes, and new varieties of apples, pears, and apricots.
As we embark upon our 25th season of feeding people in the fields (and in vineyards, at ranches, on sandy beaches, and seaside piers), we appreciate the power of food to bring us together. When we gather for a meal, our common humanity becomes stronger. What divides us is softened when we swap the virtual world for in-person, in-the-moment connections at a communal table. Listening and having conversations comes naturally as we fill our plates and serve each other. As the saying goes, it’s not all a bowl of cherries, but at the table some sweet things might be passed your way.