Potluck with a Purpose

       The 4^th Annual Southern Chef’s Potluck was an unforgettable evening.  White tents overlooking Serenbe’s pastureland and lake housed excited guests dressed for a summer BBQ.  There were Southern-inspired cocktails and mounds of renowned chef’s creations.  The red-and-white-checkered tablecloths were overflowing with local, fresh salads, slaws, pastas, and sweet treats.  In the center of it all was a whole hog atop a bed of collards.  Guests sat at long estate tables, eating shoulder to shoulder.  We gaped at the food and gabbed with one another for hours. The folk band played, the cicadas buzzed, and the sun set.  After a set of auction prizes were sold to the highest bidder in a most lively fashion, the evening was coming to a close.  There I sat – sated by one of the most delicious dinners I’ve ever eaten.  

And then the speakers rose up to give their stories.  Three women, two of them sisters, and urban gardeners.  Their setting is not unique, but their bravery is.  They live in an area of town that does not have easy access to organic, local food.  What did they do?  They planted a garden.  They sell their beautiful produce at the Grant Park Farmer’s Market on Sunday mornings.  And they tell their story – how due to a job loss in the family, one of them is a recipient of the benefits of the Wholesome Wave program.  And they are all dedicated to healthy food for their children despite the extra energy it takes to provide it.

The entire potluck’s proceeds go to support Wholesome Wave.  And the Department of Agriculture matches dollar for dollar funds raised for WW through September.  Every dollar raised from dinner tickets, to auction items, to donations given was doubled. Wholesome Wave Georgia makes one dollar at local farmer’s markets worth two dollars for families who use federal or state nutrition benefit dollars (SNAP, WIC, SFMNP).  Not only did the evening go to sponsor those who do not have access to organic and local food, it makes possible the flow of dollars straight back to local farmers.  “Good food for good people!” was shouted by Marie Nygren, one of the founders of Serenbe community, at the microphone at the Potluck.  With tears in her eyes, Lolly Beck-Pancer, Outreach Coordinator for Wholesome Wave, thanked the guests for all their support. 

I think I’ll go back next year to feel the breeze by the lake, eat exquisite food, and make friends -- from PhDs in Environmental Anthropology to movie stars!  I invite you to join me.  Together we can give our money, our time, and our attention to just about the best cause there is:  Good food for all people.