The Gala is a benefit for the 43 edible garden-learning projects supported by Yolo Farm to Fork. This past year, Yolo Farm to Fork, provided financial assistance and resources for 43 edible garden-learning projects, funded over 800 students to attend Farm Visit field trips, harvested 630 pounds of fruits and vegetables served in school cafeterias, employed college students in paid garden internships, and enrolled over 190 Head Start preschoolers in garden and nutrition-based learning activities. “Edible gardens are extremely cost-effective, hands-on learning environments where students experience the real world of biology, physics, math and literacy and link them to their classroom learning,” according to Suzanne Falzone, a career educator and Board President of Yolo Farm to Fork, “not to mention the links to better nutrition, recycling, sustainable growing practices, and the life-long satisfaction that comes from eating food fresh from one’s own garden.”

Yolo Farm to Fork, a private nonprofit organization, supports garden-centered and farm-based education for students. The organization is dedicated to bringing locally grown farm-fresh food to school meals and to reducing waste through recycling and composting. Its programs provide the real-life resources for kids to improve nutrition habits, fight obesity and integrate garden learning with classroom instruction while sustaining edible gardens.

The Inn at Park Winters is the ideal venue for this elegant event, for its luxurious country setting and its commitment to growing and serving only fresh local foods. Built in 1865, the Victorian farmhouse has been lovingly restored and landscaped to emphasize its roots in Yolo County’s rich agricultural heritage. An organic farm on its land provides the freshest produce for its gourmet kitchen where the Gala menu is being planned to feature of the best Yolo County agriculture has to offer.

Only 150 tickets will be available for the Gala. This year, with an additional donation to Yolo Farm to Fork, a commemorative plate will be available, created by local artist Laura Hanke through a partnership with YoloArts,. Tickets at $125 per person include all food and beverages, and will be available online through EventBrite (www.eventbrite.com) beginning February 1. A portion of the cost of each ticket will be a tax-deductible donation to Yolo Farm to Fork. More information about the event and the programs it supports is available on the Yolo Farm to Fork website (www.yolofarmtofork.org) or on Facebook.