Strawberry Cassava Danish by Chef Mallory Foster. Photo by Sarah Tew
By Emma Castleberry
The Utopian Seed Project has three events remaining this year in its Trial to Table event series, a communal dining experience through which new crop types are prepared by talented local chefs and attendees can learn more about the nonprofit’s work and mission to shift the regional food and farming system towards embracing more crop types. The future of farming is threatened by climate change, which causes unpredictable seasons, temperature swings and flooding events that can wipe out entire harvests. “Growing food is going to be more challenging going forward,” says Utopian Seed Project founder and executive director Chris Smith. “And one of the ways we can stand up against that is by having more diversity in the food system.”
plēb urban winery. Photo by Sarah Tew
The Trial to Table events are a crucial part of the Utopian Seed Project mission because these events educate and familiarize attendees with the flavor, texture and application of new crop types. “We’re really trying to get farmers the tools to be able to explore and grow different crops and varieties,” says Smith, “but we also need the demand side to back it up. We need consumers to know what taro is and how to cut it and eat it.”
Not only does agrobiodiversity make our regional farming system more resilient to climate change but it also creates a more interesting and exciting eating experience. Chefs at each Trial to Table are given a pantry list from the Utopian Seed Project’s farm, which features a variety of unique crops and ingredients they can work with, from dahlia seed oil to sochan to Japanese knotweed syrup. Each chef makes a short speech about their dishes at every event.
Chef Michelle Bailey has been working with Smith and the Utopian Seed Project for several years and has participated in a few Trial to Table events, including this year’s April event at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. “I’ve still just barely scratched the surface with working with some of the ingredients that [Smith] has, most of which he introduced to me for the first time,” she says.
The Utopian Seed Project has been hosting Trial to Table events since 2019 and they have always sold out. Attendance numbers are capped to ensure an intimate and meaningful gathering that’s focused around the chefs and the food. “This is meant to be fun,” says Smith, “and I want you to enjoy the food, but it’s also serious work.”
Trial to Table events make the Utopian Seed Project’s mission tangible by translating research and experimental farming into a real-world effect on the food system. The next Trial to Table event is on August 17 at Old North Farm in Cleveland County, followed by a September 14 event at Ivory Road in South Asheville and an October 12 event at The Mule, Devil’s Foot Brewing Company’s event space in Asheville.
Tickets for each event are sold on a pay-what-you-can model with a minimum price of $25 and a recommended price of $50. Learn more and purchase tickets at TheUtopianSeedProject.org/trial-to-table.
