The Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend, which celebrated its 10th anniversary, was June 2-4 in Raleigh and Fearrington Village. On Friday, June 2, families joined F2F for a thought-provoking and family-friendly evening at historic Market Hall in downtown Raleigh's City Market.

Guests were welcomed by Jennifer Zuckerman, CEFS Board Chair, and Nancy Creamer, Director of CEFS. Shorlette Ammons, CEFS Equity in Food Systems Extension Associate, introduced the special guest speaker, Michael W. Twitty.

Twitty's book, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African-American Culinary History in the Old South, will be published in August 2017. Since he launched his Southern Discomfort research project in North Carolina in 2012, Twitty has been on a personal mission to preserve and promote African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa through both its diaspora and its profound legacy in the food culture of the American South. For his compelling scholarship and influential voice, which also advocates for LGTBQ inclusion and Jewish life, Twitty earned both Editor's Choice and Reader's Choice and Reader's Choice food and culture honors from Saveur magazine's Blog '16 Awards. He also served as a TED Fellow, becoming part of an international community of visionaries who collaborate across disciplines to creative positive change.
 
The discussion of the evening was Culinary Justice: Defining a Theory of Gastronomic Sovereignty. Food justice, social justice, environmental justice, food sovereignty - an entire language has developed around how we want to see and live in a better world where fairness and right action prevail. In an extension of these concepts, Twitty has begun to promote his notion of culinary justice - the idea that historically oppressed peoples have a right to authority, sovereignty, prosperity, and acknowledgment in their contribution to national and global foodways. Twitty explored the way the preparation of food unites and divides our narratives and how we can use it for the good.

Twitty's discussion was followed by a delicious, sustainable dinner prepared by leading Triangle chefs. Participants included Billy Cotter of Dashi and Gray Brooks of Littler, Chef John May of Piedmont Restaurant, all from Durham; Vimala Rajendran of Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe in Chapel Hill; Isaiah Allen of The Eddy Pub in Saxapahaw; and Jason Smith of 18 Seaboard, Cheetie Kumar of Garland, all located in Raleigh. Among the featured beverages was Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, Trophy Brewing in Raleigh, TOPO Distillery in Chapel Hill and Haw River Wine Man of Burlington. The dessert was provided by Ali Rudel of East Durham Pie Company and ice cream from Howling Cow Creamery at NC State University and Maple View Farm courtesy of Treat at City Market.

In our opinion, the best food sample by far was prepared by Jason Smith from 18 Seaboard and the best dessert was the ice cream from NC State's Howling Cow