Burlington County Commissioners Support Fight Against Food Insecurity at 2nd Annual Harvest Dinner
The Burlington County Commissioners joined county and local officials, state legislators, and representatives from the New Jersey Agriculture Society’s Farmers Against Hunger for the second annual Harvest Dinner to promote farm-to-table dining and the fight against food insecurity.
Held at the Burlington County Agricultural Center, the dinner was organized by the Burlington County Bridge Commission’s Department of Economic Development and Improvement Authority. All proceeds from the dinner benefited the New Jersey Agriculture Society’s Farmers Against Hunger program.
“Agriculture is ingrained in Burlington County’s history and culture, and it continues to be a force for our economy,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Allison Eckel, liaison to the County Department of Resource Conservation, Parks, and Farmland Preservation. “Promoting farm-to-table dining is another way for us to support the industry. There is proven demand for dishes made with fresh, locally grown ingredients, and the Harvest Dinner is a great way to spotlight what’s possible with delicious fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy produced by Burlington County farms.”
“There’re no better place for a farm-to-table dinner than here in Burlington County,” said Senator Troy Singleton. “From our local growers to the talented culinary students at Rowan College at Burlington County, this dinner is a showcase of our deep agricultural roots, and an opportunity to benefit Farmers Against Hunger, which works every day to help address food insecurity in communities across New Jersey.”
Attendees enjoyed a variety of dishes made with ingredients from local farms, including a Jersey tomato bruschetta, tomato bisque soup, cider and herb roasted chicken, maple-Dijon roasted salmon, roasted eggplant, tomato and summer squash gratin, brown butter sweet potato mash, charred Jersey corn, and pole beans. Dessert was a warm apple crisp.
All the dishes were prepared by Evesham-based Chef John Gulino and a team of students from Rowan College at Burlington County’s Culinary School.
“The menu was about celebrating where we live,” said Chef Gulino. “New Jersey has an incredible agricultural tradition, and Burlington County is fortunate to have so many farmers producing outstanding fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other products. We wanted to take those ingredients and let them shine.”
“The Harvest Dinner is a way for us to celebrate Burlington County farms and promote how restaurants and other businesses in the region can benefit from using local farms as a resource,” added Burlington County Bridge Commission Chair Sandra Nunes. “The dinner also supports Farmers Against Hunger and the program’s mission to help food insecure families and reduce food waste. Tickets sold out for a second consecutive year, so we’re excited to make this event a Burlington County tradition.”
Founded in 1996, Farmers Against Hunger is a program of the New Jersey Agricultural Society that collects surplus produce from farms and farmers markets for distribution to food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries. During the last year alone, the program distributed 1.6 million pounds of fresh produce, including more than 500,000 gleaned directly from New Jersey farms.
The Farmers Against Hunger program has used a portion of Rainbow Meadow Park in Delran as its headquarters since 2020. This winter, the County plans to renovate the building used by the organization so it can continue to function as the program’s long-term headquarters.
“Farmers Against Hunger is an organization on the front lines in the battle against hunger and food insecurity. Helping them is an easy decision because it benefits our residents and enhances Rainbow Meadow Park through the organization’s programs and activities promoting agriculture and land management,” said Commissioner Eckel. “The Harvest Dinner is another way to assist Farmers Against Hunger and the residents and families in need the program serves.”
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