Totally Local VC’s
Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series
The innovative dinner series promoting Ventura County’s world-class agriculture and cuisine
Our Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series returns for 2023. Tickets are now available.
Southern California foodies typically have a lot to look forward to as the seasons evolve, especially on the Gold Coast with our powerful agricultural legacy. The anticipation rises a notch higher as Totally Local VC, Ventura County’s breakout advocacy network, announces this year’s Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series.
The Totally Local VC Dinner Series has been getting to the root of great taste since 2006. Our innovative farm-to-fork dining events marry iconic Ventura County locations with some of the area’s top-line chefs, purveyors, wines and brews, preparing seasonal selections harvested from the region’s most celebrated farms.
The Dinner Series is the brainchild of longtime Ventura resident and Totally Local VC founder Kat Merrick, who explains, “The goal is to draw attention not only to our local Agriculture community, but also to our outstanding local chefs and local businesses that have helped to make Ventura County such an amazing place to live. At the same time, we are bringing awareness to and deepening people’s appreciation of historic Ventura County locations.
The series is structured in two to three successive dinner events, all revolving around seasonal, local fare. Every aspect of the evening – from cuisine to libation to music, entertainment and decor – will derive from local auspices and is indicative of and in keeping with the incredible bounty that is Ventura County.
Proceeds from our Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series go toward funding programs affiliated with Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation, a 501(c)3) not-for-profit organization. These programs help students to connect the dots from field-to-fork and field-to-career.
We work to strengthen our community by raising funds for local charities. Proceeds from our dinners have helped organizations including Future Farmers of America and the Steve Tobey Scholarship Fund for Ventura County High School students.
At each dinner, students have the opportunity to work alongside top chefs and their staff as they learn all the ins and outs of the field-to-fork process. Totally Local VC also works to assist in the placement of culinary students with intern programs through the county.
Tickets for the first dinner of 2023 NOW AVAILABLE
Get your tickets NOW before they sell out!
Totally Local VC's 2023 Farm-to-Fork Dinner Series Schedule
SOLD OUT!
| Date: | Thursday, July 13, 2023 |
| Time: | 5:30 pm |
| Cost: | $165.00 per person |
| Chef: | Executive Chef Michelle Osborne Seasons Catering |
| Purveyors: | Ocean Pride Seafood, Petty Ranch, Ojai Roots, McGrath Farms, Milliken Farms, Casitas Valley Pastures, Murray Farms |
| Beverages: | Wine – Clos de Amis Wines; Beer – Ventura Coast Brewing; Spirits – Ventura Spirits; Coffee – Beacon Coffee |
| Music: | Francisco Leon |
| Art Display: | Alden Arts, Inner Vision Art, JD Gadoé |
| Rentals: | Ventura Rental Party Center, In the Mix, Kelly’s Affordable Portables |
Note: The location for the dinner is a private ranch in Ventura County. The address and directions to the location will be revealed to ticketed guests prior to the day of event.
Dinner at the Avocado Ranch
Our first dinner this year takes place at an avocado ranch owned by a family that has been farming in Ventura since the 1870s. Guests will enjoy a dinner served al fresco in a communal, family style in the beautiful orchards of this historic ranch.
Avocado trees move in the evening breeze as the ocean mist slips quietly in from the Channel Islands just off the coast. The moon rises over the 100-year-old barn as the sounds of civilization vanish and conversations begin to intertwine. A kings table set in the middle of the orchard is the setting for this spectacular dinner highlighting spring’s harvest and the bounty that is Ventura County.
Guests will have an opportunity to talk with local farmers from whose land the food derives. As with the wine and beer, the producers will offer insight and context on the consumables, forging a true link in the diners’ consciousness between the fields to fork.
Proceeds from these dinner events help fund the continuing programs offered to students throughout the county by the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation.
About Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation
Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation is a collaborative initiative focused on promoting the importance and success of our local agriculture and business community. We are dedicated to educating our youth and community members on the important role that agriculture plays in the success of not only our county, but also the world, and the many links each of has to agriculture. Simply put, we educate from field-to-fork and field-to-career.
Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation is a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization.
This wonderful video just scratches the surface of the joyful experience shared by our guests at Totally Local VC’s Dinner at the Avocado Ranch in July 2023.
Information on this year's second dinner coming soon
We’re hard at work planning our next dinner for you to enjoy this season. Stay tuned for further information.
Volunteers Needed
Be part of our crew
The Dinner Series, Taste of Local, Cheers for Charity, Ag Week and more all need volunteers like you to help us at these events.
If you would like to help, please fill out and submit the Volunteer Registration Form accessed by clicking the button below.
Need more info? Have any questions? Let us know. Leave a message on our contact page.
NOTE: These dinners are for persons aged 21 and older.
14 comments
Hello, any chance you will do a plant-based/vegan event at some point?
Love the idea/concept.
Thank you for your comment. That’s a great idea and one we will consider.
Cannot attend on June 2 but please put me on list.
You have been added to our mailing list. We hope to see you at a future event.
So great to see these fabulous dinners are back on!
We are beyond excited that the Dinner Series as well as several other events are once again available to everyone this year. We hope to see you at our events.
Hi
Can you please tell me the venue for these dinners and if they are outside or inside?
How many tickets will you be selling, in other words how many people will be attending?
Is there a menu we can see?
Love this idea and hope we can participate.
The event is at Harmon Canyon Preserve in Ventura. All of our dinner events are outside. Directions and additional information are provided to ticket holders a few days prior to the event.
The number of attendees at our events varies. All of our dinners are limited seating events. Tickets always sell out and are only available prior to the event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/297186220987
We do not provide the menu in advance as all of our dinners are farm-to-fork. The chef creates the menu using the freshest, just-picked items that are available a few days prior to the event. All servings are presented family style to attendees sitting at one very long table. If you have a dietary restriction, please let us know and we will let you know if it can be accommodated.
The Totally Local VC Dinner Series has been getting to the root of good taste for over 16 years. We hope that you will join us at our table.
I’m a total foodie and love the outdoors!!! Anything like this in Santa Barbara?
No not that we know of.
We truly are a unique field to fork experience.
We attended the 2023 dinner at Cummings Ranch and had such a wonderful time. Can hardly wait till the next one…..when will the next one be and when will tickets be available? Thank you so much.
We’re so glad you enjoyed our first 2023 dinner.
We are working on securing a location for the next dinner. Unfortunately, the original location planned for our second dinner had some issues. So, we are actively looking for another beautiful spot for our next dinner.
If you are on our email list, you will be the first to know. The email sign up form can be found at the bottom of any page on our website.
HI,
Looking for info on the additional dinners in the series. I see on this page only the Avocado Ranch dinner. Will tickets become available for the rest of them or was it one ticket for the series and that is what is sold out? Thank you
We are working on securing a location for the next dinner. Unfortunately, the original location planned for our second dinner had some issues. So, we are actively looking for another beautiful spot for our next dinner.
Tickets for the second dinner will be available when we announce the location on our Dinner Series web page. If you are on our email list, you will be the first to know. The email sign up form can be found at the bottom of any page on our website.