Author: Alexandria Gortan, Citizen Journalist

The first day of Fall will be remembered by many peninsula residents for the glorious September sunshine and the bountiful ‘Harvest Feast’ that was served at the Saanich Fairgrounds. To call this dinner a success would be an understatement. The volunteers had to scurry to find more seating for a beyond sold-out crowd.

The Harvest Feast is a tradition in the making. The event is hosted by the North & South Saanich Agricultural Society and the Southern Vancouver Island Marketing Association. Volunteer organizer Robert Thompson has been an integral part of creating the Harvest Feast, beginning with the first event four years ago.

“The overall purpose is to encourage people to make a choice to buy locally-grown foods, by demonstrating the diversity of locally grown foods…Our goal was to have a dinner that was accessible to the whole community,”  said Thompson.

As the soup bowls quickly emptied, each table was called upon to proceed towards the long-awaited ‘feast’, which was being served by the Lions Club in the adjacent room. Once the crowd saw the long tables of gourmet farm food, it was evident what the excitement was all about.

Truffles Catering and Breadstuffs Bakery prepared the main course, using ingredients primarily from local farms. There was roast beef from Michell Brothers Farm, pork goulash from Unseen Acres, lentil stew from Saanichton Farm, acorn squash from Smyth’s Market Garden and Madrona Farm- and much more. And what dinner would be complete without gravy? Dedicated volunteer Robyn Ross served the gravy, also prepared by Truffles Catering.Throughout the evening there were raffles for everything from pieces of lemon meringue pie to artwork donated by former Central Saanich Councillor and artist Susan Mason. As the evening drew to a close, people tried to find a little more room for dessert and one more cup of tea.

The lingering, satisfied crowd demonstrated that they see the importance of being connected to their food and being connected to their community. While at the dinner table, Central Saanich Councillor Zeb King said “A community is like a family.” And that is exactly what the fourth annual Harvest Feast felt like – dinner with family.

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