On October 10, as the air begins to cool, the leaves turn from green to orange, and twinkle lights illuminate the farm for Evening at the Farm, the dinner has already begun. It began months earlier, in the soil.
Chef Rafael Rios, Chef Case Dighero and Chef Tyler Rogers began preparing for the annual dinner not in a kitchen, but in the fields of Apple Seeds Farm. Walking through rows of peppers, carrots, tomatoes, winter squash and herbs, they tasted, examined and discussed the harvest, imagining how the farm’s October foods might come together on the plate.
That seasonal connection is part of what makes Evening at the Farm unique. The dinner reflects what is growing at Apple Seeds at that particular moment. Rather than beginning with a predetermined menu, the chefs let the farm guide them. Knowing what is growing, what is ready and what is at its peak will ultimately shape the meal, creating a true farm-to-table experience.
“It is a snapshot of October in the Ozarks,” Chef Case Dighero explains.
Apple Seeds Farm hosts this dinner once a year and hosts many other events, but their main objective is educating and helping kids. At its core, Apple Seeds is a teaching farm dedicated to helping children develop a lifelong relationship with fresh food. Throughout the school year, students visit the farm to learn where their food comes from and what they can do with it once it reaches the kitchen.
These lessons begin as early as kindergarten, pulling carrots out of the ground and tasting fresh vegetables. First graders learn basic skills like measuring and reading recipes. Second graders begin to learn knife safety, and third graders experiment with pickling and cooking kale chips. While fourth grade learns to roast root vegetables, fifth grade gets to cook on the skillet.
“We want them to have familiarity and love for fresh foods for the rest of your life,” Bryauna Young, the Apple Seeds Volunteer and Farm Coordinator.
Through summer camps and school trips, Apple Seeds is able to reach thousands of kids across Northwest Arkansas, and with a new location in Central Arkansas. And these lessons don’t stop when the students leave the farm. Through Apple Seeds’ food donation program, children take fresh produce and recipes home with them, giving families an opportunity to recreate what they learned together.
The impact can sometimes be seen years later. Children who first visited the farm as kindergartners have returned as teenagers to volunteer, still remembering the recipes they made when they were young.
“When they come here and see how it’s grown and they harvest it and wash it themselves, then they have the willingness to try the foods they weren’t sure about before,” Bryauna says.
The farm also creates a unique relationship between farmers and chefs. During a walk through the fields, the chefs are able to see ingredients at every stage of growth and consider possibilities that might not appear on a typical restaurant order sheet.
“It’s super fun to watch the chefs walk around and watch their minds work, like, ‘Oh, I would love to use this. I would love to use that,’” an Apple Seeds team member says.
For Tyler Rogers, one of the chefs participating in this year’s dinner, that relationship extends beyond the food itself. Chef Tyler Rogers, who is currently developing products for national and global brands while searching with his wife for their first restaurant space, has a personal connection to Apple Seeds’ work with food education.
“Having two young daughters, I love seeing the work they do in our community, and look forward to my girls going to Apple Seeds when they’re old enough!” Rogers said.
Rafael Rios is another chef participating in Evening at the Farm, whose work bridges Mexican cuisine, agriculture and community. As a James Beard nominee, his approach to food is deeply rooted in farming and family, and he is one of the pioneers of the culinary scene in Northwest Arkansas.
“It has always been about community, quality of life, and farming,” Rios says. “Doing the right thing, helping other people. Those kinds of things run deep in our family.”
Chef Case Dighero is also cooking for Evening at the Farm as a long-time contributor to Northwest Arkansas’ culinary community. A chef and food writer, his work has connected him with chefs, farmers and food-focused organizations, like Apple Seeds, where he has participated in Evening at the Farm multiple times. For Dighero, the farm represents more than simply a source of ingredients; it is a place where community grows.
“This place, Apple Seeds, is a sort of community gem that is here for all the right reasons,” Dighero explains. “The work that everyone’s doing here is about the idea of understanding where your food comes from, and the nutrition behind it. I am inspired by this place. It’s sacred to me.”
Together, the three chefs embody the connection between food, farming, and community that the Evening at the Farm seeks to celebrate.
Held over two nights, the annual event brings community members together around long tables lit by twinkle lights, with chefs preparing a meal inspired by the farm and the season. The dinner also serves as an important fundraiser for Apple Seeds, helping support the educational programming that brings thousands of children through the farm each year.
For the guests, they can expect a beautiful October evening, with good food, local chefs, and friends sitting and gathering around the table for fresh food. But, the meal is much more. At Apple Seeds, the journey from farm to table centers around teaching how to appreciate everything that happens before the first bite.
“When you eat local foods, you are not only supporting the nearby economy, but getting a true taste of the terroir,” Rogers says.
“The work that everyone’s doing here is about the idea of understanding where your food comes from, and the nutrition behind it. I am inspired by this place. It’s sacred to me.”
Last year alone, Apple Seeds teaching farm saw nearly 20,000 students across its Fayetteville and Little Rock locations. Apple Seeds is helping these kids shape a healthy and lifelong relationships with food.