Pitney Meadows Community Farm Celebrates Ten Years with Their Annual Fire Feast Fundraiser

Pitney Meadows Community Farm invites the community to gather on Tuesday, August 4th from 5:00pm-9:00pm for an extraordinary open-air, expeditionary dining experience, bringing together local food and music, live-fire cooking, and community to commemorate the farm’s tenth anniversary.  

This year’s theme, “Ten Years Together. Generations Ahead”, reflects both a celebration and a commitment. Over the past decade, Pitney Meadows Community Farm has grown into a place where agriculture, education, recreation, conservation, and community come together to nourish people and steward the land. 

Fire Feast, the farm’s largest annual fundraiser invites neighbors, farmers, producers, chefs, and supporters to gather, share an exceptional meal, and celebrate the relationships that have shaped the farm over the past decade and will continue to sustain it into the future.

“Ten years ago, Pitney Meadows was founded on a bold belief: a community farm could nourish not only bodies, but an entire community,” said Brooke McConnell, Executive Director of Pitney Meadows Community Farm.  “Fire Feast is more than a celebration of an incredible meal… it is a celebration of the people, partnerships, and shared commitment that have shaped the past ten years. As we look ahead, it is also an invitation to grow with us and help cultivate the next decade of impact together.”

In partnership with Farmstead Catering at Echo Farm, owned by Gansevoort-native Dillon Klepetar, Fire Feast offers an immersive farm-to-table dining experience unlike any other in the Capital Region. 

Every ingredient featured throughout the evening will be locally sourced, with the great majority coming directly from the fields and pastures of Pitney Meadows Community Farm and Echo Farm. In addition, Pitney Meadows is using the event to elevate some other sustainable regional producers, including Featherbed Lane Farm, Sugar House Creamery, North Country Creamery, Mace Chasm Farm, and Norumbega Farm Oysters, creating a menu that reflects the peak of the growing season and the abundance of local agriculture. 

Guests will enjoy a welcoming spread of farm-crafted appetizers before exploring six live-fire cooking stations featuring renowned chefs from across the Northeast. Throughout the evening, each chef will prepare dishes over open flame, transforming seasonal vegetables, pasture-raised meats, sustainable regional seafood, and peak-summer ingredients into unforgettable culinary experiences that celebrate the connection between the land, the farmer, and the plate. 

Featured chefs include Nina Livellara, Michele Hunter, Brent Campbell, Brandon Shatko, and Kevin Sprouse, each bringing a unique culinary perspective while sharing a commitment to local ingredients and outstanding guest experiences. Menu highlights will include (subject to change) whole pig asado, flame-roasted vegetables, and other seasonal creations inspired by the harvest. Learn more about this year’s Fire Feast chefs at www.pitneymeadows.org/chefs. Full menu is available on our website at www.pitneymeadows.org/fire-feast/menu. 

“Fire Feast begins long before the first sparks fly,” said Dillon Klepetar, Farmer, Founder, and Manager of Farmstead Catering at Echo Farm. “It begins in the soil, with the people who steward this land and refuse to take the easy road. The relationships and community that make local agricultural livelihoods possible are home at Pitney Meadows. Creating a diverse meal to help celebrate 10 years is an honor for our collaborative team”

As the sun sets over the farm, guests will enjoy local libations provided by Druthers Brewing Company, Bars Without Boundaries, One With Life Organic Tequila, Hamlet & Ghost, Albany Distilling Company, First Fill Spirits, and Old Tavern Farm Winery at open bars and live music from Tops of Trees, an original Rock & Soul ensemble from Upstate New York known for their energetic performances blending classic R&B, funk, blues, and soul.

Fire Feast offers a relaxed and joyful atmosphere where guests can wander the grounds, connect with neighbors, meet the chefs and farmers behind the meal, and savor the abundance of the season. Attire is farm chic. Pitney Meadows recommends comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for grassy, unpaved terrain. Fire Feast is a rain-or-shine event, and all ticket sales are final.