A culinary arts performance of epic proportions
On October 3, 2010, the Farmland Project attended the Chef Survival Challenge III: Quest for the Golden Broccoli at Madrona Farm in Victoria. Not only did we participate at the event with an information table, we also had a wonderful time being spectators to a fabulous, entertaining event and are the grateful recipient of 25% of the event proceeds!
Chefs give it their all at the Survival Challenge
Twenty of Victoria’s hottest chefs came to celebrate their love for local produce for the Chef Survival Challenge. At this culinary arts performance of epic proportions, we watched chefs from various local restaurants participate in a boot camp style obstacle course, racing over the 27-acre farm to pick the vegetables they needed to create masterpieces for auction.
Participating chefs believe this event highlight their commitment to local agriculture. By sacrificing the luxuries of a restaurant kitchen, they hope to underscore the enormous importance of good ingredients to the creation of fabulous meals and raise awareness about the need to preserve our dwindling farmland for farming.
Nathalie Chambers, a farmer at Madrona, and the organizer of the Chef Survival Challenge, was a guest speaker at Pender’s own Fall Fair in 2010, where she announced that 25% of the proceeds from her event would benefit the Pender Island Farmland Project.
“I was so inspired by The Land Conservancy of BC’s (TLC) campaign to protect Madrona Farm, I’ve made it my mission to conserve farmland and biodiversity in B.C. Now that we have a successful model of sustainable agriculture for the next generation of farmers, I want to share it with everyone,” says Nathalie Chambers.
Madrona Farm, recently protected by The Land Conservancy, is an innovative model for sustainable agriculture. Located 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, Madrona Farm provides food to over 3,500 homes in the Greater Victoria area. The 27-acre farm produces a diversity of 105 crops, 12 months a year. Through the support of over 4,500 donors and supporters, farmers David and Nathalie Chambers have been provided with the first long-term lease to continue farming while also providing education and training for apprentices.
The third annual Chef Survival Challenge was a great success; we had a wonderful time watching the race, the meal preparations and the plate by plate auction, not to mention the fabulous catered lunch. We also used the opportunity to walk the farm, touring the upper fields, the fall plantings, and checking out the chickens. We deeply appreciate Nathalie Chambers, all the volunteers at Madrona Farm, and everyone at the TLC for their support and their amazing work and dedication.
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- Chefs give it their all at the Survival Challenge
