By Tanner Hood

A host of Madison County farm products was on display Aug. 27 in Huntsville for the inaugural Farm to Table: A Table of Neighbors dinner. 

Flashes of yellow corn, bright green field peas, bountiful braised beef and other straight-from-the farm fruits, vegetables and flowers welcomed attendees to the Auburn Research and Innovation Campus. 

Following farm-tale chatter and community connections, Madison County Extension’s Lilly Oaks said the event was about more than a good meal. 

“We wanted to highlight the agriculture right here in Madison County that’s often overlooked because of what this area is now known for,” said Oaks, the county’s home horticulture agent. “We hope people attend and realize this is something they can be a part of and realize, ‘Oh, there is agriculture happening right beside me. My neighbors are farmers. My neighbors are someone I can support.’”

Madison County Farmers Federation (MCFF) President Charles Butler said the dinner offered an avenue for farmers to advocate to a community facing exponential urban growth. MCFF sponsored the event. 

“I was pleased to see the amount of people who came out — both from town and the country — to enjoy this great farm-fresh meal and celebrate our farmers,” said Butler, who serves on the Alabama Farmers Federation state board. “With Madison County becoming so urban, it’s important for us as an organization to use our voice and advocate for farmers in our county. Events like this provide a great opportunity to share our stories and way of life.” 

On the Menu

Local farms featured during the dinner included Vaughn Farms, Howling Fresh Farms, Hubert Farms and Scott’s Orchard. 

Madison County Extension Director Sinead Lounmala said reaching across commodities was important. 

“We’ve tried to source many of our ingredients directly from Madison County,” said Lounmala, who also chairs the county’s Farm-City Committee. “Our hope is to educate the community in two ways: through the ingredients we sourced and by getting to know the farmers who raised them. We wanted to find a way to make all Madison County agriculture shine.”

Set against the backdrop of the Rocket City, the dinner welcomed both agriculturalists and urbanites to celebrate farming. Representatives from each operation inspired the crowd, sharing stories and ways to get involved. Spurring neighbors to act was the purpose of the dinner, Lounmala said.

“We’re trying to give people a call to action to support agriculture, whether that is buying local beef or produce, or participating in agritourism,” Lounmala said. “We want to show people specific ways to get involved.”

The Main Course

The Hazel Green FFA string band served as the evening’s entertainment and preceded a keynote address from Madison County Commission Chairman Rex Vaughn, who shared his perspective on current agriculture trends. Vaughn’s family provided beef for the farm-to-table feast. They also grow row crops. 

“We have such value in buying locally,” said Vaughn, who serves on the MCFF board and is a past Federation North Area vice president. “Locally grown beef and other products — you know the history of it and that is of great value to you and should be. It is our goal to satisfy you as a customer and make sure you’re happy with the product that you get from our farms. We can’t afford it to be any other way.” 

Oaks and Lounmala said they hope guests walked away better understanding that farmer perspective. The impact goes beyond the event, with remaining sponsorship funds supporting a road safety initiative this fall. 

“From an Extension side, we try to add more to a farm-to-table event than just a good meal,” Oaks said. “It’s also education that’s providing awareness so you can go beyond the table and not only purchase smarter but hopefully teach others.”