We connect Kentuckians to local, sustainable, organic farmers by hosting several community events throughout the season. Join OAK at an upcoming event and subscribe to theMake Mine Organic e-newsletter and explore the community resources for more information.
Upcoming Events
KY Proud Fall CSA Week
Date: September 16 - 20, 2024
Location: CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group
Event Description:KY Proud Fall CSA Week raises awareness of CSA (community supported agriculture) food purchasing model year-round by promoting signups from September through December. Join the CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group to follow along with this CSA promotion, get information for offerings with over 25 farms, and seasonal eating resources.
Take a look at the recordings and resources below and subscribe to our OAK newsletter for latest information on future OAK community events.
Past Events
State Fair CSA Chef Demo
Date: Friday August 16, 2024 from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: Kentucky Exposition Center (Farm to Fair Cooking Stage in South Wing A)
Event Summary: We partnered with Chef Eneitra Beattie from Green N Tingz and highlighted some delicious seasonal dips at the Kentucky State Fair with ingredients that can be found in CSA (community supported agriculture share). Check out these recipes for a fresh salsa and yogurt herb dip!
Beat the Heat CSA Chef Demo
Date: Thursday, August 1, 2024 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET
Location: Zoom Meeting
Event Summary: Are you looking to cool off this summer? Watch the recording and view the recipe handout for our virtual demo with Chef Tanya from The Food Connection for a demonstration featuring seasonal popsicles, high protein veggie mix, and a charred eggplant dip that are refreshing dishes to try in the dog days of summer.
Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 from 11:00am - 1:00 pm
Location: American Printing House
Event Summary: We joined Wellness Manager Amanda Veneman from The Flik Hospitality Group a CSA-inspired local food tasting of soba noodle salad for American Printing House employees. This recipe was inspired and utilized veggies from their CSA partner Barr Farms.
Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: LFUCGGovernment Center Lobby
Event Summary:Kentucky Farm Share Coalition joined Chef Tanya from The Food Connection at the City of Lexington CSA pickup for a local food tasting of an early summer panzanella salad. This recipe featured early summer veggies arriving in LFUCG CSA shares.
Event Summary: KY Proud CSA Week raises awareness of CSA (community supported agriculture) food purchasing model, promotes offerings with over 75 farms, and shares seasonal eating resources. Join the CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group to ask questions about CSA in your area!
Cook with a Farmer: Prepare a Local Recipe with Hickory Grove Farm
Event Date: Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Location:The Food Connection at University of Kentucky, 440 Hilltop Avenue, Lexington, KY, 40506
Event Summary: During this hands-on cooking class, participants where joined by Ryan Burnette, head farmer at Hickory Grove Farm, and Chef Tanya Whitehouse, chef and program manager, from The Food Connection. Attendees go to learn about Hickory Grove Farm's long farming history, their production practices, and prepare a butternut squash soup with ingredients from the farm.
Location: Virtually on the CSA in KY Facebook Group
Event Summary:2023 KY Proud Fall CSA Week raises awareness about the CSA model and provides tips and resources for Kentucky eaters to find local farm subscriptions October through December. Join us this September in the CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group to ask questions about CSA shares in your area and find opportunities from more than 40+ farms across Kentucky. This event is co-organized by Kentucky Proud, Kentucky Horticulture Council, OAK, and The Food Connection.
Event Summary: Need easy, healthy meals for you and the whole family? Watch Chef Tanya from The Food Connection show off pro-tips on template lunch recipes, like harvest bowls, bento boxes, salad in a jar.
Event Summary: Is your CSA share feeling like a veggie overload? Watch Chef Tanya Whitehouse from The Food Connection show off a recipe for Stuffed Summer Squash Roll Ups AND share tips to store and freeze extra seasonal produce to help use up a lot of ingredients in a weekly CSA share.
American Printing House Cooking Demo: Satisfying Summer Salad
Date: June 27, 2023
Location: American Printing House, Louisville, KY
Event Summary: Stay cool this summer with a easy salad recipe that is adaptable for any season. This recipe was created by Amanda Veneman, Flik Hospitality wellness manager, for a wellness demo at American Printing House featuring a refreshing herb-based vinaigrette, chopped summer squash, and cauliflower.
Event Summary: Curious how to add more veggies to your Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner? Watch Chef Tanya from The Food Connection and Vanessa Oliver, a UK HR HW Dietitian, for tips and recipes in this online demo featuring kohlrabi and zucchini, a veg-focused new potato salad, and a spring vegetable tart.
Event Summary: Take some time to get to know your CSA share and make a date each week of the season! Watch the Chef Tanya show off easy cooking techniques to prep your pantry, store veggies, and make quick meals this CSA season.
Event Summary: KY Proud CSA Week raises awareness about the CSA model and provides tips and resources for customers.Join the CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group to ask questions about CSA shares in your area! Explore OAK's Find-A-Farm Directory and click "Find A CSA" to learn about CSA offerings all year.
Cook with a Farmer: Veggie Hash with UK Organic Farming Unit
Date: Monday, October 17, 2022
Location:The Food Connection at University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
Event Summary: Participants attended a hands-on CSA cooking class with Farm Manager Kristi Durbin from the UK Organic Farming Unit and Chef Tanya from The Food Connection! During this event, attendees learned about UK Organic Farming Unit's CSA program, growing practices and wide variety of certified organic produce. Then they prepared a seasonal veggie hash alongside Chef Tanya who shared pro tips to store, cook and enjoy a CSA share for the rest of the season!
The City of Lexington, Chef Tanya Whitehouse from The Food Connection, and KY Farm Share Coalition hosted a virtual cooking demo featuring a Fall Lasagna. Chef Tanya highlighted a wide variety of produce you can use in this comforting dish and other sauce ideas.
Location: CSA in Kentucky Facebook Group Event Summary:This event featured CSA farms across Kentucky to raise awareness of fall-fresh produce, meat and other value-added products being grown in Kentucky this fall. For event resources, check out the CSAs in KY Facebook group here. Explore the KY Proud CSA directory for a full of partner farms here
Find Your Fall CSA Virtual Fair: Winter Squash Demo
Date: September 14, 2022
Location: Zoom Meeting
Event Summary:The Find Your Fall CSA Virtual Fair celebrated the last day of our week-long event with a cooking demo with Chef Tanya Whitehouse from The Food Connection. During this event, we showed off two recipes Roasted Acorn Squash with Greens and Mushroom Ricotta and Fall Squash Agrodolce.
Event Summary:The Find Your Fall CSA Virtual Fair kicked off our week-long event with a conversation with guest speaker LaToya Drake, Nutrition Education Program Coordinator with University of Kentucky Extension. During this event, she shared tips to minimize food waste for home cooks, how to stretch your food dollars, and maximize your CSA share.
Event Summary: OAK was joined by Tanya Whitehouse, chef and program manager from The Food Connection and Vanessa Oliver, registered dietitian with UK Health and Wellness, offered seasonal recipes to beat the heat this year, especially for those receiving a weekly CSA share.
Event Summary: Tanya Whitehouse, chef and program manager from The Food Connection offered two great demos for a greens pesto with zoodles and meatless "meatballs." Both recipes are versatile and can be used for a wide range of dishes with veggies in your CSA share, farmers market trip, or the garden.
OAK's consumer events work to connect all Kentuckians with more local, organic farmers in order to transform our food systems, so communities and farms thrive.
Date: June 27, 2023 
