Conservancy sells out annual food-festival fundraiser
May 12—MORGANTON — Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is preparing to host 250 supporters of the land trust's conservation mission at its annual Flavors of the Foothills food-festival fundraiser on May 20, at Fonta Flora Brewery Whippoorwill Farm, presented by the Chip and Debi Hills Foundation.
The Conservancy will welcome Executive Chef Daniel Wheeler and his team of well-known chefs from around the region, who have all generously volunteered their time to prepare small plate entrees that highlight local ingredients and sustainable agriculture techniques.
"This event is a fantastic display of the intersection between agriculture and community. It's important that, as chefs and culinary professionals, we are aware of where our food comes from and are accountable for the environmental impact," said Chef Daniel Wheeler, who served as the executive chef for Flavors of the Foothills in 2022 as well. "We're proud to support Foothills Conservancy, who is helping promote sustainable farming techniques and farmland preservation — so this is a real win-win."
Other chefs billed to attend the event are Chef Ben Sullivan of Hickory, Chef Rick Doherr of Hickory, Chef Jeremy Salig of Morganton, Chef Ben Philpott of Charlotte, Chef Steven Goff of Asheville, Chef Obie Ferguson of Morganton, Chef Sean McMullen of Asheville, Chef Sam Diminich of Charlotte, Chef Andy Hickling of Charlotte, Chef Samantha Ward of Charlotte, Chef Luis Martinez of Asheville, as well as chocolatiers from JF Chocolat of Charlotte.
"This is one of those events that we know the community looks forward to every year," said Meg Gaito, who leads Foothills Conservancy's development program. "We're so honored to welcome our new presenting sponsor, the Chip and Debi Hills Foundation, as well as our Peak Protector sponsors Ingles Markets, NextEra Energy and Engel & Volkers Real Estate. Without their support this event wouldn't be possible!"
Proceeds from this event will support Foothills Conservancy's general operations, the working capital and capacity that allows the land trust to sustain its conservation mission work. For more information about the event, including a full list of chefs and sponsors, visit foothillsconservancy.org/flavors.
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust that inspires conservation in Western North Carolina by permanently protecting land and water for the benefit of people and all living things. A 501(C)(3) nonprofit, Foothills Conservancy has conserved more than 68,000 acres in its eight county service area: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford, in three major river basins: the Broad, Catawba and Yadkin. Information about Foothills Conservancy, including ways to support its work, can be found online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.
