Wednesday, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m., Bristol Bar & Grille Downtown’s chef Bill Lynch will celebrate the hard work and creativity of local farmers with his annual Farmer Appreciation Dinner. The six-course meal will showcase a different local farm in each dish, and before each course, the farmers at the meal will speak about life on the farm, their growing methods, and some background about the foods to be eaten.

Farms and farmers represented will include Hillerich Family Farm from Fern Creek, run by 24-year old Troy Hillerich on his grandparents’ and parents’ land;  gardeners from the Refugee Agricultural Partnership Program (RAPP) which provides refugees tools and land to grow food and access to local growers’ markets; Stone Cross Farm in Spencer County; Mulberry Orchards in Shelby County; Marksbury Farm in Garrard County; Clark Family Farms, run by first generation farmer Todd Clark from Fayette County; and several other area farms and food producers.

The Farmer Appreciation Dinner menu will depend upon availability, but the plan is to start with Stone Cross Farm chorizo and house-cured ham with Capriole Farmstead goat cheese and aioli on a toasted baguette, followed by a chilled heirloom tomato soup, made from vegetables grown by the RAPP gardeners.

The salad course will be composed of Hillerich Family Farm salad greens, watermelon, cucumber and sweet onion with Sapori d’Italia cheese.  The fourth course will be a Southern spring roll with Clark Family Farm pulled chicken, RAPP braised greens, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese smoked Gouda and an Eagle Rare Kentucky Bourbon mustard sauce.

The main course will be Marksbury Farm barbacoa–braised beef with Gallrein Farm sweet corn pudding featuring Weisenberger Mill corn meal.  Dessert will be Mulberry Orchard apple confit with buttermilk pound cake.

The dinner will be $65.  Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Call (502) 582-1995.