This year we had the wonderful opportunity to sponsor the Farm Dinner Series put on by Fortified Collaborations. In turn, we are grateful for their sponsorship of our digital magazine From the Field. It’s partnerships like these that make our community a success. If you didn’t have a chance to make one of the dinners this year, we highly recommend that you plan on attending at least one in 2018 (or buy a season pack and go to all of them!) Just when you think they have reached perfection, Fortified raises the bar again and again. We’ll let the pictures in this post speak for themselves.
For lovers of all things local, Fortified Collaborations manifests the interdependence of all of our unique makers and growers in Northern Colorado. They continue bringing together unique and 
inspired culinary artisans and agrarians for amazing evenings of food, music, friends and philanthropy. Each dinner spotlights local chefs from some of the best restaurants in Fort Collins, local food from our farmers and ranchers, and tea, wine and beer pairings from Northern Colorado’s impressive array of craft beverage makers. Combine all that with gorgeous Colorado settings like Happy Heart Farm or Hope Farm (just to name a couple), add some local music, and cap it off by providing our local non-profits with support from the proceeds and you have experienced a quintessential Colorado experience.
Some of our most cherished memories of this summer are the evenings spent breaking bread with friends and our Northern Colorado community under the stars, viewing the mountains, and listening to 
the conversation and laughter of so many wonderful folks. It truly doesn’t get any better.
If you’ve never attended a farm dinner there are a few things you can expect. You will be surrounded by new and old friends. Each time we attend we meet some incredible folks in our community. There is nothing like sharing a meal to spark connections. And these connections extend beyond the folks immediately surrounding you. You’ll be introduced to some of our 
communities creative treasures like the farmers who grow our food, the chefs who take those farm fresh products and turn it into a meal to remember. You’ll learn about the passion and inspiration behind some of our favorite craft brewers and the local tea shop owner. Such opportunities for collaboration don’t end there. The connections made at these dinners tend to have a ripple effect long after the linens are pulled and the tables are folded away.
Fortified Collaborations is also committed to sustainability and educating folks on the importance of utilizing our many local resources, stewardship of the land, and the intentions of a community to choose wisely the things that impact our soils, our water, our air and our spirit. Each participant in the 
events they coordinate have these same commitments, demonstrated in their business practices. The Farm Dinner Series is a glimpse into the positive impacts that manifest from intentionally curating the pieces that go into an evening, or a retreat, or a large event.
Fortified Collaborations does more than the annual Farm Dinner Series. Their team can make any event, corporate/public/private, a feast of local community and connection. We hope you support them so they can continue to support us!
