Cal Expo debuts "Evening on the Farm" showcasing California agriculture

Cal Expo is putting a spotlight on California agriculture with a new event designed to give people a taste of locally grown food and drinks.

The first-ever "Evening on the Farm" opened Thursday at the state fairgrounds, bringing together local farmers, winemakers and chefs to showcase crops grown throughout California.

From pumpkins and peppers to okra and onions, the event highlights the fall harvest at Cal Expo's two-acre working farm.

The farm features crops grown to represent agriculture from across California. Proceeds from Thursday's event are also helping support the farm, which sustained damage during past storms.

Cal Expo officials hope to eventually double the amount of soil available for growing crops and are looking to make "Evening on the Farm" an annual event.

For Woodland chef Juan Barajas, owner of Savory Cafe, the event is also about preserving a family connection to farming and ranching.

Barajas said his restaurant uses squash and beef sourced from farms just 7 to 12 miles away, making the food a true farm-to-fork experience.

"We grew up ranching and farming, so for us, it's very important to carry that legacy," Barajas said.

Winemaker Tom Merwin of Silt Wine Company, a seventh-generation winemaker, said events like this give consumers a chance to better understand where their food and wine come from.

"When you know the story behind where your food and wine comes from, you really appreciate it more," Merwin said.

Merwin also said California growers and producers have to keep adapting to changing consumer tastes.

"They probably don't want the same chardonnay that was produced 30 years ago for our parents' generation or grandparents' generation, so it's time for us to really understand the customer," he said.

The event comes as Sacramento's annual Farm to Fork Festival takes a year off. That festival, which began in 2013, is now known as Terra Madre Americas and organizers say it will return next year.

In the meantime, Cal Expo is offering its own celebration of the state's agricultural bounty.

"Supporting the farmers and our local wineries is everything about what we are as a community," said Elena Thrower of Elevation Ten Winery.