Join us for an edible conversation between a farm, a chef, and the community.
We are excited to welcome you to our Community Table all summer. This beloved event brings a renowned chef to our farm to design an ecological meal around our four seasonal rotations (market garden, milpa, fruit forest, cover crops) highlighting the bioregional cuisine of San Juan. By bringing these culinary artists back to the source, they have the chance to connect with new ingredients, unearth fresh inspiration in our bioregion’s historic foodways, and discover the rewards of relationship with the land.
CHEF JORGE VALINES
With a local, seasonal and sustainable ethos at the forefront of his craft, Chef Jorge Valines’ cuisine focuses on the fresh and flavorful but also the impact for future generations. Following his foundational training at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI, Chef Jorge honed his skills in his native Puerto Rico, Miami, Spain, Venice Beach and Huntington Beach. You can say the coastal influence has shaped his perspective into making use of what is most ethically available and highlight those flavors. Currently working as the Corporate Chef for Blackhouse Hospitality, Jorge leads a culinary team spanning 7 independent restaurants. His intensity for learning keeps him motivated for new techniques, ingredients and adventures. He is “Chef Dad’ to his two young daughters who love to take lessons.
FAQ
DIETARY PREFERENCES
Community Table dinners are fixed course, family-style meals. As such, we cannot accommodate every dietary restriction. Please email us with any dietary needs. We will try to accommodate for vegetarian/vegan needs, gluten intolerance, and seafood/shellfish allergies but let us know if there are any specific dietary restrictions for any of your guests. We will do our best to accommodate anything beyond the 3 listed. If there are any life threatening allergies we recommend emailing before purchasing tickets.
SCHEDULE
Community Table Dinners begin at 6pm, when we’ll start with drinks and a farm tour. We appreciate timeliness as the dinner is coursed intentionally with just one seating. Dinners typically end around 10pm.
REFUNDS
We can offer refunds up to one week before the dinner. In the case that you need to cancel last minute, we would be happy to work with you to pass along your tickets to friends or family members.
MEMBERSHIP
If you are an active member of The Ecology Center, thank you so much for your support! As a token of our appreciation, we are pleased to offer you exclusive ticket pricing. If you are not yet a member but wish to take advantage of the discount, please visit our SUPPORT page to become a member today. If you’re unsure of your membership status, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected], and we’ll be happy to assis