Naper Settlement plans Barn Raising Benefit
"Locally sourced" and "farm fresh" may be buzzwords in foodie circles, but a farm-to-table dinner coming up at Naper Settlement will be green for reasons well beyond dining trends.
The Barn Raising Benefit - catered by green restaurateur Big Delicious Planet - will support the settlement's planned Agricultural Interpretive Center.
Diners will be served a locally sourced, farm-to-table dinner while getting a preview of the plans for the agricultural center, which aims to preserve the region's agricultural history.
The event begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Tickets are $250 each. To reserve tickets or for information, email Nata-Leigh Preas at PreasN@naperville.il.us.
The Barn Raising Benefit will present the Agricultural Interpretive Center's exhibitions, virtual technology and hands-on programming that will showcase stories of real-life farming families of the past and teach the business and science of modern-day farming to Naper Settlement's 140,400 annual visitors. Proceeds from the benefit will support the new 5,000-square-foot center.
The Agricultural Interpretive Center will use cutting-edge technology to relate the facets of the city's farming past using themes and the preservation of key artifacts.
Other exhibits will focus on farming innovation to demonstrate the roles of analytical thinking, mechanical comprehension, a grasp of plant physiology and other intellectual processes that now work under the banner of STEM - science, technology, engineering and math - in fortifying the food chain.
Displays that relate the business aspects of farming will convey the crucial part farming played in the development of the local economy.
Agricultural journalists Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong of WGN Radio's "The Morning Show with Orion and Max" will be the masters of ceremony for the evening. Samuelson and Armstrong both grew up on Midwestern farms.
For more than 55 years at WGN, Samuelson says he's been trying to build bridges of understanding between farmers and city residents.
"It becomes more important than ever to educate city folks or, as I say, 'nonfarm consumers,' on what it takes to put food on their table, clothes on their back, a roof over their head and now energy in the tank," Samuelson said.
"I'm hopeful the agricultural center can lead the way to better understanding and that's why it is important to support educational programs based on science."
Barn Raising Benefit event Co-Chairwoman Mary Ann Bobosky, who grew up on a farm in Naperville, said the benefit's objective feels personal to her.
"The Agricultural Interpretive Center is going to be wonderful," she said. "It's going to be a place that will showcase our farming history from when our families first came to Naperville in the 1800s until now. I think this is a really great opportunity to invest in the future of Naper Settlement."
Naper Settlement plans to provide interactive experiences to foster the knowledge and appreciation of the importance of farming in Naperville and the region. For information about the Barn Raising Benefit and the Agricultural Interpretive Center, visit napersettlement.org.
If you go
What: Barn Raising Benefit
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5
Where: Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville
Tickets: $250
Info: napersettlement.org or PreaseN@naperville.il.us