Caleb Nickerson
ALLUMETTES ISLAND
Sept. 22, 2017
On Friday, 70 farmers and agricultural producers from across the Pontiac gathered in the middle of rue Saint-Jacques in Chapeau for an evening of homegrown food and drink.
Dubbed the ‘Farm to Fork Harvest Dinner,’ the menu for the evening was written and produced by chef Souren Wannis of the Bryson Bistro du Bucheron in Fort Coulonge and featured vegetables, wine and other products from 12 local businesses.

“What we are doing is bringing farmers and producers together with the community, from one end of the Pontiac to the other,” explained organizer Brittney Morin. “We went as far as Bristol and Luskville to Sheenboro and Chichester to source the food for tonight’s meal.”
Morin explained that this year, the Pontiac SADC were looking for ways to celebrate the agriculture industry in the area and came about the idea for the dinner serendipitiously.
“It was an idea that was brought to us by one of our clients and we thought it was a perfect fit for this year,” she said. “With our partnership with the Municpality of L’Isle aux Allumettes, we were able to have the manpower necessary to execute it.”
“Most people don’t think of where their food comes from, they don’t think about the farmer just down the road,” she continued. “I think this way, it really puts them in the spotlight.”
Local police were on hand to keep the traffic routed around the diners, who were seated at a table running lengthwise down the middle of the street.
“It’s great having it right in the heart of the community, it will generate a lot of attention,” said Morin, of the venue.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by local musician Denise Fitzpatrick, who played the violin.
Wannis explained that the three course meal had three options for the main course.
“[There’s a] Butternut squash soup with crème fresh, dried sage, shredded apple and bacon,” he said. “There’s also a braised beef short rib with red wine sauce, truffle potato pave, and fall vegetables. There’s grilled trout with lemon caviar, roasted beets, heirloom carrots and baked potatoes with a sweet onion foam. There’s a homemade potato gnocchi with oven-dried tomatoes, parmesan, spinach and grilled squash. For dessert there’s a pumpkin spice cake with orange nutmeg buttercream, fresh whipped cream and a drizzle of some local honey.”
He also spoke highly of the local products that were sourced for the meal.
“It’s fresh, it’s really good to use. It tastes amazing,” he said. “It’s fun to see what this area has to offer.”
Morin said that she is looking to continue the event as an annual affair and added that she would give herself a bit more lead time in the future.
“I think next time we’ll be giving ourselves a lot more time to plan,” she said. “We’re definitely doing it again though. We’re going to the Bristol, Shawville area next year and we’ll be moving it around.”