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Farm to Table brings money to CRES

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Farm to Table brings money to CRES thumbnail Josie Castaldo harvests tomatoes from a greenhouse at Erin’s Acres for the Crystal River fundraiser dinner. Erin Cuseo’s daughter Ayla takes care of the farm’s chickens during a harvest evening at the farm. Ayla reads in the greenhouse as Josie Castaldo prepares food for Jonathan Baiardo. Erin picks tomatoes for a four-tomato salad on Baiardo’s menu. Erin collects garlic for Baiardo’s meal as she double checks to make sure she has harvested all of the items on his list. Ayla carries her book with her as she helps with the evening’s harvest. The Cuseo family follows an agricultural schedule and will resume her homeschooling after harvest season. Friend Sean Nesbitt volunteered to help with the dinner and brought along his son Ephraim and Roaring Fork High School student Spencer Hazelton. Together they help plate a tomato salad made with Erin’s Acres tomatoes. The dinner hosted 16 people raising approximately $1,300 for Crystal River Elementary School.

The Baiardo family moved to Carbondale in July and began planning a way to continue a family tradition of using cooking to support their kids’ schools. Jonathan organized a dinner selling tickets to teachers and other parents through a silent auction at the annual Ladles of Love fundraising event. Food from Erin’s Acres, Sustainable Settings, and the Nieslaniks and liquor from Sopris Liquors was discounted or donated for the event. 

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