Visit Old Red Barn
The Old Red Barn is so much more than a nice dinner out. First, you have the rural country backdrop of canola fields, pasture, and a small creek running through the property. And within that sits an iconic red barn that most of us think of when we think of farms. Of course, the barns are more functional nowadays, but you can also see the modern dairy farm in the background.
Country view at Old Red Barn
Melissa and Matt started The Old Red Barn 6 years ago to create an experience connecting people with farmers. Throughout the evening, stories are shared about what they do at the Old Red Barn, why they started hosting Farm to Table dinners, and the importance of connecting consumers, farmers and chefs. As Matt says “hope you met a farmer, we have some good ones here. And I hope you enjoyed the country hospitality.”
Melissa and Matt with Chef Shane Chartrand
The food is sourced from local farmers, and the featured farmers share their stories about how the food is grown and raised. During this Farm to Flame dinner, Blue Ridge Farms’ beef was featured on the menu, including a tender glazed striploin, melt-in-your-mouth canoe bone marrow, and a spiced minced beef Kofta skewer.
Striploin served from Blue Ridge Farms
Brett and Jillian from Blue Ridge Farms grow food with practices that respect the land, the animals, and the consumers. I not only enjoyed the delicious taste, but I also felt good about eating food from farmers who cared about the values I care about, like environmental stewardship and low-stress handling of the animals.
The Farm to Flame dinner is cooked in a “Fire Kitchen” by featured chefs that rotate throughout the season. Chef Lindsay Porter and guest Chef Shane Chartrand cooked the local food in the Old Red Barn Fire Kitchen, which includes a wood oven, Santa Maria, Infernillo, and hang frame-style barbecues. Most of the meal was cooked on the Infernillo, with two wood fires on racks.
Chefs Lindsay and Shane with the Infernillo BBQ
The Old Red Barn is an experience worth doing this season. The scenic farm views, the local food stories, the talented chefs, and the delicious dinner are an exceptional package. I’m so glad Melissa and Matt had the vision to create it and the hard work ethic to make it all happen.
Melissa, Matt, Jillian & Brett standing on the deck of Old Red Barn
