Matthew Raiford, "CheFarmer," alum and powerhouse, was honored Saturday, Sept. 12, at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems' annual Farm to Fork dinner, a benefit he founded as an apprentice in 2011 to support future aspiring farmers in the Ecological Horticulture program.
Since then, the Farm to Fork dinner series has supported more than 150 apprentices through scholarships and subsidized meal plans. When the next class of apprentices arrives in spring 2016, the event will have helped almost 200.
"It's about paying it forward," said Raiford to guests, who included current and former apprentices as well as Alec and Claudia Webster, whose generous donation kickstarted the renovation for the newly restored historic Cowell Ranch Hay Barn where Saturday's dinner was held.