Healthy Harvest of North Iowa’s Bites & Brews fundraiser brought together more than 100 friends, neighbors, and supporters for an evening filled with connection, flavor, and community spirit. Held at The Rustic Barn Venue, the event showcased the very best of what our region has to offer—from farm-fresh ingredients to the stories of the people who grow and prepare them.

The Bites & Brews menu was a carefully crafted narrative of North Iowa’s unique food system. Designed as a self-serve tasting experience, guests wandered from table to table, building their own journey through flavors, stories, and pairings that reflect the richness of our region.

The spread included:

  • CharcuteMe’s Caprese Grilled Cheese, golden and gooey with tomato, basil, and mozzarella, paired with Limestone Brewers’ Lemon Paddler Wheat

  • Roots Nutrition Counseling’s Beef & Vegetable Ragu with Herbed Focaccia, a rustic, hearty dish complemented by Worth Brewing’s Czech Dark Lager

  • Healthy Harvest’s Street Corn Salad, zesty and refreshing, balanced with cucumber lime mint water.

  • Decker House Bed + Breakfast’s Moroccan Spiced Lamb with Carrots & Winter Squash, served alongside Soldier Creek Winery’s Marquette red and Petite Amie white.

  • Aged Cheddar & Apple Bites with Hazelnuts, paired playfully with watermelon-mint Lake Lemonade and spirits from 173° Craft Distillery.

  • Vegetarian Korean Pancakes with dipping sauce, crisp and savory with Fat Hill Brewing’s Pub Ale

Every bite, every sip, told a story — of farms, kitchens, and breweries working in harmony to showcase the creativity and abundance of North Iowa’s food system.

These dishes were made possible thanks to the bounty of our farmers and food businesses, including SkyView Beef, Twisted River Farm, WW Homestead Dairy, Pretty Baked Sourdough, Honey and Ewe Farm, North Forty Gardens, Spring Creek Gardens, Finer Honey Farms, Hazel Acres, Lost Lake Farms, Red Shed Gardens, Reiff’s Farmstand, Prudent Produce, Hessler’s Orchard, and more.

The food and drink may have been the stars of the evening, but the real story was the community gathered in one room. Guests swapped stories, raised a glass to local farmers, and celebrated the strength of our regional food system. The evening also included a heartfelt speech from Mallory DeVries, who reminded us why events like this matter and how much stronger our communities become when we invest in local food.

And thanks to the generosity of those who attended, we exceeded our fundraising goal for the evening. That success marks an inspiring milestone, but it’s only the beginning. Bites & Brews launched our fundraising drive to sustain and expand Healthy Harvest’s work in the months ahead.

If you couldn’t join us (or if you’d like to continue the momentum) you can make a gift today to help build a stronger, more resilient, and connected local food system. Donate at healthyharvestni.com/donate.

From the chefs and brewers to the farmers and volunteers and every guest who came to eat, drink, and celebrate with us: THANK YOU. Nights like these remind us that when we gather around local food, good things grow. We’ll see you next year!