Grateful Harvest Dinner, 12 Years Strong

Tickets for The Greenhouse Project’s benefit event ‘Grateful Harvest Dinner, 12 Years Strong,’ taking place Sept. 27 at Cucina Lupo are selling fast. In addition to being a fundraiser for TGP, the evening will honor Chef Charlie Abowd for his contributions to the community and to the world of great food, the farm to table movement and his work in support of TGP.
Chef Mark Estee and the Valley Chefs, Brandon Barksdale, Matthew Farag, Tony Schaffer, Tommy Linnett and Kerry Tate, will be featured.
The multi-course dinner will be beer or wine-paired, your preference to be specified when tickets are purchased.
Until last year, this benefit event was traditionally hosted on Veteran’s Day at Cafe at Adele’s. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 dinner was postponed to January 2021, billed as the Mask-Ur-Aid Ball and hosted by Cucina Lupo.
“We had always conducted two major fundraising events, but the pandemic changed that and has caused the board to take a different approach as operations still continue and the need has grown, not lessened over the past 18 months,” Karen Abowd, TGP founder and president, said in a news release. “To that end, TGP has launched its Sustainability Endowment Campaign to raise $1 million so regardless of any curve balls the future throws, TGP will be positioned to continue its mission  ‘growing, giving and teaching for a greener, healthier and more sustainable community’.”
An angel donor, an integral part of the Harvest Dinner fundraising, is still needed. One person or a collective is asked to donate $5,000 in seed money. Donations to match the seed, as well as auction bidding and raffle items can be accessed on-line two weeks prior and the night of. Auction or raffle items are also appreciated.
“We’ve found that experience packages are always a big hit, and all participation of any level is appreciated and can be accessed two weeks prior at www.carsoncitygreenhouse.org ,”Abowd said. “Whether you are a person who supports agriculture education, who believes in the work we’re doing or has received help at one time or another and want to pay it forward, this is a way to do so, and please know there is no donation too small.”
In keeping with the Gratitude theme, TGP will offer Gratitude Cards for $20 every Saturday at Carson City Farmers Market. Write what you are grateful for and your words will be included in the dinner program.
TGP(Green Central) is a 501©3 non-profit, state-of-the-art growing and teaching facility located on Carson High School’s campus. Produce grown at this facility is distributed among various community outreach programs. Foothill Garden and Creekside Garden are located on Carson Tahoe Hospital’s campus. Produce grown there is donated to Meals on Wheels and Eagle Valley Children’s Home. Foothill Garden also features a Bee Hotel and Pollinator Garden, and TGP staff hosts educational series open to the public and free of charge.
Course sponsors have already stepped forward. They are Lone Mountain Veterinary; Carson-Tahoe Health; Vidler Water Co. Inc.; Congressman Mark Amodei; Manhard Consulting, Ltd.; Aspire Capital;Robin Graber, Certified Advanced Rolfer; Farmer’s Insurance, Brian Andrews.
Tickets cost $275 each and are limited to 100. To purchase tickets, for further information, to become an angel donor or to provide an auction or raffle item, contact Karen Abowd at 775-232-8626 or karenabowd@hotmail.com.
Jeffery Pace, owner of Artsy Fartsy Gallery, has selected TGP as the gallery’s recipient of a portion of July sales.