Sweet Grown Alabama News

Sweet Grown Alabama brought their members and the Auburn community together for its annual Farm to Table Dinner on Thursday, August 13, celebrating the people and products that make Alabama special.

Hosted at Lazenby Farms, a Sweet Grown Alabama member farm growing cotton, corn and peanuts, the evening gave guests an opportunity to experience Alabama agriculture firsthand while enjoying a meal made with locally sourced ingredients.

This year’s dinner was prepared by Chef Robbie Nicolaisen, chef at The Hound in Auburn and winner of the 2026 Sweet Grown Alabama Seafood Cook-Off. Nicolaisen brought his passion for local ingredients and creative Southern cooking to the farm, creating a menu that showcased products from Sweet Grown Alabama members across the state.

“It 's great to be part of an evening that put local products front and center,” Nicolaisen said. “Working with ingredients grown and produced by people in our own state makes the food more meaningful. We worked hard to make sure every dish highlights the quality of these products.”

From the farm to the plate, the dinner highlighted the diversity of Alabama products, incorporating locally grown and raised ingredients into a meal designed to tell the story of the state’s farmers and food producers.

“The annual farm to table dinner is one of our favorite events because it gives us the opportunity to bring people directly to the farms that make Alabama’s food system possible,” said Ellie Watson, director of Sweet Grown Alabama. “This year’s dinner at Lazenby Farms was the perfect reflection of what Alabama agriculture is all about- hardworking families, quality products and the connections that happen when we slow down and share a meal together.”

Guests enjoyed The Hound’s “famous meatloaf,” a variety of fresh summer vegetables and a peach and blueberry cobbler. Blackened catfish was a star on the menu as a nod to the 2026 Alabama Catfish Trail highlighted by the Alabama Tourism Department. Officials were onsite sharing information and swag with the attendees to promote the trail.

“The dinner was a nice way to meet the farmers and chefs behind the food we enjoy,” said Kayla Ward, Buffalo Rock Corporate Communications Director. “Being able to sit down together, hear the farmers’ stories and enjoy a meal made with local products made the evening memorable for me.”

Sweet Grown Alabama’s Farm to Table Dinner was part of the organization’s ongoing effort to connect Alabama consumers with the farmers and fishermen behind the products they enjoy.

“Events like this are about much more than a meal,” Watson said. “They give people the chance to meet the farmers who grow their food, hear their stories and understand the work that goes into getting Alabama products from the field and water to the table. That connection is at the heart of Sweet Grown Alabama.”

The evening featured The Loveliest Peaches on the Plains, a Sweet Grown Alabama beer created through a partnership between New Realm Brewing at Auburn University and the Auburn University Horticulture Department. The delicious hazy IPA featured peaches and hops grown locally, making it another example of Alabama products being incorporated into the evening.

Sweet Grown Alabama also recognized Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate, a member of the organization’s board, with the Friend of Sweet Grown Alabama Award. The award honored Pate’s continued support of Sweet Grown Alabama and his dedication to promoting Alabama agriculture and the producers who contribute to the state’s agricultural economy.

“Commissioner Pate has been a tremendous advocate for Alabama agriculture and an important part of Sweet Grown Alabama,” Watson said. “His support of our farmers and producers has helped strengthen our mission of connecting local products with consumers across the state. We are grateful for his leadership and proud to recognize him as a friend of Sweet Grown Alabama.”

Farms represented in the dinner included:

• Alleluia Acres Heritage Farm, Alabaster (pork)
• Boozer Farms, Thorsby (cucumbers, green bell peppers and tomatoes)
• Evans Farms, Verbena (corn, lady peas and peaches)
• Extreme Green Farms, Opelika (lettuce)
• Flowers to Bless, Camp Hill (flowers)
• Handey’s Farm and Nursery, Montgomery (yellow onions)
• Harvest Select, Uniontown (catfish)
• Hornsby Farms, Auburn (yellow squash, zucchini and take-home jam)
• RL&M Cattle Company, Opelika (beef)
• Smith’s Farm and Ranch, Tuskegee (purple hull peas)
• The Slaystead, Tallassee (blueberries)

As a statewide non-profit, Sweet Grown Alabama rotates its annual farm to table celebration to new locations across the state each summer. 

To learn more and find locally grown products in your area, visit SweetGrownAlabama.org.

To view more photos from the dinner, click here.