Black Farmers Honored in Pop-up Dinner Series

Philadelphia’s own Chef Omar Tate is collaborating with Bombay gin to bring to Atlanta a pop-up dinner series that puts the work of US Black farms and farmers at the center of the table. After the sold out inaugural dinner in Brooklyn, they’re setting up another dinner this Aug. 22 at the Black-owned restaurant Twisted Soul at Apex West Midtown, Atlanta. Named “Cultivating Community: A Dinner Series in Support of Black Farmers,” The series highlights a network of Black farms, their food, and the culture with each meal dedicated to recognizing a “hero ingredient” from a rural Black farm while having the farmers themselves come as honored guests to let them share their tales, with the goal of drawing attention to the issues that Black farmers are confronting.

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“Community is at the heart of what I do and a defining part of my passion as a chef. I’m incredibly honored to be a steward for my community, especially Black farmers, chefs and underrepresented creatives in the culinary industry,” Chef Tate said in a press release. “It was also exciting creatively to be given the lens of fresh berries, and to come up with beautiful recipes and tasting menus with the help of local farmers to showcase the wealth of talent, produce and stories from Black farmers that need to be told and shown.”

The dinners are aimed at helping marginalized communities, and a percentage of the ticket revenues will benefit the Black Farmer Fund. Apart from the ticket proceeds, Bombay is also pledging an additional $25,000 that will be donated to the Black Farmer Fund. The money will be used to help Black-owned farms in the Northeast establish an equitable future by providing them with financial support and resources.

The Philadelphian Black chef has spent the previous ten years working at some of the top restaurants in the country, including several Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Tate is quickly becoming a cult figure for his award-winning modern cuisine that fuses Black culture, art, poetry, and community. Chef Tate is rethinking the role of the restaurant in today’s society through his cooking. He does this by focusing on Black American culture through foodways, with a focus on people’s ties to agriculture and the role of Black farmers.