Tuscaloosa’s Black Warrior River will be the focal point of the meals served at Epiphany’s upcoming Farm to Table Dinner, a fundraiser for Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit clean water advocacy organization that works to restore and protect the Black Warrior River and its many tributaries.

The dinner, hosted at Epiphany on Thursday, will feature tapas-style dishes created by Epiphany’s chef and owner Tres Jackson. The dishes will be prepared using fresh produce donated by Snow’s Bend Farm and Katie Farms. Attendees will also have the opportunity to try an exclusive wheat brew by Druid City Brewing made with Snow’s Bend Farm strawberries and water from Lake Tuscaloosa.

“That beer represents two important waterways that Black Warrior Riverkeeper protects in the Tuscaloosa area, the Black Warrior River and Lake Tuscaloosa. Snow’s Bend Farm is situated along the Black Warrior River, and the water for Druid City Brewing’s beer comes from Lake Tuscaloosa,” Charles Scribner, executive director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper, said.

Scribner said the Black Warrior River is a central feature of Tuscaloosa, but its importance spans beyond Tuscaloosa as it drains portions of 17 counties in Alabama. Birmingham, Alabama’s largest city, obtains half of its drinking water from the Black Warrior River basin, and Tuscaloosa’s drinking water comes from the watershed via Lake Tuscaloosa.

(See also “Endangered: Black Warrior River placed at number 7 on American Rivers list“)

Margaret Ann Toohey, co-owner of Snow’s Bend Farm, one of Epiphany’s major sources of local produce and a contributor to the Farm to Table Dinner, said the work the Black Warrior Riverkeeper does to keep contaminants out of the river ensures that she can grow healthy food on its banks.

“This river is unique to our area, and every time I see it, I realize how nice it is that we have it,” Toohey said. “I hope that members of the community feel this way about our farm, and I know we feel this way about Epiphany and Druid City Brewing. Bringing all of these elements together for a night will be special.”

With the water from local water sources used to nourish the foods grown at Snow’s Bend Farm and used in the beer brewed at Druid City Brewing, Toohey said there has never been a better time for people to eat – and drink – local.

“It is the freshest, tastiest and healthiest food to get, but it also keeps folks like us around and ensures a more vibrant community to live in,” she said.

When Jackson opened Epiphany nearly 11 years ago in 2003, he said one of his main goals was to promote eating local and raise a level awareness in Tuscaloosa residents for where their food comes from.

“We wanted to be different, first, but we also wanted to build relationships with local farmers and try to constantly evolve,” he said.

(See also “Staff at downtown Cafe care about food as much as their customers“)

Epiphany buys produce from 18 different regional and local farms, with its two biggest contributors being Snow’s Bend Farm and Katie Farms, both of which are located within the Tuscaloosa area. Additionally, Epiphany only serves draft beer made in Alabama, particularly brews made by Bo Hicks at Druid City Brewing, another collaborator for the Farm to Table Dinner.

In working with local farms, Jackson said Epiphany’s menu is largely dependent on what is available and in season as dictated by Tuscaloosa farmers.

“I think it gives you a sense of place when you see the actual food come in the door from one of the farmers and you know the person bringing it in,” he said.

The symbiotic relationship between the Farm to Table Dinner’s collaborators is illustrated through Jackson’s description of how Druid City Brewing saves leftover beer grains to give to Epiphany’s major local pork distributor. Epiphany serves both products.

“There’s no middle man. There’s no warehouse. There’s no 18-wheelers. It’s kind of a full-circle, closed-loop thing,” Jackson said.

Due to the freezing temperatures over the past week, many of the plans for the night’s menu will have to be reworked depending on what vegetables survived the recent snow and ice. Epiphany will continue to use predominately local products for the dinner but will outsource regionally to fill out some of the menu items.

The efforts of Epiphany to promote community support for local food and beverages in Tuscaloosa have been echoed in other areas of town over the past five years. For example, five years ago, there were no true farmer’s markets in Tuscaloosa, and now, three days a week for eight months of the year, the Tuscaloosa community has access to local farmer’s markets.

(See also “Farmers market attracts hundreds each week“)

Tickets for the Farm to Table Dinner at Epiphany on Thursday at 8 p.m. are on sale for $39 and can be bought through Epiphany. A portion of the proceeds from the dinner will go to Black Warrior Riverkeeper, and additional donations to the organization will be taken online the night of the event. The dinner will be capped at 80 to 100 guests.

“Come in and mingle, talk to the guy who makes the beer, talk to the guy who raises the vegetables,” Jackson said. “We’ll turn the music up real loud and have a big party. That’s the way every day should be.”