Proceeds support Big Waters Land Trust efforts to conserve land from development
Feast Upon the Fields, the celebrated farm-to-table luncheon hosted by the nonprofit Big Waters Land Trust — formerly the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast — has been planned for Feb. 22, Big Waters has announced.
Each year, this event takes place on a different parcel that the regional and trust has helped protect, a news release explains. This year’s luncheon, which will begin at 12:30 p.m., will take place at Longino Ranch in eastern Sarasota County, the release adds.
In is 22-year history, Big Waters Land Trust has protected more than 20,000 acres from the southern portion of the Tampa Bay region to the Everglades, the release explains. In Sarasota County, the release notes, the land trust has saved more than 9,000 acres through the county’s Land Acquisition Program. “Longino Ranch represents over half of those acres,” the release adds, pointing out that the ranch “is an integral part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the Myakka Island of conserved properties.”
“Longino Ranch is one of the most significant conservation projects in the county,” the release emphasizes, as protecting it preserves “thousands of acres of important habitat” that hold rainwater, “preventing North Port from flooding.” The action also ensured that North Port residents would be able to count on clean drinking water, thanks to the free “flow of rainwater into the RV Griffin reservoir and the Myakkahatchee Creek,” the release adds.
“Longino Ranch was conserved as part of a larger effort to create a continuous corridor of natural land, stretching from Arcadia to Sarasota, from the Peace River to the Myakka River,” the release explains. “Working closely with the Longino family, Big Waters Land Trust helped establish conservation protections that safeguard the ranch’s beauty” and its cultural and historical significance, “while honoring its rich ranching heritage,” the release adds.
“We are thrilled to bring Feast Upon the Fields to Longino Ranch,” said Christine P. Johnson, president of Big Waters Land Trust, in the release. “Big Waters first worked with the Longino family in 2009 to conserve almost 4,000 acres of the ranch when we were Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) acquisition agent. Then in 2024 at the family’s request,” Johnson continued in the release, “we helped them protect another 655 acres. We were honored to work with the family and Sarasota County both times to ensure this significant property continues to produce our food, safeguard our water, and provide a place for nature to thrive.”
“Big Waters Land Trust served as Sarasota County’s ESLPP acquisition agent from 2006 to 2012,” the release notes. “During that time, Big Waters’ land conservation expertise” helped county leaders conserve other “iconic natural properties,” such as the Walton Ranch and Old Miakka Preserve.
In November 2026, Sarasota County voters again will be asked whether they would like to continue the Land Acquisition Program: The County Commission has approved a referendum for the General Election ballot.
Guests at the 2026 Feast Upon the Fields luncheon will “enjoy a one-of-a-kind menu from Chef Paul Mattison,” the release says. The event proceeds will “support Big Waters’ vital mission to protect the land and water for the benefit of people and nature,” the release adds.
Tickets and sponsorships are available at bigwaterslandtrust.org/feast26.