Feast Upon the Fields to be held Feb. 23, hosted by Big Waters Land Trust at Walton Ranch

Event to begin at 12:30 p.m.

Image courtesy Big Waters Land Trust

Big Waters Land Trust, formerly the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, has announced the return of its “celebrated farm-to-table luncheon, Feast Upon the Fields,” with a Feb. 23 date.

“Each year, this community-favorite event takes place on a different piece of land the regional not-for-profit land trust helped protect,” a news release explains. This year, the release adds, Feast Upon the Fields will be held at Sarasota County’s Walton Ranch. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Big Waters assisted Sarasota County Government leaders in the negotiations to purchase Walton Ranch and in securing funding from the state and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) to permanently protect the property in 2010, the release points out. The Trust’s efforts allowed the county to leverage funding from its Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program — which is up for voter renewal in 2026, the release adds. “Now open as a public preserve, this 3,760-acre landscape” features more than 19 miles of trails, marshes, pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks and ranchland, the release notes.

“We are thrilled to bring Feast Upon the Fields to Walton Ranch,” said Christine P. Johnson, president of Big Waters Land Trust, in the release. “Despite being open to the public since 2015, many folks have no idea this beautiful preserve is available to them year-round,” Johnson continued. “We look forward to connecting more people to the land and showcasing this local gem.”

“Walton Ranch is a key connection in the Myakka Island” of conserved properties totaling more than 130,000 acres that surround, and therefore, buffer, the Myakka River, the release explains. “While Myakka conservation efforts began almost 100 years ago, the addition of the Walton Ranch in 2010 provided critical protections to one of the largest remaining blocks of land in Sarasota County,” it points out.

“Experience this stunning landscape firsthand and enjoy a one-of-a-kind menu from Chef Paul Mattison at the ninth annual Feast Upon the Fields,” the release invites the public.

Event proceeds will “support Big Waters’ vital mission to protect the land and water of Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature,” the release notes.

Tickets and sponsorships are available by visiting bigwaterslandtrust.org/feast25.

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