The Old Red Barn: Farm-To-Table Dinners

For over 70 years, The Old Red Barn has stood sturdy and strong on its vantage overlooking the forested banks of the Whitemud Creek. It was home to generations of dairy and beef cattle until 2017, when Melissa and Matthew Schur put the barn to a bold new purpose: restoring Albertans' faith in their food, one meal at a time.

Bridging the gap

A fourth-generation farmer, Melissa Schur grew up on her family's dairy farm where she helped milk the cows and tend the land on which The Old Red Barn resides. Her parents, Rudy and Karen Gengler, still own and operate the farm, while Melissa and her husband Matthew run their farm-to-table dinners out of the barn.

The dinners were born out of a chance encounter between the Schurs and local Alberta chef and food champion Brad Smoliak. After visiting the farm, Smoliak planted the seed about opening it up to agri-tourism. He connected the Schurs with partners like Explore Edmonton and Travel Alberta to transform this vision from dream to reality. In 2017, the Schurs hosted their first dinner with Smoliak as chef.

For Melissa, these dinners are an invitation to Albertans and visitors alike to gain a deeper understanding of our shared food heritage.

"As the years go by, more and more farms are disappearing and more people seem to be getting less connected with their farmer and their food," she says. "We want to bridge that gap and help restore the connection between the food producers, chefs and consumers."

Connecting through farm and food

Upon arriving at The Old Red Barn, guests take a leisurely nature walk up to the barn, serenaded by birdsong and the gentle burbling of Whitemud Creek. After picking up a welcome cocktail made from locally grown Saskatoon Berries and craft gin, guests are free to wander around the three grassy acres surrounding the barn while the other diners arrive, perhaps visiting the curious horses who always like to meet new people and get a handful of grass or a petting.

When you hear the cowbell ringing, it's time to take a seat at the long table, adorned with cheerful flowers grown by Susan Schuurmann of Sure Bloom Florals in Leduc. Depending on the night, the table is either right inside the barn or out on the covered veranda, which has a spectacular view of the lush farmland stretching toward the banks of the Whitemud Creek.

Over the course of the dinner, the Schurs take turns with that night's featured chef and local food producer to share stories about their farm, the locally grown ingredients used that night, the land and our rich agricultural and culinary history.

Fresh-cooked and flame-grilled

This year's roster of chefs includes Sylvia and Darren Cheverie from Chartier in Beaumont, and Rui Carvalho from Villa Bistro in Edmonton. Last year, the Schurs added a new dining concept called Farm to Flame, in which pitmaster Peter Zukiwski cooks the whole meal over an open flame using a series of Argentinean cooking implements, adapted for use here on the Alberta prairies.

At a recent Farm to Flame dinner, which featured partnerships with Pitt County BBQ and Fifth Gen Gardens, Zukiwski grilled up a whole sturgeon stuffed with mushrooms, herbs and chestnuts. For dessert, he presented grilled strawberries with toasted meringue.

At another recent Farm to Table dinner, Carvalho prepared a course of smoked brisket and braised short rib with horseradish garlic aioli and caramelized onions on brioche crostini. For dessert, he whipped up a chocolate rum cake with port-poached pears, Bailey's caramel sauce and Chantilly cream. Each course was paired with a local craft beer or a specially selected wine.

The Old Red Barn hosts dinners throughout the summer months. They're also available for private event bookings as well. They participate in Alberta Open Farm Days and a few other local agriculture and food tours, which helps them reach out to more people who are interested in learning where their food comes from.

Ultimately, the Schurs hope that The Old Red Barn will inspire everyone who visits, both Albertans and visitors to the province. Guests will be nourished in body and spirit: they'll leave with a full belly as well as the spark of deeper connection, to the land and to all the hands who brought each ingredient to their plate.