About our 2022 Event Chef
Chef Clint Neel of Your Grate Escape in North Tazewell
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Clint Neel was born and raised in Tazewell, Virginia graduating from Tazewell High School in 1997. He attended Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated Cum Laude in 2000 with an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts.
After returning to Tazewell, Clint worked for various restaurants in the area until he opened his own personal chef business in 2001. Word of his services spread and business increased which resulted in numerous requests for large parties. In early 2002 he started construction on a commercial kitchen and in September 2002 the catering division of Your Grate Escape was born. Clint has served on the Board of Directors of the Tazewell Area Chamber of Commerce from 2003 – 2005. In 2004 he received an “Alumni Award” from Southwest Virginia Community College. He also enjoys volunteering and donating to charities in the community. In 2016, Clint Neel was voted Top Chef in the Chefs Battle Child Abuse charity dinner at the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton, WV, preparing a braised pork loin, savory wild mushroom bread pudding and thyme & mustard mashed potatoes. Your Grate Escape has catered lavish parties for as many as 500 down to a small intimate anniversary dinners for two. Functions such as wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, baby or bridal showers, reunions and even company picnics are just a few examples of what we can do. Notable guests at past parties include actress Bo Derek, country music star Clay Walker, former Kentucky governor Paul Patton, former Vice-President Dan Quayle, Congressman Rick Boucher, and Delegate Will Morefield, and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore. Your Grate Escape was bestowed in 2005 with the honor of being a member of the “Better Business Bureau” with a A+ rating, their highest honor. Clint and his employees take great pride in this since it has taken a lot of hard work and determination to receive this recognition. |
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About the 2022 Musical Entertainment
Empty Bottle String Band
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The Empty Bottle String Band originally formed to play a one-time stint at a local farmers market, but have already reached new heights in popularity all over the Southeast US. They specialize in playing toe-tapping, highly danceable traditional Appalachian music and are known for their upbeat fiddle tunes and feel-good music. Their impressive stage presence is coupled with a delightfully self-effacing strength and confidence in their music. Their sound is inventive, while still staying close to the old time string band tradition of the 1930's.
Tyler Hughes: banjo/banjo uke and vocals Kristal Harman: guitar and vocals Stephanie Jeter: autoharp/bass and vocals Ryan Nickerson: fiddle/mandolin |
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About the Russell County Health Coalition
The Russell County Health Coalition formed in 2014 as an extension of local diabetes support groups and is now a registered 501 c(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to implement sustainable programs that improve access and opportunities for better overall health of all generations of Southwest Virginians. Some of our projects include:
- Continued support for the two Russell County Diabetes Support Groups (Lebanon & Drill)
- Community Garden in Russell County
- Healthy Bucks For Kids at the Lebanon Farmers Market
- Balanced Living with Diabetes
- Annual Russell County Family Health Exposition
- National Diabetes Prevention Program in Russell County
- Kids Wellness Camp
About Farm to Table
Farm-to-table is a phrase that can mean different things to different people. At its heart, farm-to-table means that the food on the table came directly from a specific farm, without going through a store, market, or distributor along the way. Similar phrases include locally-sourced, farm fresh, and farm-to-fork.
Dining Where the Food Is ProducedIn its purest, most honest form, farm-to-table means the table is actually at the farm and cooks or chefs prepare and serve the food at the farm (even in the field). These are often special meals or fundraisers planned as one-off events.
Relationships Between Farms and RestaurantsMore commonly, the use of farm-to-table emphasizes a direct relationship between a farm and a restaurant. Rather than buying through a distributor or a food service, some restaurants establish relationships with farms and buy directly from them. Farmers benefit by being able to reap more of the profit their goods can earn at market, and many enjoy knowing how their food will be treated and cooked.
Restaurants are usually motivated to these direct relationships by the quality and freshness of the food they get from the farms—items will often be delivered directly to the restaurant within hours of being harvested—as well as the ability to get specialty items that not that many people in their area grow.
In some cases, restaurants and farms may have a fairly deep or serious commitment to one another, with the farm growing produce specifically requested by the chef, or the restaurant guaranteeing to buy a certain percentage (or even the entirety) of a crop.
Buying Farm-to-Table IngredientsFarm-to-table can also refer more loosely to farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and other venues where people can buy food directly from growers, with the table being the one at your house.
Information from The Spruce Eats.
Dining Where the Food Is ProducedIn its purest, most honest form, farm-to-table means the table is actually at the farm and cooks or chefs prepare and serve the food at the farm (even in the field). These are often special meals or fundraisers planned as one-off events.
Relationships Between Farms and RestaurantsMore commonly, the use of farm-to-table emphasizes a direct relationship between a farm and a restaurant. Rather than buying through a distributor or a food service, some restaurants establish relationships with farms and buy directly from them. Farmers benefit by being able to reap more of the profit their goods can earn at market, and many enjoy knowing how their food will be treated and cooked.
Restaurants are usually motivated to these direct relationships by the quality and freshness of the food they get from the farms—items will often be delivered directly to the restaurant within hours of being harvested—as well as the ability to get specialty items that not that many people in their area grow.
In some cases, restaurants and farms may have a fairly deep or serious commitment to one another, with the farm growing produce specifically requested by the chef, or the restaurant guaranteeing to buy a certain percentage (or even the entirety) of a crop.
Buying Farm-to-Table IngredientsFarm-to-table can also refer more loosely to farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and other venues where people can buy food directly from growers, with the table being the one at your house.
Information from The Spruce Eats.
