Although it was the thirteenth iteration of AKTF, this yr was solely the second time Georgia Organics employees headed the festivities. As the brand new stewards of AKTF, we’re blissful to share AKTF 2024 raised greater than $50,000 for our work supporting the native farmers who nurture the land, individuals, and communities we name dwelling! We additionally doubled down on our dedication to farmers by curating a lineup nearly completely of eating places enrolled in GO’s Farmer Champion program, which honors the meals trade professionals in Georgia who’re dedicated to investing in native economies, lowering their carbon footprint, and making sustainable and natural farming extra viable by sourcing regionally. Extra accomplishments from this yr’s pageant embody:  

• Diverted 2,160 lbs of waste away from landfills (that is 400 lbs of compost, 480 lbs of glass, 180 lbs of aluminum and plastic, and 100 lbs of cardboard!) 

Whereas the day began out wet, our GO crew of employees and volunteers, in addition to all of the collaborating eating places, shortly started working placing collectively a killer celebration for everybody. Fortunately, issues dried up in time for attendees to get pleasure from all of the bites we needed to supply—hats off to our Tomato Champions of 2024, together with “Greatest Dish” winner Bread and Butterfly’s spin on a basic Southern-style tomato biscuits and gravy, and “Greatest Cocktail” winner SamWitch Store’s refreshing tomato Jello shot with a layer of inexperienced tomato gelee.