Dinner In
the Orchard - A Taste of Local Fare In Support of Knowledge
by Diane Lehr
Raymond L. Isom, February 18,
1949. English A. Auburn University.
On October 13,
2012, at 4 p.m. Isom's Orchard will once again be the setting for a late
afternoon benefit dinner in their orchards. This year's dinner will honor
Raymond Isom and his love of knowledge. One hundred twenty-five tickets at a
cost of $100 each, will be sold on September 8, beginning at 9 am, at The
Isom's Orchard Stand on Highway 72 in Athens. One hundred of those tickets will
be sold to directly assist The Library Foundation in it's goal to build in
Athens. An additional twenty-five tickets will be sold to benefit breast cancer
research via the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
The philanthropic dining
experience promises to satisfy the most discriminating tastes and will wrap one
hundred twenty-five guests in pristine Alabama peach orchards and setting sun
rays. All guests are asked to bring their favorite dinner plate which will
be collected as they arrive. There will be a hospitality hour around the
pond, featuring Alabama wines, hors d'oeuvres including premiere quality goat
cheese, and hand-dipped chocolates. A few local artists and crafters will
be working and exhibiting there; and music will be performed by Consort A
Lacienne. Dr. Mary Crowell with members of the Delta Kappa
Gamma Society of Women Educators, local City and County educators, and The
Southern Belles, representing the Susan G. Komen Cancer Walk, have graciously
offered to serve during the dinner. All foods presented will be harvested
from regional farms. The culinary team includes 306 BBQ in Athens, Chef Joey
McCool from Canebrake Country Club, Chef Laurie King, Executive Chef Bill
Hardin from Below the Radar Brew Pub in Huntsville, Paula
George of LuVici's, and The Sweetest Things Tea Room in Athens. They will work
diligently to provide attendees a variety of fresh delights provided by Isom's
and other Alabama farms. Marlene Isom is quick to add that Mother Nature will
determine the final menu. The only hint she offered was the plan for dessert,
which includes apple-pear crisps with honey infused goat milk ice cream.
Wes Isom continues
to farm the land that has been in his family for generations. He speaks
respectfully of his Uncle Raymond, who has a permanent place in his family's
hearts, though not at the table. A World War II veteran who was trained as a
mechanic by Briggs and Stratton, Raymond eventually attended Auburn University.
Later he moved back to Limestone County, opening a small country store and
buying back the orchards where the dinner will be held. In earlier years, the
family sold some of their land, and Raymond worked to regain ownership of the
precious commodity that was part of his very being. He knew enough to know he
wanted to continue the farming traditions in his bloodline. Raymond was
thirteen years older than his brother,Joe Isom, and they remained close farming
partners throughout Raymond's 83 years. Wes still refers to his Uncle Raymond
as a special man who returned home from a war and stood tall in his quest for
knowledge while remaining true to his history. Raymond never had children of
his own and he cherished the bonds he cultivated on the farm and with the
family that watched many sunsets together in the fields over Limestone
County. Wes Isom says of his uncle, "He had a strong connection
to our land and he appreciated his time at Auburn. He was a good man who
inspired me by his knowledge and his generous nature." Now Wes Isom
continues his uncle's legacy.
When asked why Marlene and
Wes chose the Library Foundation as this year's recipient of their generosity,
Marlene responded," We wanted to honor Uncle Raymond, and I taught
a Writing to Read Program at Johnson Elementary School for
over ten years. We want our community to be educated. We hope the library will
provide that knowledge to everyone who is looking for it." Marlene further
explained that due to last Spring's tornado damage to the orchards, her planned
breast cancer benefit luncheon was cancelled. She expressed her desire to sell
an additional 25 tickets this year, in order to make a donation to the Southern
Belles Walking Team to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Last Fall's dual mission to offer
an orchard dining experience to locals while benefiting a worthwhile cause
proved to be a smashing success. That event assisted The Athens Limestone
Hospital in their work on renovations in The Emergency Department. The tickets
sold out in just an hour and guests attending the event cherished the
experience. For that dinner, Marlene reached out to like-minded food producers
on Alabama farms, grist mills, creameries, and vineyards. She drew upon her own
vast knowledge of people and their connections to nature and fresh food in
order to create an encounter unlike any that this community has ever
experienced. "Wes and I love our land and we love our community. I hope
that these events have proven this fact.We receive no monetary profit from the
dinners and we contribute all costs associated with the event in order to make
our donation substantial. However, we do receive satisfaction in bringing
people into our orchards and drawing them into our love of fresh locally grown
food. It makes us happy to share this experience with our community while
giving back in some way."
Just like Uncle Raymond, The
Isom's continue the traditions and beliefs that their uncle recognized as
imperative to a good life.
* pictured is Wes
Isom speaking at last Fall's Dinner in The Orchard - photo courtesy of Carla McLemore Lawrence
** pictured is Raymond Isom.
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