Cullman County’s reputation for agricultural bounty has always benefited local farmers — but never quite like this.

Farming families were treated Saturday to a killer meal, prepared by one of Alabama’s top chefs, at the 4th annual Farm to Fork dinner, hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce.

In the process, they got to enjoy the final step in a process they’re integral in creating, but don’t always get to experience as consumers.

“They don’t see the final product; how we take what they grow and offer it to people as something they can really enjoy,” explained Randall Baldwin, executive chef at Dyron’s Lowcountry in Mountain Brook.

“To me, farmers are just awesome. I’ve developed personal relationships with them, and I’ve learned so much from them just by being around them and seeing how much they care about their work. You can’t do this without farmers, man.”

Held at Camp Meadowbrook near Fairview, the dinner gave farmers and other guests a glimpse of how chefs like Baldwin elevate Cullman County’s produce into a culinary form of art — one that can’t be duplicated elsewhere.

Baldwin, who’s dependent on local farmers to provide his restaurant with a constantly-changing seasonal supply of quality produce, served as head chef for the event. It’s a way to recognize their contributions not only to the food economy, at both the macro- and micro- level, but also to his own development as a chef.

“As a chef, you don’t learn everything in the kitchen. When you get with the farmers who grow this food, you learn what a kitchen can’t teach you. Farmers, for our restaurant and for a lot of people in Alabama, are the heart and soul of what we do.”

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.