Pre-Festival Reception
Wednesday, February 11th, 2026
Join us for a relaxed evening with drinks, light bites, and warm connections ahead of the main event.

Field to Fork Schedule of Events
Thursday, February 12th, 2026

JUMP – Jack’s Urban Meeting Place in Downtown Boise | Trade Fair Open to Public

2026 Field to Fork Festival Schedule

(Vendor set-up takes place the evening before)

8:00 AM
Festival Opens – Explore vendor booths, connect with peers, and network across Idaho’s food and beverage community.

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Cushing Terrell Design Charrette

Cushing Terrell is hosting a live design charrette at FARE Idaho’s Field to Fork Festival! What’s a Design Charrette? It’s an intensive collaborative design session where our team of designers work with you to address specific problems by brainstorming ideas and creating potential solutions in real-time. It’s focused, energizing, and can generate a lot of ideas quickly. This is going to be a great time- combining the creative energy of Field to Fork with live collaborative design. Let’s solve some problems together!

9:00 – 10:00 AM
Panel Discussion No. 1: From Classroom to Kitchen: Building Idaho’s Food Workforce

Whether through university research, community college training, or immersive culinary programs, Idaho’s educational ecosystem is cultivating a new generation of food leaders. Hear how U of I, BSU, CWI, and Sun Valley Culinary are developing talent and meeting the needs of a changing food landscape.

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Buyers’ Hour – Dedicated time for producers and buyers to connect and explore opportunities.

11:00 – 11:45 AM
Chef’s Class No. 1 – Wildly Approachable: Demystifying Local Exotics & Bold Flavors

Featuring: Nick Musser, Corporate Chef, Bargreen Ellingson

Chef Nick Musser, a Boise native and longtime Seattle chef, will demystify using bold flavors and local exotic meats by showcasing a wildly approachable dish: Sliced Ostrich Pearl, infused with fermented black garlic and finished with blood orange hollandaise on a sourdough rosemary crostini.

12:15 – 1:00 PM
Chef’s Class No. 2 – Indulge Idaho: Cooking with Yak

Featuring: Jesse Seldin, Chef/Owner, Indulge Idaho

In this class you will learn how to prepare a stuffed pasta, Agnolotti del plin. The filling will be made using locally grown yak meat, from Mahogany Mountain Yaks. Other local ingredients will include Mama Knows Best Microgreens, Ferg's Fungi, Local wine, and more! Come learn a new skill with Chef Jesse.

1:00 – 2:00 PM
BSU Training Session – Workplace Professionalism Training

This in-person, speaker-led course equips individuals with the skills to thrive in a professional environment by fostering accountability, reliability, and effective collaboration. Participants gain practical insights to build strong work habits, enhance teamwork, and uphold the standards that create a respectful, productive workplace culture.

1:30 – 2:15 PM
Chef’s Class No. 3 – Grilling Cheese with Chef Paul Brown

Featuring: Chef Paul Brown, Sun Valley Culinary Institute

Grilling cheese with caramelized cauliflower, crispy almonds, pickled onions, cilantro, mint & curry vinaigrette: In this class we will learn about cheeses that can be seared or grilled, often found as halloumi, paneer or curds. These cheese are an excellent source of dense nutrition and protein, and can be used in countless ways as a delicious start to a meal. Chef will demonstrate how to pan sear the cheese and prepare a fresh, vibrant, vegetarian-friendly dish with bright herbs and satisfying textures. We will also learn how easy it is to make pickled onions and vinaigrettes at home.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Panel Discussion No. 2 – Cultivating Connections: How Idaho Products Get From Field to Fork

A lively conversation with leaders from Idaho Preferred, the Boise Farmers Market, Charlie’s Produce, Buy Idaho and the Idaho Wine Commission exploring what it really takes to move local products through Idaho’s food system. From market access to distribution challenges to consumer demand, this panel highlights the partnerships that bring Idaho-grown goods to tables across the state.

2:45 – 3:30 PM
Chef’s Class No. 4 – Loaded Idaho Potato Gnocchi

Featuring: Chef Pedro Martinez, Idaho Provisions

Learn how to make gnocchi and a delicious dish with local ingredients! Participants will be provided with a recipe card, all ingredients to make their own gnocchi to take home, along with their own wooden gnocchi paddle.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Panel Discussion No. 3 – Local Food, Local Impact: Why Idaho’s Food System Matters to Our Economy

Economists and industry leaders from the Idaho Restaurant Association, University of Idaho, ISDA, and the Department of Labor explore how Idaho’s local food system drives community wealth. From farm income and small-business growth to jobs, tourism, and regional resilience, this panel digs into why investing in local food isn’t sentimental — it’s economic strategy.

4:00 – 5:00 PM
Networking Hour – Wrap up the day by reconnecting with friends, colleagues, and new partners.

5:00 PM
Festival Concludes

Buyers’ Hour – Dedicated time for producers and buyers to connect and explore opportunities.
Calling all chefs, grocers, distributors, restaurateurs, retailers and beverage buyers. This hour is just for you. During Buyers’ Hour, you’ll have first pick of meeting Idaho producers face to face, exploring new products, and sparking the partnerships that keep our local food system strong.

Register today so we know you’re coming and can keep our grant dollars working hard to support these connection.

Want to relive 2025’s Field to Fork Festival? Check that out here!