Outtakes From Edible Schoolyard’s Wonderful Spring Benefit

Edible Schoolyard NYC held its annual Spring Benefit at the Skylight at Moynihan Station in New York City this past Wednesday, May 17th, and Garden Collage was a proud sponsor of the event.

Edible Schoolyard is nonprofit founded by revered Bay Area chef Alice Waters, which works “to transform the hearts, minds, and eating habits of young New Yorkers through a seed-to-table education” that is integrated into public schools. Children who participate in Edible Schoolyard’s “edible education” help grow edible gardens on site at their school, which turn supplies its cafeteria with fresh, seasonal produce. The idea is to get kids in the dirt and to teach them about the value of gardens and healthy eating at an age when they need it most– a mission that Garden Collage is always proud to support.

The annual benefit is one of Edible Schoolyard’s most exciting fundraisers, and this year, they raised over $1 million to support edible education in New York City. The event featured a hand-picked selection of some of the world’s top chefs, including David Chang, Ruth Rogers, Michael Anthony, April Bloomfield, Danny Bowien, and more. The chef’s cooked an amazing seasonal meal for individual tables of notable guests, which this year included Martha Stewart, Seth Meyers, Carey Lowell, Waris Ahluwalia, Lela Rose, and many more. (The Garden Collage team was served by Sqirl‘s Jessica Koslow, and we couldn’t have been more delighted as we are huge fans of her L.A.-based eatery!)

Vegetables and seasonal ingredients were also on display amid the decor, which included an amazing series of “vegetable chandeliers” that you can see in the image above. Check out more behind-the-scenes glimpses of ESNYC’s beautiful event, below. We hope to see you at next year’s benefit!

For more information on Edible Schoolyard NYC, visit the organization’s website. Check out our coverage of last year’s benefit here.