In 2008, Jeremy and Megan Raff returned to family property west of Lompoc to care for his aging grandfather and start their own farming life. A decade later, Dare 2 Dream Farms is renowned for its eggs, chicks, and chicken coops, not to mention seasonal produce that’s sold around Santa Barbara County.
I met the Raffs last September when they hosted a dinner prepared by Chef Augusto Caudillo from Scratch Kitchen in Lompoc and paired with Transcendence wines by Joey Gummere, who sources from the nearby Sta. Rita Hills. The evening began with an extensive tour of the farm and the chicken coop operation and then settled into a dinner featuring eggs, chicken, and late-summer/early-fall produce.
Dare 2 Dream is hosting another meal on July 20, starting with brick-oven bread and creamy compound butters, then focusing on summer crops such as heirloom tomatoes and squash, with stone fruits for dessert. Free-range chicken and eggs will be showcased throughout the experience as well, and every ingredient that they don’t grow themselves will be sourced from other small regional producers. Each dish will be paired with Palmina Wines, whose proprietor Steve Clifton is expected to attend and discuss the wines.