Beard and the Gal 'braise' Farms are the Tapas competition with all-local beef dish

Ottawa County, Michigan sent this bulletin at 10/07/2025 08:58 AM EDT

For Immediate Release | Oct. 7, 2025
Press contact: Department of Strategic Impact | 616-738-4852

The Beard and The Gal 'braise' Tapas competition with all-local beef dish

Local private chef and catering duo Gina and Cory Mitchell of The Beard and The Gal pose with the Harvest Knife after winning Farms are the Tapas on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025.

Farms are the Tapas fundraiser brings in $32,000 for farmland preservation efforts in Ottawa County

It was a beautiful evening to celebrate local agriculture at Ottawa County's Farms are the Tapas fundraiser for farmland preservation. Over 160 people gathered on Thursday, Sept. 25 at the Red Shed & Byre 53 event center outside Hudsonville to taste one-of-a-kind tapas dishes, bid on a plethora of unique silent auction items, and support the local agriculture industry.

"Each year this event gets a little bigger," said Ottawa County Farmland Preservation Analyst and event organizer Julie Lamer. "But we knew this year was going to be different when we realized we had sold out seats more than a week before the event!"

Including auction items, sponsor support, and ticket sales, more than $32,000 was raised for the Farmland Preservation Program.

"This was by far the most fun we've ever had. (Winning) proved that something pretty simple can be elevated by the ingredients you make it with. For this event I purposefully purchased everything the day before."

Gina Mitchell, The Beard and The Gal

Chefs from a record seven local food establishments participated in the tapas competition, including The Farmhouse of Zeeland, Holy Smokers BBQ, The Unicorn Tavern, Public, Coast Out, Pita on the Pier, and The Beard and The Gal.

Each competitor flexed their cooking styles, sharing delectable original small plate dishes incorporating ingredients from local farms. Competition this year was incredibly close – but local private chef and catering duo Cory and Gina Mitchell of The Beard and The Gal bested the competition with their Chianti wine-braised beef dish. Paired with an heirloom tomato and Michigan peach-infused sauce, the beef was served over smoked Gouda and 10-year-aged sharp cheddar cheese and chili garlic grits and a corn salad. According to Gina, every ingredient was 100% locally purchased and nearly 100% West Michigan-produced – all acquired from 14 local establishments.

More than 160 people gathered on Thursday, Sept. 25 at the Red Shed & Byre 53 event center outside Hudsonville for the ninth edition of Farms are the Tapas.

"This was by far the most fun we’ve ever had," said the 'Gal' herself, Gina Mitchell. "Winning) proved that something pretty simple can be elevated by the ingredients you make it with. For this event I purposefully purchased everything the day before. Considering I got every single thing down to the oil, vinegar, salt, seasonings, dairy, cheese, meat, produce and vegetables (locally), I think it was incredibly easy and fun. It was a dish filled with community and love!"

Other competitor's dishes were just as unique and delectable:

• First-timers Coast Out shared their Lakeside BLT, which featured seasoned bacon drizzled with lemon-herb dressing, topped with cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, and homemade basil pesto on a toasted baguette.

• The Farmhouse of Zeeland served up pork belly infused with maple syrup and bourbon.

• Holy Smokers barbecue offered a Schaufele sandwich, featured smoke-infused shredded Schaufele pork marinated in a tomato and vegetable reduction and was topped with greens and dressing on a brioche bun with a side of "Cowboy Caviar."

• Pita on Pier made their Tapas debut with fresh traditional falafel topped with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, pickles, red onion and Tahini sauce.

• Public debuted with a creamy butternut squash bisque with maple syrup, roasted pumpkin seeds and black pepper.

• The Unicorn Tavern drew inspiration from Indian cuisine with a Peach Butter-Chicken Salad with craisins, red onion, red pepper, celery orange marmalade, scallions, and sriracha hot sauce over whole-wheat Naan bread.

“I reach out to dozens of restaurants each year – but Tapas 2025 was the first with seven competitors, each with very different culinary styles and backgrounds," said Lamer. "We are so lucky to have such talented and unique establishments willing to share their skills and time in support of our program."

Besides the competing chefs, sponsors offered 19 unique packages in the silent auction. Along with the usual meat and breakfast bundles from local farms, sponsors offered experiences such as golf packages, a fitness membership, and entry to John Ball Zoo. What brought in the most money for the program – a whopping $3,525 – was the perennial favorite Cruisin’ with Cliff sunset boat ride on Lake Michigan.

All together, the auction itself brought in $10,774. "The momentum for Tapas continues to build as we add more sponsorships and auction items each year," continued Lamer. "It means a lot to have such strong local business and nonprofit support – we couldn’t do this without them."

Clockwise, from left: Cory Mitchell oserves braised beef. Top right: Guests get Public’s squash bisque. Bottom right: Beard and The Gal’s dish.

Clockwise, from left: Cory Mitchell of The Beard and The Gal plates their winning Chianti-braised beef during the Farms are the Tapas fundraiser on Sept. 25, 2025. Top right: Guests get a serving of Public’s creamy butternut squash bisque. Bottom right: The Beard and The Gal’s beef dish included ingredients that were 100 percent locally sourced and/or purchased.

More that just preservation

Although the main focus of Farms are the Tapas historically is to raise funds for farmland protection, the event is also about advocacy.

"Protecting valuable ag land through conservation easements is just one facet of our farmland protection efforts," said Agriculture & Economic Resources Coordinator Becky Huttenga. "We work with our local units of government to encourage agricultural friendly zoning and planning practices, and take special consideration for farmland protection in areas facing groundwater shortages. We support succession planning efforts through the Land Transfer Navigator Program. At Tapas, we have the public's attention, where we can inform and advocate for this absolutely essential local industry."

Tapas also brings attention to the incredible bounty of local farms – after all, Ottawa County is one of the most agriculturally diverse in the state.

"We feel incredibly privileged to live in a community with so much bounty at our fingertips," said Gina Mitchell. "Farmers are the hardest working people that exist. We're fortunate enough to be surrounded by so many. This program not only protects and preserves the land they've worked so hard on, it also gives ... farmers a chance to grow, learn and pass it on to future generations."

About Ottawa County's Farmland Preservation Program

Ottawa County's Farmland Preservation Program protects the vital local agricultural industry and slows the loss of farms and farmland through programmatic efforts including the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program. Since 2016, this voluntary program has protected nine agricultural properties totaling 733 acres.

Funded through a combination of private donations and state and federal grants, PDR preserves farmland through the purchase and donation of development rights for actively farmed property. This allows participating landowners to receive compensation for the development potential of their land yet still retain ownership and other rights associated with it through a permanent easement.

To learn more about how the Farmland Preservation Program protects and supports Ottawa County's agricultural industry, visit MiOttawa.org/Farmland.

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The Ottawa County Agricultural Preservation Board meets the first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. Public welcome. Meetings are held in Conference Room C located at 12220 Fillmore Street, West Olive, Michigan.

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