The Orlando Sentinel’s 150th Anniversary event series continues with its tastiest panel yet as local farmers and chefs discuss the ins and outs of farm-to-table.
The panel
Self-taught, first-generation farmer Mike Garcia is the owner and operator of Everoak Farm in Orlando, Florida. Garcia transitioned from a career in culinary arts and more than 10 years in hospitality to pursue regenerative agriculture full-time.
His work focuses on agroecology, bio-intensive market gardening, agroforestry, pasture-raised poultry, and composting. Through Everoak Farm, education and community partnerships, Garcia is committed to building resilient food systems that regenerate the land while nourishing people.
Bernadette Girvin and her husband, Charlie, along with their two children, have been building 4 Girvins Farm in Tavares for some time now — hence the name.
What began with a five-acre parcel, 11 laying hens and 30 meat birds has since grown into an 18-acre farm that spans their home property and multiple land leases. It produces pasture-raised eggs (the laying flock now approaches 1,000 hens), poultry, and pork, alongside a small market garden.
“The animals are at the heart of why I farm,” she says. “Caring for them, learning their needs, and seeing them thrive is the work I love most.
Leah Cordova is the chef at Quicksand Bar à Vin, a natural wine bar in Orlando.
She began her culinary career in New York City in 2019 before moving back home to work for Hinckley’s Fancy Meats, where she learned nose-to-tail cookery. She later created a vegetable pop-up, Crocodile Dining, at Everoak Farm in 2021.
Cordova’s menus are steeped in local agriculture, Orlando’s international food scene, and the ethos of low-intervention winemaking. Her ice cream concept, Sweet Thyme, which features spice-studded vegetal flavors, launched at Quicksand in 2025.
Best Splurge: 2026 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards
Bruno Fonseca is the executive chef of Foreigner Restaurant in Orlando and Bruno’s Oysters, located inside Plant Street Market in Winter Garden.
Fonseca’s own story, of growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, moving to the States and finding his way in different kitchens, is what led to the birth of Foreigner, a place where creativity, expansion, unpredictability and braving the unknown — seeing things through the eyes of a foreigner — is what he intends for his guests to encounter with his cooking.
Out in Plant Street, there’s similar zhuzh, but a vibe that reflects Fonseca’s interest in both oysters — and unpretentious dining. Local ingredients play a large role in both places.
The panel, taking place at The Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden, will be moderated by Orlando Sentinel multimedia food reporter Amy Drew Thompson, with a brief introduction by chef Kevin Fonzo of La Tavola, who will explain The Kitchen House’s history and mission.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., panel begins at 6 p.m., followed by a Q&A.
Tickets: $12. RSVP here: tinyurl.com/OS150thFood.
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden is located at 26 E. King St. in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood.
