Of course "chowing down"  isn't the correct terminology for the sort of gourmet organic fare chefs Joseph Dolby and Lindsay Davidson will present to 120 diners at the annual fund-raiser. It will be an evening to satisfy the mind as well as the senses, with University of Toronto environment and theology professor Stephen Bede Sharper as guest speaker and the band Celtic Harvest providing entertainment.

In addition to the opportunity to see and think about the values behind organic and sustainable farming, the Organic Harvest Feast raises "pretty good coin every year" to keep the Jesuit program of spiritual direction and ecological ministry going at the 250-hectare organic farm on the northern edge of Guelph, Ont., said Sojczynsky.

But ultimately, it's about the food, said the event co-ordinator for this year's feast.

"It celebrates the harvest, because the fields come due. All the produce comes in beautifully in September," said Sojczynsky. "That's kind of the time when the produce is nice at the farm."

The tasty freshness of locally grown produce is a reminder of the goodness of the Earth – a goodness a globalized food industry sometimes dulls our senses to with year-round strawberries and salads concocted from the four corners of the globe.

"It's insane to grow peaches locally and then ship them off 1,000 miles away, and then you go buy peaches from Israel or wherever grows peaches," Sojczynsky said.

The further the food is shipped, the more carbon is released into the atmosphere by the trucks, trains, planes and ships which transport the cargo. Eating foods in season grown locally means helping control the greenhouse effect driving climate change, she said.

"We should try to be responsible members of this planet," said Sojczynsky.

While Sojcynsky admits to occasionally buying strawberries in winter, the Guelph real estate agent is increasingly drawn to local and organic options at the grocery store, not least because they support local farmers.

"Being responsible stewards of the land is kind of where we're going with this," she said.

The $85-per-plate fund-raising dinner gets underway at 5 p.m. with cocktails and a silent auction. The feast itself is served up at 6 p.m. Call (519) 824-1250 extension 241 or e-mail adminassistant@ignatiusguelph.ca for tickets.

"It's a lovely, lovely evening. The food is fantastic," said Sojczynsky.