Controlled Burn: BoysGrow sets the table for fire-infused meal sparked by farm’s teen entrepreneurs, KC chefs

A live fire culinary event at the BoysGrow farm in south Kansas City is a dream come true for John Gordon, he shared, detailing plans for a fundraiser that harvests an immersive and unforgettable dining experience from the teen-focused ag entrepreneurship program.

John Gordon, founder of the BoysGrow nonprofit; courtesy photo

The one-night-only “Controlled Burn” heats up Oct. 5 at the 10-acre farm where the nonprofit BoysGrow mentors urban youth through farming, culinary training, and business skills.

“Kansas City is known for its barbecue, which obviously focuses on fire and food,” said Gordon, who launched the organization in 2010. “But this one will be unique because it’s not specifically barbecue. It’s just an array of dishes being cooked on live fire in different ways.”

Click here to purchase tickets to the Oct. 5 Controlled Burn dinner.

Moving across the farm, guests are expected to encounter four unique fire-driven hearths and surprise performances tucked throughout the landscape, according to organizers, providing a meaningful connection to the farmland.

“They’ve hosted fantastic events on the farm for years, but none have integrated into and celebrated the landscape in quite this way,” noted Katie Frankenbach, co-founder of Kind Happenings, the creative studio helping organize Controlled Burn. “It’s a special place that’s grown and shaped many, many lives.”

The BoysGrow farm in south Kansas City; courtesy photo

Sharing their culinary talents at the hearths will be James Beard–nominated chef Vaughn Good (Fox and Pearl), alongside Amante Domingo (Noka, The Russell, Le Champion), Adam Jones (Clay & Fire), and Tia Throckmorton (Corvino Supper Club). The large bonfire at the end will feature a dessert prepared by fellow James Beard–nominated chef Michael Corvino (Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room, Songbird) along with a paired cocktail.

“We hand-picked all four of the chefs,” Gordon explained, “and either they feature live fire cooking in the restaurants or I know them personally and I know that’s just something they’re really passionate about. So we wanted to create an event that was unique but also really sparked the interest of the chefs, too.”

Stirring from a base of support

Although BoysGrow has a culinary program and aligns with the restaurant industry, Gordon noted, it doesn’t slip past him how generous the Kansas City culinary industry has been to the nonprofit, which often hosts date night fundraiser events on the farm that feature a menu curated by local chefs.

“To be honest, I don’t really know exactly where the program would be without some of the chefs who supported us throughout the years, especially in the beginning,” he continued. “We had two chefs that really stepped up and put some wind in our sails as a new nonprofit. It’s always difficult to get traction and momentum and Lydia Bastianich and Howard Hanna were very supportive of our mission.”

“Not only did they come out and do dinners,” Gordon added, “but I felt like any chance they got, they were talking about the program and advocating for it.”

Bastianich and Hanna set the tone for BoysGrow to be a place that chefs enjoy coming out to, he said.

“I think it resonated with both of those two in particular,” he explained, “because it’s kids getting tied to, not just culinary arts, but agriculture — and all parts of agriculture, from harvesting chickens to harvesting beets — and having kids actually be associated with their food.”

John Gordon, founder of the BoysGrow nonprofit; courtesy photo

Expanding the classroom soil

Controlled Burn is not only just a fundraiser for BoysGrow, Gordon shared, it gives the teenage boys on the farm additional opportunities to practice skills they’re learning through the two-year program, which offers hands-on experience in cultivation, culinary arts, product development, and public speaking.

ICYMI: BoysGrow cultivates young leaders in South Kansas City through farming, purpose, entrepreneurship

“We think that it’s pretty important for that age to have employment history,” Gordon continued, “not just for your resume, but also for your soft skills in regards to showing up to work on time, instruction, leadership, teamwork, and all those things that the kids may or may not get outside of a traditional workforce environment.”

Through events like Controlled Burn, the boys gain even more experience, he noted.

“They get to see some of the X’s and O’s and a lot of the effort that goes behind putting on an event like this,” Gordon explained. “Then they also have the ability to, not just cook with the chefs, but give tours on the farm, practice public speaking at the events, and engage with the guests. This assists them in being better, not just ambassadors in the program, but more confident in the way they speak and the way they carry themselves.”