Celebrate 300 Veteran Farmers
September 28, 2025
Ring in Arcadia's 15th year of service to our community!
An unforgettable multi-course seated dinner on the farm to raise money for the Veteran Farmer Program!
The Arcadia Fall Harvest Dinner 2025
sponsorships available
"You are allowing me to do what brings me peace and serenity while helping others"
-Ephesia Sutton, VFP 2024, US Army
​
"This program is life changing."
-Vince Arrington, VFP '22, USMC​​​
​
CJ Cross
Chalkboard BBQ
CJ Cross owns Chalkboard Wings and BBQ, and is partnering with Arcadia Veteran Farmer Rich Faucher of Faucher Farms for his pork course at this year’s farm dinner. Once a personal trainer, CJ has opened multiple restaurants and breweries, the most recent being Chalkboard in the Spring of 2022 just a few hundred yards from Arcadia farm. He works closely with Virginia farmers to source his meats at Chalkboard, a small 40 seat restaurant featuring a full bar and an ever-changing menu with new specials available each week. Throughout the pandemic, C. J.’s team served hundreds of meals for underemployed restaurant and health care workers. He volunteers with Bike to the Beach, which supports those affected by autism, by supporting marketing efforts and events execution along the East Coast. C. J. received his degrees from Northern Virginia Community College and James Madison University.
Reid Shilling
Shilling Canning Co
A Baltimore native, Reid Shilling graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2012, and into a job in the kitchen at chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA, where he worked nearly every position. He returned to the East Coast in 2015 and helped open Jeremiah Langhorne’s opening team at The Dabney, where he soon became sous chef. He left The Dabney to open Shilling Canning Company, his first solo restaurant concept. Inspired by his family’s business of the same name that operated in Finksburg, MD from 1935 – 1958, Shilling Canning Company opened in July 2019 in the Yards Park area of Washington, D.C., along the Anacostia River waterfront. The 75-seat restaurant is Chef Reid Shilling’s tribute to the seasonal flavors of the Chesapeake region, and features a frequently rotating menu, heavily influenced by each week’s intake from local farmers and what is sourced from the restaurant’s expansive outdoor garden. This is chef's third Arcadia Farm Dinner, and we are thrilled he agreed to cook for us again!
Tony Chittum
Vermilion
After many years working his way up through kitchens, including Elite Cafe in San Francisco, Tony moved to DC to work at newly opened Equinox restaurant under the tutelage of Todd Gray. After serving as executive chef of Notti Bianchi for two years, Chittum joined NRG, where under his guidance, Vermilion restaurant in Old Town Alexandria received numerous accolades including a three-star review from The Washington Post. Chittum has continued his work with NRG, opening the beautiful, award-wining Iron Gate in 2014. He returned to Vermilion this year to focus on highloighting the Chesapeake foodshed and its many great farmers and producers. Tony is an old friend to Arcadia and an alum of too many farm dinners to count and we are always delighted when he says yes!
Rochelle Cooper
Duck & The Peach
Rochelle Cooper learned to love baking at a young age, making traditional desserts for the holidays with her mom. This hobby grew into a passion and she found herself at Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Providence.
Rochelle combined her talent for the pastry arts with her joy in sharing her knowledge and ideas with others by becoming a teaching assistant at Pennsylvania State University. During this time, professors encouraged her to pursue a Masters’ in Education and one year later, she wrapped up a graduate program at Penn State. Missing the rush and excitement of restaurants, Rochelle found herself in Washington, D.C at Range by Bryan Voltaggio, working under the renowned Chef Chris Ford.
The whimsy, science, and storytelling of Jose Andres’ Minibar drew her further downtown where she spent years in the two Michelin Starred kitchen before becoming a research and development chef for the Jose Andres team.
Former colleague and friend Chef Kat Petonito enticed Rochelle to join Eastern Point Collective to begin her own pastry program at the restaurant group’s restaurants: The Duck & The Peach, La Collina and The Wells. In 2023, she opened, Méli, the group’s fourth DC restaurant. Rochelle is considered one of the top pastry chefs in Washington, DC and, in summer 2024, was named Pastry Chef of the Year at the RAMMY Awards, the city’s top culinary honors. Inspiration for Rochelle’s desserts comes from nostalgia and seasonal ingredients available locally. She also has a knack for sustainability and is always finding ways to cross utilize savory and bar preparations in her work. This is Rochelle’s first farm dinner and we can't wait to see what she cooks up!
%20(1)_edited_edited.jpg)
Daniella Senior
Colada Shop
Daniella’s love for food and hospitality began at 13 with a home-based catering business in the Dominican Republic. A Culinary Institute of America graduate and Certified Sommelier, she has worked in top kitchens like Le Bernardin and led operations at acclaimed spots such as Zaytinya and Richard Sandoval Restaurants. In 2016, she launched Colada Shop, bringing vibrant food, coffee, and culture to DC. Now with seven locations and growing, it’s become a local favorite. She co-founded Michelin-starred Bresca in 2017 and followed with Serenata and Zumo in 2019—award-winning concepts rooted in Latin American flavors and storytelling. A dynamic entrepreneur, Daniella champions team development, especially for women and minorities. Her leadership has earned recognition from Forbes' Next 1000, Washington Business Journal’s "40 Under 40," and more. She holds roles with the James Beard Foundation, the U.S. Department of State, and serves on Vice President Harris’ Roundtable of Latina Entrepreneurs. In 2024, she joined American University’s Sine Institute as a Fellow, exploring how food intersects with women, immigration, and policy.
Rahul Vinod
Rasa
2023 RAMMY Winner - Favorite Fast Bites, 2021 Rising Terp Award, 2018 Eater Young Guns, Thrillist Local Heroes Award, Washington Life Young and the Guest List, and Washington City Paper Changemakers in the DC Food System.
Rahul Vinod is the co-founder of Washington, D.C.'s emerging fast-casual Indian restaurant brand, RASA. A former Wall Street Investment Banker at BNP Paribas turned restaurateur, Rahul grew up in the industry as the son of one of the nation’s prominent Indian chefs. As a child, Rahul continuously saw a number of barriers to trying Indian food for most Americans. This unique upbringing led him to partner with childhood best friend to fulfill a lifelong dream of sharing the Indian flavors he grew up loving in a more approachable way. RASA has received critical acclaim including being recognized as the Best Concept Mid-Atlantic by Starchefs in 2022 and was named Best New Restaurant and Best Fast Casual by Washington City Paper in 2018, among others. He was named an Eater Young Gun in 2018 and was the recipient of the 2021 Rising Terp Award from his alma mater, the University of Maryland. Rahul’s support of the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic led him to be recognized as a Thrillist Local Hero and a Local Changemaker by the Washington City Paper. Rahul received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Operations Management. Rahul enjoys traveling and eating his way around the world. When not in the restaurant, he can often be found on a golf course.
thank you to our
2025 Sponsors
