More than 100 diners sat down under a tent at Smolak Farms on Wednesday for a sold-out, multi-course farm-to-table meal — part of Dinner on a Whim, the North Andover farm's summer pop-up series pairing guest chefs with locally sourced food and a good cause.

What's on the plate, and where the money goes.

Tickets run $134.20 per person, tax and gratuity included, with a portion of each ticket benefiting the featured chef's charity of choice — this week's dinner supported Play For A Cause. The kitchen that night belonged to the team from Massimino's Cucina Italiana, a Boston restaurant open since 1989. Chef Mary DaSilva served up pasta fusilli with spinach, pesto and garlic, followed by a pollo paradiso main course, while owner Paolo D'Amore mingled with guests table to table between courses. Among the diners: retired Whittier Vocational Technical High School superintendent Bill DeRosa, seated alongside farm owner Mike Smolak, plus Ben Kellman of Andover and Michelle and Greg Williamson of North Andover.

Why a farm needs dinner parties to survive.

For Smolak, this isn't just a fun summer event — it's part of the business model. "We need these other things — these 'value added' sort of things — to make the farm profitable," he told the Eagle-Tribune, a candid reminder of how much modern farms depend on creative extras beyond the harvest itself.

What's coming up next.

The series runs every Wednesday evening through August under the farm's Pine Grove tent (beverages sold separately). On July 22, Vivacino Authentic Italian takes over the kitchen with Chefs Nimesh Maharjan and Richard Bertin, supporting Bread & Roses. On July 29, Chef Ian Davey of Gibbet Hill Grill headlines in support of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. August dates and chefs haven't been announced yet. Reservations are available at smolakfarms.com.