Sotheby's, perhaps emulating its best clients, seems to be diversifying its portfolio. This month they jumped into the gallery business with S2, and now it looks as if they might be getting into the food business as well. For the second time in as many years, the auction house held the "Art of Farming," a gala and auction of "edible heirlooms" to benefit two New York City-based nonprofits, GrowNYC — the organization behind the city's 35 greenmarkets — and the Sylvia Center — which runs cooking programs for children in the city. While the final tally is not yet in, the event likely raised about $120,000 to be split between the two organizations, according to the Sylvia Center's executive director Anna Hammond.

"We are incredibly grateful that in this very, very tough economic climate so many people came out in support of two charities completely devoted to providing healthy food and food education city-wide," said Hammond. She went on to emphasize that "food is at the center of our lives, our health, and our well-being. It's just great that people have not lost sight of that and the importance of access to healthy food for all."

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...Upon arrival, guests were treated to a vodka, German peppermint, and white tea cocktail by New Jersey-based Tavalon Tea, had access to an open bar during the cannapé social hour, and were discouraged by hustling servers from letting their wine glasses stay empty (An entreaty to stop the flow of wine from a working reporter was met with a nod, then forgotten just two minutes later). Between the charitable causes and the copious amounts of wine, the auction was lively from the start....

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