Farm to Table Concept

The farm to table philosophy embraces a sustainable approach to agriculture and dining. At its heart, the concept is simple: there is value in eating locally. The movement, which picked up speed during the first decade of the 21st century, touts the benefits that are reaped by those who both produce and consume local food--as well as the environment as a whole. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Locality

A "locavore" is one who makes a conscious effort to eat food produced in his surrounding area. While the definition of "local eating" is not hard and fast, a commonly accepted rule of thumb is to eat only (or mostly) items from within a 100-mile radius of one's home.

The idea is that such food is fresher and healthier (because it did not have to travel long distances or be sprayed with life-extending chemicals) as well as less burdensome to the environment (since the amount of fuel used in transporting produce down the street is significantly less than in flying it around the world).

Farm to table restaurants take on the locavore mentality as a guiding principle. Such establishments partner with nearby farms and food producers in order to offer patrons an ever-changing menu that is both unique and has a strong community connection.

Seasonality

Eating locally means eating seasonally. Farm to table restaurants in the Northeast, for instance, will not serve asparagus except for a few weeks in the spring when it is locally harvested. On the other hand, California's more moderate climate offers chefs a wide array of produce year-round. Farm to table restaurants are understandably popular on the West Coast but are growing in numbers across the country. The seasonality component encourages both food preparers and consumers to savor fruits and vegetables at their prime.

Nutrition

Not only does seasonal produce provide a connection with the community, but it can also offer a higher concentration of nutrients compared to the same fruit or vegetable that would have had to travel for days and over thousands of miles. In general, the fresher the produce--and the quicker it arrives on one's dinner plate--the more nutrients it retains. When produce is shipped over long distances, it may be picked unripe (and lower in nutrients) to accommodate the required shelf life. Some items, such as tomatoes, are even treated with ethylene gas, which serves to activate an artificial ripening.

The Environment & Economy

As a whole, the food industry consumes great amounts of fossil fuels in both producing and shipping items. There is also considerable pollution generated by factories and other resource-demanding inputs. The farm to table movement does its part by ensuring that food stays in the area in which it was grown or made. Not only does this reduce the carbon footprint of restaurants and individuals who buy local, but it also has a positive impact on the local economy. By cutting out the middlemen, such restaurants are more likely to be able to pay farmers a fair wage.

Personalities

The farm to table concept encourages one to "know thy farmer." Rather than buying a faceless brand of sugar snap peas at the supermarket, a farm-to-table chef is likely to have visited the land where her peas have been grown. The produce might have even come from the restaurant's own land--or roof.

It is through the connection to the land, and the people who work the land, that the farm to table movement comes full circle. By taking lessons from the ways in which communities historically sourced and consumed food, and adapting those lessons to modern times, the philosophy provides a sustainable outlook for the future of food.