The farm-to-table trend has been around for much longer than you may think. Its roots can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s, when Americans were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the processed foods they considered tasteless. This dissatisfaction led to the opening of one of the first food delivery restaurants, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California, in 1971. The “Farm to Table” movement is a food concept and an agricultural process that connects consumers to fresh, healthy protein and products. It is not just a direct link between local farms and consumers, but encompasses a wide range of suppliers. The movement has been around since 1915 and 1920, when the United States Post Office allowed farm-fresh produce to be shipped directly to consumers' homes.
It is an ode to farmers who work hard in the fields to grow the most delicious ingredients. Products can come from a small family farm or from a larger operation that adheres to sustainable agricultural practices. Alice Waters opened the Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkley, California in 1971, which marked the beginning of the “farm to table” movement in the restaurant industry and beyond. This was not an easy or affordable way to manage a restaurant, as chefs had to learn how to work with fresh ingredients and develop mutually beneficial relationships with local farmers. Nowadays, you can find farm-to-table restaurant concepts in cities like Portland (Oregon), Boulder (Colorado), or Brooklyn (New York).When a restaurant uses the term “From farm to table” to describe its concept, it means that the restaurant or chef has a relationship with local farmers.
This allows them to create exclusive menus with special dishes. Beyond its romantic side, eating farm-to-table is also a much more environmentally sustainable way of running a restaurant. In conclusion, the farm-to-table movement has been around for over a century and is here to stay. It is an agricultural process that connects consumers to fresh, healthy protein and products from local farms and other suppliers. Eating farm-to-table is not only romantic but also environmentally sustainable.
