Farm-to-table (or farm-to-fork, and in some cases farm-to-school) is a social movement which promotes serving local food at restaurants and school cafeterias, preferably through direct acquisition from the producer (which might be a winery, brewery, ranch, fishery, or other type of food producer which is not strictly a "farm"). This might be accomplished by a direct sales relationship, a community-supported agriculture arrangement, a farmer's market, a local distributor or by the restaurant or school raising its own food. Farm-to-table often incorporates a form of food traceability (celebrated as "knowing where your food comes from") where the origin of the food is identified to consumers. Often restaurants cannot source all the food they need for dishes locally, so only some dishes or only some ingredients are labelled as local.
A "farm-to-table" dinner at Kendall-Jackson used produce from the winery's on-site garden.
The farm-to-table movement has arisen more or less concurrently with changes in attitudes about food safety, food freshness, food seasonality, and small-farm economics.[1] Advocates and practitioners of the farm-to-table model frequently cite the scarcity of fresh, local ingredients; the poor flavor of ingredients shipped from afar; the poor nutritional integrity of shipped ingredients; the disappearance of small family farms; the disappearance of heirloom and open-pollinated fruits and vegetables; and the dangers of a highly centralized food growing and distribution system as motivators for their decision to adopt a more locavore approach to the food system.[2][3]
Among the first vocal and influential farm-to-table businesses were Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, The Herbfarm in Washington, Bon Appétit Management Company based in Palo Alto, California, and The Kitchen in Boulder, Colorado. Since the 2000s, the number of farm-to-table operations has grown rapidly and "the American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide lists restaurants located in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia".[3] In 2015, according to the National Restaurant Association "four of the top ten trends" related to local foods.[3]
More recently restaurateurs have tried to democratize the farm-to-table movement by opening fast-casual restaurants that offer relatively affordable locally sourced food. Sweetgreen, a farm-to-table salad chain, has experienced exponential growth since opening in 2007 in Washington, D.C, and now has more than 60 locations across the United States.[3] The salad bar chain started on the premise of sourcing food as locally as possible. The chain "works with more than 500 farmers" to limit the distance food travels across all their locations, requiring each region to build relationships with their local farm community.[4] In New York, another fast casual concept, Dig Inn, has gained popularity with their "farm-to-counter" model.[5] In 2016, Dig Inn announced they intend to buy and manage their own farm. While they do not plan to source all their food from their farm, it will be a place for education and to learn "exactly how things grow".[5] Both of these restaurant concepts have received noteworthy funding, as investors gain more interest in food startups, particularly those connecting to the local food system.[3] Consumer interest is high enough that Applebee's has even explored the farm-to-table concept. In summer 2014, the chain released a location-specific menu option: the Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin, in Georgia. It took six months to plan and was only available for a limited period.[6]
Criticism
Despite the growth in the farm-to-table restaurants the movement has been met with some criticism. A Boston Globe critic argues it is a fad by millennials whose obsession with food resembled their parents generational affinity for "music and drug of choice".[7] The movement is also criticized for being relatively less affordable than other forms of food and dining.[8] Others argue that the farm-to-table term is not fully understood by consumers. For example, foods advertised as farm-to-table are considered healthier regardless of actual nutritional content.[3]
Restaurant fraud
Journalist investigations at the Tampa Bay Times[9] and San Diego Magazine[10] found widespread fraud in the claims made by the area's farm-to-table restaurants. Cases included a restaurant previously bought from a farm-to-table provider but has since switched to different suppliers without updating the menu; a restaurant claims to buy from a farmer, but the farmer denies ever having sold to that restaurant; a restaurant serving a type of food the cited farmer or fisher has never grown or caught or which is currently out of season or not being provided; a restaurant claiming to serve food from a provider which has gone out of business years ago; food from the claimed source makes up only a small portion of the type of food on the plate. In such cases the food actually served is usually non-local or even "commodity" food which is cheaper and more available out-of-season. In some cases food claimed to be "wild caught", "preservative-free", "made in-house", "Fresh from Florida", or "Long Island duck" was not.
Such practices open restaurants to lawsuits from both the farmer whose name is being used fraudulently, and lawsuits from consumers who have purchased mislabelled food products, as well as enforcement actions by government agencies.[11]Tampa Bay Times food critic and investigative reporter Laura Reiley attributes fraud in part to the rise of the farm-to-table trend since 2012, the lack of time of restaurants to deal directly with farms whereas they normally would deal with one or two large distributors, and in many cases sheer profit motive.[12]
^Brain, Roslynn. "The Local Food Movement: Definitions, Benefits & Resources". Utah State University. Utah State University. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^Gogoi, Pallavi. "The Local Food Movement Benefits Farms, Food Production, Environment" (PDF). Business Week Online. Business Week Online. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^Hedgecock, Sarah (October 18, 2016). "How Creating 'Intimacy At Scale' Drives Sweetgreen's Fast-Casual Success". Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^ abGarfield, Leanna (August 22, 2016). "This fast-casual chain New Yorkers love just took sustainable food to the next level". Business Insider. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
^Mintel GNPD (June 2014). "Innovation on the Menu: Flavor Trends - US - June 2014". Mintel. Mintel. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^Gunst, Kathy (August 22, 2015). "Is farm-to-table just a fad?". Boston Globe. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
^Schoenfeld, Bruce (September 21, 2011). "How the Farm-to-Table Movement Is Helping Grow the Economy". Entrepreneur. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
^"Farm to Fable: A Times investigation into Tampa Bay's local food scene". Tampa Bay Times. 15 April 2016.
^Troy Johnson (24 June 2015). "Farm to Fable: Deception, fraud, and honest mistakes in the farm-to-table movement". San Diego Magazine.
^"Farm-to-Table Fraud: The Legal Side". David Lizerbram & Associates Blog. July 7, 2015.
^Laura Reiley (April 13, 2016). "At Tampa Bay farm-to-table restaurants, you're being fed fiction". Tampa Bay Times.
External links
How to tell if your ‘local’ food is actually local
Farm to Fork Strategy – for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system (European Union).
March 06, 2023
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For the Philippine cooking show see Farm to Table TV program For Bartees Strange album see Farm to Table album Farm to table or farm to fork and in some cases farm to school is a social movement which promotes serving local food at restaurants and school cafeterias preferably through direct acquisition from the producer which might be a winery brewery ranch fishery or other type of food producer which is not strictly a farm This might be accomplished by a direct sales relationship a community supported agriculture arrangement a farmer s market a local distributor or by the restaurant or school raising its own food Farm to table often incorporates a form of food traceability celebrated as knowing where your food comes from where the origin of the food is identified to consumers Often restaurants cannot source all the food they need for dishes locally so only some dishes or only some ingredients are labelled as local A farm to table dinner at Kendall Jackson used produce from the winery s on site garden The farm to table movement has arisen more or less concurrently with changes in attitudes about food safety food freshness food seasonality and small farm economics 1 Advocates and practitioners of the farm to table model frequently cite the scarcity of fresh local ingredients the poor flavor of ingredients shipped from afar the poor nutritional integrity of shipped ingredients the disappearance of small family farms the disappearance of heirloom and open pollinated fruits and vegetables and the dangers of a highly centralized food growing and distribution system as motivators for their decision to adopt a more locavore approach to the food system 2 3 Contents 1 Influences and growth 2 Fast casual meets farm to table 3 Criticism 4 Restaurant fraud 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksInfluences and growth EditAmong the first vocal and influential farm to table businesses were Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley California The Herbfarm in Washington Bon Appetit Management Company based in Palo Alto California and The Kitchen in Boulder Colorado Since the 2000s the number of farm to table operations has grown rapidly and the American Farm to Table Restaurant Guide lists restaurants located in more than 30 states and the District of Columbia 3 In 2015 according to the National Restaurant Association four of the top ten trends related to local foods 3 Prominent advocates for the farm to table movement either as chefs writers farmers or environmentalists include Wendell Berry Wes Jackson Michael Pollan Thomas Keller John Jeavons Alice Waters Dan Barber Joel Salatin Barbara Kingsolver Tony Maws Kevin Gillespie Edna Lewis Ken Myszka Erik Manning and others Fast casual meets farm to table EditMore recently restaurateurs have tried to democratize the farm to table movement by opening fast casual restaurants that offer relatively affordable locally sourced food Sweetgreen a farm to table salad chain has experienced exponential growth since opening in 2007 in Washington D C and now has more than 60 locations across the United States 3 The salad bar chain started on the premise of sourcing food as locally as possible The chain works with more than 500 farmers to limit the distance food travels across all their locations requiring each region to build relationships with their local farm community 4 In New York another fast casual concept Dig Inn has gained popularity with their farm to counter model 5 In 2016 Dig Inn announced they intend to buy and manage their own farm While they do not plan to source all their food from their farm it will be a place for education and to learn exactly how things grow 5 Both of these restaurant concepts have received noteworthy funding as investors gain more interest in food startups particularly those connecting to the local food system 3 Consumer interest is high enough that Applebee s has even explored the farm to table concept In summer 2014 the chain released a location specific menu option the Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin in Georgia It took six months to plan and was only available for a limited period 6 Criticism EditDespite the growth in the farm to table restaurants the movement has been met with some criticism A Boston Globe critic argues it is a fad by millennials whose obsession with food resembled their parents generational affinity for music and drug of choice 7 The movement is also criticized for being relatively less affordable than other forms of food and dining 8 Others argue that the farm to table term is not fully understood by consumers For example foods advertised as farm to table are considered healthier regardless of actual nutritional content 3 Restaurant fraud EditJournalist investigations at the Tampa Bay Times 9 and San Diego Magazine 10 found widespread fraud in the claims made by the area s farm to table restaurants Cases included a restaurant previously bought from a farm to table provider but has since switched to different suppliers without updating the menu a restaurant claims to buy from a farmer but the farmer denies ever having sold to that restaurant a restaurant serving a type of food the cited farmer or fisher has never grown or caught or which is currently out of season or not being provided a restaurant claiming to serve food from a provider which has gone out of business years ago food from the claimed source makes up only a small portion of the type of food on the plate In such cases the food actually served is usually non local or even commodity food which is cheaper and more available out of season In some cases food claimed to be wild caught preservative free made in house Fresh from Florida or Long Island duck was not Such practices open restaurants to lawsuits from both the farmer whose name is being used fraudulently and lawsuits from consumers who have purchased mislabelled food products as well as enforcement actions by government agencies 11 Tampa Bay Times food critic and investigative reporter Laura Reiley attributes fraud in part to the rise of the farm to table trend since 2012 the lack of time of restaurants to deal directly with farms whereas they normally would deal with one or two large distributors and in many cases sheer profit motive 12 Further information Food fraudSee also Edit Agriculture and Agronomy portal Food portalEU Farm to Fork strategy Slow Food Food miles Low carbon diet Organic farming Sustainable agriculture Kitchen garden Bean to barReferences Edit Brain Roslynn The Local Food Movement Definitions Benefits amp Resources Utah State University Utah State University Retrieved 15 April 2017 Gogoi Pallavi The Local Food Movement Benefits Farms Food Production Environment PDF Business Week Online Business Week Online Retrieved 15 April 2017 a b c d e f Harvard University Culinary Institute of America 2016 Menus of Change The Business of Healthy Sustainable Delicious Food Choices PDF Menus of Change Retrieved April 15 2017 Hedgecock Sarah October 18 2016 How Creating Intimacy At Scale Drives Sweetgreen s Fast Casual Success Forbes Forbes Retrieved 15 April 2017 a b Garfield Leanna August 22 2016 This fast casual chain New Yorkers love just took sustainable food to the next level Business Insider Retrieved April 15 2017 Mintel GNPD June 2014 Innovation on the Menu Flavor Trends US June 2014 Mintel Mintel Retrieved 15 April 2017 Gunst Kathy August 22 2015 Is farm to table just a fad Boston Globe Retrieved April 15 2017 Schoenfeld Bruce September 21 2011 How the Farm to Table Movement Is Helping Grow the Economy Entrepreneur Retrieved April 15 2017 Farm to Fable A Times investigation into Tampa Bay s local food scene Tampa Bay Times 15 April 2016 Troy Johnson 24 June 2015 Farm to Fable Deception fraud and honest mistakes in the farm to table movement San Diego Magazine Farm to Table Fraud The Legal Side David Lizerbram amp Associates Blog July 7 2015 Laura Reiley April 13 2016 At Tampa Bay farm to table restaurants you re being fed fiction Tampa Bay Times External links EditHow to tell if your local food is actually local Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair healthy and environmentally friendly food system European Union Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Farm to table amp oldid 1142267149, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
