The Farm to Table Culture and Community

You may have entered a few restaurants which offer farm to table options for their food. There are a lot of places that boast of serving only fresh, organic and farm to table food at their venue. While this may seem like a marketing gimmick to gain more traction, the farm to table culture and community is actually growing considerably on a global scale.

What is farm to table?

Farm to table is a pretty self-explanatory term. It means that the produce used by restaurant owners and the produce you buy for your cooking comes straight from the farm and on to your table. This movement came to rise with the rise in the organic culture. More and more people wanted to know what exactly went into making their food and groceries, and the best way to find that out is by talking to the farmer directly. 

Those who practice farm to table in their community have a relationship with their local farmers and buy their produce directly from them. This way you have complete knowledge of all that went into growing your produce - the pesticides used, if the seeds were GMO, the fertilizers, type of soil, irrigation method - you name it, and you can find out.

Why are people and restaurants inclined to build a farm to table culture?

Health and wellness is a trend that has seen a sharp incline globally over the last few years. The restaurant industry has recognized the value of promoting this to their consumers, and in general, more people than ever are shifting towards a healthier and more organic approach. 

A healthy diet and lifestyle improves one’s emotional and mental wellbeing as well, so consumers want to create an environment that will push them to become more healthy. The first step in this process is awareness. When you are aware of what you are putting in your body, you tend to choose better, healthier options, to make your system feel whole.

Enter farm to table as a concept. 

When you buy from local farmers, you have the knowledge and awareness of what goes into the food you eat. Large scale supermarkets provide less information and generally practice methods that will get them to produce more, but at the cost of quality. Community-enabled agriculture, farming, and produce create a more enriching and wholesome experience for both the buyer and the farmer. Your local farmer’s market will bring more value to your groceries than your chain supermarket store.

What can you do if you do not have access to farm to table options?

There are places around the world that don’t have farmlands close by, so creating a farm to table and organic community becomes difficult. What can you do if you still want to eat enriched and organic food but don’t have immediate access to it?

Research!

The internet is a great tool to find answers about, well, anything. You can use it to find online stores that work with local farmers directly and supply to their customers. You can get in touch with the store directly to know more about the farmers they work with, what produce they have and how it is grown, in case the information isn’t provided to you on the website itself. It’s a great way to get access to the freshest and most organically grown produce around you.

The farm to table and organic community may be new, but the culture is only going to continue to grow. Hop on to the wellness train and see its benefits for yourself!