What Does Farm-to-Table Really Mean?

One of the latest trends in the restaurant world is farm-to-table food. But what does this phrase mean? And how does it improve relationships between those who grow the food and those who cook the food?

Let’s find out.

The Benefits of Farm-to-Table

Farm-to-table means the food that ends up on your plate has come directly from a specific farm without stopping somewhere in between such as a store or distributor. The food is at the peak of its freshness, which creates a better experience for the customer.

One of the significant problems we encounter in modern society is we don’t exactly know where we are getting the food found in kitchens across America. By not knowing where our food is coming from, we can easily consume poor quality food with little to no nutrition. But that’s the beauty of farm-to-table: you can trace the origin of the ingredients and know that what the chef is creating for is made of the highest and freshest quality available.

And the fresher the ingredients, the more nutritious the food will be. Did you know that to keep food from going bad during travel, farmers pick fruits and vegetables before they are ripe? By picking the food before it has a chance to ripen, it can cause the food to be less nutritious since it has no time to absorb the nutrients from the ground.

Farm-to-table also is boon to the local economy. A restaurant with the best ingredients will have customers coming back for more, which means more products will be bought from the local farm or grocer, all leading to a stronger community.

Farm-to-table also provides a variety of food choices. As long as the ingredients are in season, you could be ending up eating something you never had before!

Farm-to-Table vs. Locally Sourced: Is there a Difference?

Although the concept is the same – getting food from an area farm – there is a difference between farm-to-table and locally sourced. Farm-to-table means the food comes straight from the farm without an intermediary. It goes directly into the kitchen from the farm.

Locally sourced is a little different. Although the food is grown or produced locally, it is not sold directly from the farm. Instead, the products are for sale within the same region where the items were produced. It doesn’t necessarily make it healthier – it just traveled a shorter distance before it reached your table.

Unfortunately, there is no mandatory definition for the word local in locally sourced, and this can lead to an open determination of the word. For example, the manufacturer may have its headquarters in this area, but the food it produces comes from New York.

The Beaumont Inn Gardens

Here at the Beaumont Inn, we believe in sourcing as many products as possible from the local farms here in the Wyoming Valley. Many of the fruits and vegetables found in our dishes come straight from our half-acre garden. With a garden just outside our kitchen, our chef can create some unique and delicious meals that you won’t find anywhere else in Northeastern Pennsylvania!

We encourage you to taste the difference between farm-to-table food and food that has been packed and shipped from parts unknown. Make your reservation today and enjoy a unique fine dining experience.