If you haven’t noticed already, we talk a lot about the idea of “Farm to Fork” around here. You may have heard of a similar term, “Farm to Table” and wondered if they were the same thing.
There is no official definition, but around here, they mean essentially the same thing. We talk about Farm to Fork as the idea that the food we serve each individual comes from local farmers and producers that we know personally. They grow the food, we prepare the food, and we serve the food to you. We know not all people have the same tastes or the same nutritional needs so Farm to Fork allows us to delight and provide nutrition for each individual.
Why is this important? Isn’t food in the grocery store OK? We know that some food is not grown in Northeast Oklahoma and must be imported from other areas. In fact, when it comes to some of our amazing dishes, we will have some food items that we purchase from outside our immediate area to provide a better selection of dishes.
But we celebrate the Farm to Fork tradition for a variety of reasons and we share some of that on our Farm to Fork page, but wanted to go into a bit more detail with you today.
Control
Most of these reasons will center around empowering the farmer, the community, and the consumer to have as much control as possible over their food and livelihoods. Control over our lives, especially with as much uncertainty as we’ve faced in 2020, is a good thing.
Safety
Whether it’s concern over pesticides that are sprayed on plants, medications given to animals, or pollutants in the soil, purchasing food directly from the producer (or producing it yourself) better guarantees that safe practices are in place.
Health
Locally grown food, even when made into a product such as bread or preserves, lacks preservatives and other additives that could negatively affect your health. Lean meats, vegetables, and fruits are all part of a healthy diet that many Americans have lacked in recent decades. Returning to the Farm to Table concept is an attempt to return to healthier living.
Economy
By purchasing from local producers, you are keeping your dollars local. That supports your community and helps create jobs. Instead of your money going to a big supermarket chain for food that came from three states away, your dollars are going to support your neighbors and in turn, their produce is supporting you.
Supply Chain
You may have noticed that during the current pandemic of 2020, we are experiencing all kinds of supply chain issues. It doesn’t take a health crisis to cause such issues, however. Weather, the markets, and many other outside forces can influence the supply chain. The Farm to Fork concept makes the supply chain shorter by cutting out the middleman and bringing the food a shorter distance to travel.
Finally, a little “buyer beware” to note. If food is purchased from a store and not from the farmers themselves (including at a farmer’s market), that is not farm to table or farm to fork. Be aware of people trying to use the phrase illegitimately to entice you to purchase.