10 Benefits of Farm to Table Restaurants

Farm to Table at Hearthstone

The farm-to-table movement’s drive to bring locally grown foods to restaurants, stores, and homes means many positive benefits for consumers – in other words, you. Locally sourced food is fresh and delicious, plus you’re supporting your local farmers by purchasing it. But have you ever thought about the benefits of dining at farm-to-table restaurants? Here are 10 reasons why you can feel great about choosing to dine at a farm to table restaurant like Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar.

Fresh Flavors

Restaurants that source their ingredients from local farms and gardens can take advantage of the fresh flavors that these ingredients offer. Rather than needing to preserve, freeze, or otherwise extend the useful life of these ingredients, your dish will taste fresh because it truly is fresh.

Only Natural Ingredients

Because fresh ingredients require no preservatives, you can enjoy your meal knowing just what’s in it – natural ingredients. You’ll have the peace of mind knowing that you and your family are eating quality, natural foods even though you haven’t done the preparation and cooking, yourself.

Improved Nutrition

Another benefit of the fact that local foods aren’t shipped, stored, and aged? They’re more nutritious. In order to keep shipped foods from going bad, foods such as fruits are often picked before they’ve ripened. However, these foods often lack the nutrition that foods allowed to fully ripen and mature can provide us. 

Environmental Benefits

When you dine out at a farm-to-table restaurant, you’re helping the environment, too. Because local food is transported just small distances, less fuel is consumed and less emissions are released in the process of getting the ingredients to the restaurant.

Economy Benefits

When you support a restaurant with a farm-to-table business model, you’re not just supporting that one local restaurant – you’re supporting many other local businesses. The farmers, bakers, artists, and others who have created or grown the ingredients of your dish will all benefit from your restaurant choice. Your money goes to support your state, rather than supporting other states where the ingredients have been sourced from.

Role Model Opportunities

Want to educate your kids on sustainability, the importance of the local economy, and the benefits of fresh foods? Visiting a farm-to-table restaurant is a great way to do it. Talk with your kids about how the farm-to-table model works, and explain why supporting farm-to-table dining is so important. Kids often learn better by experiencing something firsthand, so a fun dinner out can also become a meaningful experience for the whole family.

Know Where Your Food Came From

Thanks to farm-to-table, you’ll know where your food came from. Many farm-to-table restaurants are able to tell you the specific farms that supply their ingredients, so you can understand which farms you’re supporting.

Plenty of Food Choices

One of the great benefits of farm-to-table restaurants is that they can access a wide range of ingredients that are in season. From fruits and vegetables to meats, cheeses, and more, there are countless foods that restaurants can source from local farms. In many cases, your entire meal may be locally grown, meaning it’s fresh, nutritious, and supporting multiple local businesses.

Naturally Changing Menus

Tired of choosing from the same dishes whenever you head to your favorite restaurant? If the restaurant is a farm-to-table restaurant, then the menu will evolve naturally, giving you plenty of new and fresh choices. Because the restaurant must source only ingredients that are in-season, they’ll adjust their menu selections to reflect that. This means seasonal dishes that will come and go, and plenty of new dishes for you to try out during each visit.

Ethically Responsible

When you know what farms your food is coming from, you can support ethically responsible farming practices, like free-range meat, non-GMO crops, and organic farming. This is an excellent way to use your purchasing power for good, furthering the causes that you believe in and encouraging other local farms to adopt and continue these practices.

Hearthstone: Your Farm-to-Table Restaurant

Want to enjoy delicious, fresh cuisine made from the highest quality sourced ingredients? At Hearthstone, Executive Chef Brian Masse tailors Hearthstone’s dishes to focus on seasonal ingredients for an absolutely delicious taste.

From freshly shucked oysters to our hugely popular Taco Tuesdays, we offer plenty of variety so you’re sure to find something that delights your taste buds. Of course, we source only the finest ingredients, giving all of our dishes the top quality and flavor that you deserve.