The Chef Dinner in the Field at New Growth Project
Eating from your local farm.
Farm-to-table, locally sourced, farm fresh, and farm-to-fork are all different names for the same kind of practice. This idea of consuming food that comes directly from a local farm without the middleman of a store, market, or distributor. This idea has been gaining considerable popularity in recent years as more people are starting to look locally for ways that they can improve their health and be more connected with their community. The majority of the farms that are labeled as “farm to table” tend to follow more traditional and sustainable practices compared to commercial farms, with more of an emphasis on creating clean healthy produce with minimal to no chemicals involved.
Benefits of farm-to-table
The benefits of farm-to-table are quite substantial for example because you are getting the produce directly from the farmer/producer you know exactly where the food you are consuming comes from and the environment it was produced in. This creates peace of mind for the consumer knowing that the food they are eating was sustainably grown/raised. Another benefit to farm-to-table is the communal side of it, a lot of restaurants are starting to look more locally for their produce and meat needs. This is important because it helps increase local food security and sustainability, so for example, if another global crisis were to happen the chances of the food supply line being disrupted will be greatly reduced. The idea of self-reliance goes hand in hand with this as well as people are wanting to meet their own food needs without the need for external resources and the use of long-distance transport.
How does The New Growth Project fit into this model?
The New Growth project commits to a 100% chemical-free practice of producing fruits and vegetables. They are also committed to creating community in the Greater Grand Rapids Area by bringing in volunteers and employees from all walks of life to show the process of how food goes from seed to table. They also have a farm store on the property where the employees are able to help clean, package, label, and sell the products that they produce to the community. In addition to the farm store, they offer a CSA package—a community-supported agriculture membership program that supplies the community with in-season produce on a weekly basis. Lastly, they work with multiple restaurants in the greater Grand Rapids area to supply fresh sustainably grown produce to help connect the community even further.
Written by Brenden Edoff: GVSU intern at New Growth Project
References
https://www.thespruceeats.com/farm-to-table-2216574
https://www.thenewgrowthproject.org/donate-today/
https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/history-farm-table-movement/