Is “farm to table” a buzzword or a way of life? Foodie adventurer David Latt, explores Spokane, Washington and ventures into Northern Idaho to see how this part of the country has transformed itself to embrace the farm-to-table movement.
Food trends are often subject to hype. “Farm-to-table” leads to images of a farmer driving a beat-up, 1980s Ford pickup to the back door of a neighborhood restaurant and unloading wooden crates filled with his produce. Then, the high quality product inspires the chef who quickly writes the menu for that day’s meals.
Bad farm-to-table is a marketing campaign that pays lip-service to the fantasy. The produce may be procured locally but the quality isn’t good. Or the produce is local and good quality, but the chef doesn’t have the talent to prepare delicious meals.