Farm to table on menus and how to tell marketing from reality

A farm to table menu sells provenance. The phrase has no settled definition, so the claim is only as honest as the kitchen printing it. The tell is traceability. A kitchen that really sources nearby can name the farm, the month, and why the menu changed. The rest are selling a mood. This explainer leans on documents, not vibes. The USDA Economic Research Service defines what local means to lawmakers. An encyclopedic history of the movement keeps its fraud record. Use both as a checklist for the next menu that name-drops a farm. The order runs from promise to proof. For related coverage, see The service charge on your Paris bill, explained: what "service compris" actually covers. What the phrase actually promises Farm-to-table is a social movement. It promotes serving local food at restaurants and school cafeterias, preferably bought straight from the producer, according to Wikipedia. A winery, ranch, fishery or farmers market can all count. The same entry holds the useful warning.

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