farm-to-table

adjective

farm-to-ta·​ble ˈfärm-tə-ˈtā-bəl 

variants or less commonly farm to table

: involving or advocating the direct sale and distribution of food (such as raw meat, vegetables, and grains) from its point of origin to customers

Farm-to-table food takes fewer routes to get to your plate …

—Isha Kasai, quoted in The Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

This California company raises its own meat on a ranch in the Shasta Valley and runs farm-to-table restaurants and butcher shops on the West Coast.

—Florence Fabricant

The farm-to-table movement emphasizes the importance of local farmers, their cultivation techniques, and the nutritional value of freshly harvested produce.

—Corrie Duffy

They strive to grow as much as their food as they can from a large organic garden on the property. Which means they serve up some delicious farm to table cuisine.

—Natasha Alden

Examples of farm-to-table in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That included perhaps a pickleball court, food truck area, farm-to-table food options, an outdoor beer garden and seating. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026

The popular farm-to-table restaurant serves seasonal fare inspired by global flavors and prepared with local ingredients. — Brian Cicioni, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2026

Wendell Berry, the prolific novelist, poet, essayist, philosopher, agrarian, activist, pacifist and farmer, who was one of Kentucky's greatest writers and helped inspire the farm-to-table and modern American food movement, has died. — Courier Journal Staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026

Recently recruited executive chef Spencer Coplan serves an inventive menu blending seasonally appropriate Hudson Valley farm-to-table, Americana, and international influences. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above