Unhealthy eating is not just bad for your body but also bad for the environment. Take for example the burger you ate during lunch. We all know that the cholesterol from the patty and the oil can block your heart. But did you know that the act of raising the livestock where the meat for your burger came from, actually contributed greenhouse gases into the atmosphere? According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization the entire act it takes to make a 500 oz burger from raising the cow to killing and cutting it releases greenhouse gasses equivalent to driving a car for 10 miles.

Enter Farm-to-Table Restaurants, eating places which utilize produce and livestock grown locally in the community where their operation is based. Since the ingredients can be found in their neighborhood, these establishments do not support the transport systems that transport imported food and lessening pollution in the process. The proximity of the producers guarantees the freshness of the items. Diners eat vegetable dishes handpicked from the nearby farm just two hours ago. As the restaurant grows, so do the local farmers who are the partners of such businesses.

In this list we take a look at the ten best farm-to-table restaurants, locavores, people who eat locally grown food, are flocking into for delectable meals.

Manresa


Manresa is a celebration of the journey food takes from the ground to the diner’s mouth. Thanks to Love Apple Farms, Manresa is stocked with choice vegetables picked at the farm just a few hours before. Chef David Kinch of the restaurant and Cynthia Sandberg of the farm work hand in hand to plan the seasonal crops to control what’s going to be in the menu as far as 9 months. Even with this setup the chef creates meals based on available produce for that day so customers can expect surprises every single time they visit.

Montagna


This restaurant found in the Rockies is a brainchild of Chef Ryan Hardy. Montagna mostly receives supplies from livestock growers around the area. Unlike other farm-to-table restaurants, Chef Hardy’s Montagna is packed with meat on the menu. Rendezvous Farm also owned by Hardy supplies the chicken, pork, lamb and eggs which they serve at Montagna. The beef they take is the grass-fed ones grown around the community. Aside from the crispy chicken and the lamb sausage, customers can also look forward to the chef’s homemade cheese.

Woodfire Grill


People visit Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Woodfire Grill for fresh meals cooked with a Southern flair. He gets his ingredients from the producers outside of Atlanta. Like other such establishments, Woodfire Grill’s menu adjusts according to the availability of ingredients. This results in fare that changes according to the seasons. Diners can expect dishes like duck-breast grilled by wood fire surrounded by cooked Georgia peaches. Their smoky collards also come recommended.

Cinque Terre


Chef Lee Skawinski traveled through Europe to master the secrets of cooking. After some years, he goes home to Maine and opens an Italian restaurant in an antique ship chandlery in Portland and calls it Cinque Terre. At the heart of Cinque Terre’s cuisine lies the Italian honest-to-goodness use of fresh and seasonal ingredients. As part of his commitment to only use locally grown food, Chef Skawinski works actively with the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). When available, customers should try the Trenette with lobster and squash

Farm 255


Farm 255 seeks to bind its community together through the story of food, from its growth at the farm to  the short turns it takes on the restaurant table. The restaurant not only promotes healthful eating but also protects the town’s heritage by taking care of the 1930s building it quarters in. Its open kitchen policy allows diners, restaurateurs and food producers to celebrate the act of eating while listening to live music. Their heritage breed pork with dijon and kale served with grilled bread is sure to please customers. Customers can also try their homemade ricotta and garden salad.

Trellis

Located at the Hearthman Hotel in Washington, this restaurant boasts the talents of one Brian Scheeser. Chef Scheeser enthuses about the freshness of the food he serves and quips about how recently certain ingredients were harvested. Scheeser’s farm in Woodinville lays a cornucopia of strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, root crops and tomatoes. Recommended dishes included the trout roasted by pan and the sauteed zucchini. Aside from this, Scheeser also gets poultry and  meat from neighboring livestock farms. Trellis brings the Pacific Northwest palate and satisfies visitors.

Blackberry Farm


Situated in Walland, Tenessee, Blackberry Farm gains its name not just from the efforts of its chef Sam Beall but in its baker, cheesemaker, jam lady, the butcher, the chocolatier, sommelier, forger and master gardener. These individuals pour their craft and experience and create a cuisine that is both rustic and refined. Its style fondly called Foothills Cuisine owes the comfort their food provides in their freshness.  Blackberry harvests its own produce and acquires other items from neighboring areas.  Customers should try the ham, eggs, brambles and cheese the region is famous for.

Poppy Hill Tuscan Cafe


Poppy Hill Tuscan Cafe is another establishment that relies on the synergy between its chef and a farmer. Chef Scott Mahar works closely with Jane Valzah of Friendly Cottage Farms on what crops are seeded and how they are grown. According to Chef Mahar, since feeding people involves putting stuff in their bodies, culinary experts and farmers are responsible for their customer’s health and palate. Aside from this, Mahar also invests in his community by buying only produce from local businessmen. The availability of ingredients makes the chef experiment on dishes like edible flowers and cantaloupe and meat.

Tupelo Honey Cafe


Steven Frabitore and Chef Brian Sonuskus of Tupelo Honey Cafe love serving organic and natural food s to their customers. In order to provide a fresher menu, the duo invested money in a 10 acre farm and called it Sunshot Organics. Today Sunshot Organics provides the restaurant its ingredients from the salad vegetables, berries up to the herbal flowers they liven up their meals with. They buy other ingredients like free-ranging chicken from local suppliers and artisan farmers. A lot of artists from their area are also patrons of the establishment and they hang their works in Tupelo Honey Cafe’s walls for visitors to admire.

North Pond


Bruce Sherman, chef of North Pond, believes that freshly picked ingredients from the farm or the sea increase the delectation of the dishes cooked. He advocates the importance of developing relationships with not just the people who produce the food but in the products they provide as well. Chef Sherman studies the unique attributes of locally grown food around his community and mixes and matches them with other items other partners provide. Since the North Pond kitchen mixes and matches ingredients on a daily basis, regular customers have a new menu to look forward to every single day.