Farmer’s Market season is upon us in the Grand Valley, offering fresh produce, homemade goods, and much more (including Neighbors Read at the Downtown Farmers Market each Thursday from 5:30pm-7:30pm). These weekly markets provide the perfect opportunity for farm-to-table cooking.
Farm-to-table (also known as farm-to-fork or field-to-fork) is where restaurants—as well as some school cafeterias—source their goods, produce, and meat from local farms. It is rooted in environmental conscientiousness, local economic support, and organic food movements. It’s not just for businesses though. Here’s what James Price, Head of Literacy Services at Mesa County Libraries, and Elise Forte, Manager at the Palisade Branch, had to say about their experiences with farm-to-table:
James Price: “When I first moved to Grand Junction, one of first things I loved about living here was the great produce at all the farmers’ markets. I prefer to eat local produce for a few reasons: it’s fresher, it tastes better in my opinion, it supports farmers from the area, and it’s nice knowing where your food is coming from. It’s an added bonus if it’s organic, because it’s free from unnecessary additional toxins that I don’t really want in my body.”
Elise Forte: “We eat a lot of produce in our family so it was cost effective to utilize field-to-fork. We got fresh, organic fruits and veggies […] and it averaged about $30-$35 a week.”
If you’d like to try your hand at farm-to-table cooking, or want more information, check out these books that Mesa County Libraries has to offer:
