1 week Ago By Esmeralda Zamora
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Local restaurants are turning to sourcing products from nearby farms or tending to their in-house gardens for fresh produce. Their goal? Bringing those local farm fresh ingredients to every foodies' plate for an unforgettable sustainable experience.Tourists as well as Austinites know that the restaurant scene is hotter than our summer temperatures.
Today, consumers look to have a specific experience when they dine in at local restaurants.In Austin, restaurateurs have tapped into that, tailoring their establishments to meet the needs of the everyday food lover while supporting local food ecosystems through farm-to-fork dining experiences."We have a lot of independent restaurateurs in the state of Texas, 90% of the restaurants in Texas are considered small businesses, and within that we have a lot of innovation," said Madison Gessner, executive director of the Texas Restaurant Association in the greater Austin area.
What is farm-to-fork dining?In 2012, State Representatives Eddie Rodriguez and Lois Kolkhorst created the Texas Farm-to-Table Caucus, which focuses primarily on the production and consumption of Texas-made food and drinks. The bipartisan caucus is the nation's first group centered around advancing the local food movement.The term farm-to-fork or farm-to-table is when a restaurant owner utilizes food that is grown on-site or at a local, nearby farm to create the dishes on their menus.
It is a way to get the freshest local products on plates for consumers to enjoy.Steak from Haywire Austin"It's much, much friendlier for our environment because it cuts out all the transportation and packaging and all of the other steps involved in getting food on the plate," said Jamie Davis, nutritional science professor at the University of Texas.Farm-to-fork vs.
cross-country product sourcingLarge chain restaurants often source their products from essential suppliers, requiring cross-country transportation. Through that process, sometimes the produce being transported can essentially be less healthy when it arrives on your plate than, say, produce harvested the morning of. "When you have to ship produce, and you have a couple days in between on the trucks, sometimes preservatives and additional nonhealthy things are added to them, so that they stay fresher longer.
So, some of those additives are where we get away from the healthfulness of certain produce," Davis said.Sourcing from nearby farms or growing produce in-house supports the local food ecosystem, is fresher, innovative, tastes better and even allows for an ever-changing menu. But, although following a farm-to-fork regimen comes with so many benefits, it does have its difficulties.
Difficulties restaurateurs face when adopting farm-to-fork practicesAs a business owner, adopting farm-to-fork practices provides unique experiences for customers, but that community investment also comes with its challenges. When purchasing produce from a local farmer, it is important to keep in mind that it may be more expensive with fewer quantities, and seasonality plays a big role."When you're sourcing locally, you are subject to some of the availability, so there's a lot of seasonality, especially when it comes to produce, but that can also play into the innovation that a lot of these local restaurants are seeing on their menus," Gessner said.
When working with smaller farms, you are working with what is available on that farm at that time. This pushes restaurateurs to have more of a rotating menu, focusing on what produce is available and then picking what plates will be on the menu during that season. "Larger restaurants, they don't do that.
They have a kind of standard, especially chain restaurants. They have standard menus that have to be offered at all the sites across the country," Davis said.Farm-to-fork dining in Central TexasHaywire Austin is a new establishment in the north Austin area based on those same farm-to-fork core values.
"Farm-to-fork isn’t just a concept—it’s a commitment to sourcing high-quality, fresh ingredients from Texas farmers, ranchers, growers and artisans who share our passion for local partnerships and great food," said CEO Jack Gibbons.New farm-to-fork restaurant in Austin HaywireHaywire partners with Texas distilleries and wineries such as Duchman Family Winery and William Chris Vineyards. The restaurant works directly with Austin-based partners like Austin Scoops for ice cream, Native Roots for microgreens and Lady Bird Soda Co.
Statewide, they source Wagyu beef from Wagyu X, tortillas from El Milagro, honey from Holdman Honey, game meats from Broken Arrow Ranch and firewood from Chief Firewood to follow that fork-to-farm philosophy."By working with these producers, we not only deliver a distinctly Texas experience but also support the local economy and bring guests closer to the state’s thriving craft beverage scene," said Gibbons.The following is a short list of some of the farm-to-fork restaurants in Central Texas:Dai DueEmmer & RyeHillside FarmacyJacoby's Restaurant & MercantileJosephine HouseMoonshine GrillOdd DuckPaperboyParkside.
