Farm to Table

Have you ever thought about where your food comes from before it reaches your plate? The journey from farm to table includes growing, harvesting, transporting, and preparing food. Some food travels thousands of miles before you eat it. The farm-to-table movement encourages people to eat food grown closer to home.

The Journey of Food

Most food starts on a farm where it is grown or raised. After harvesting, food goes to processing plants where it might be cleaned, packaged, or turned into other products. Then trucks, trains, or ships carry the food to warehouses and stores. Finally, you buy it and bring it home to cook and eat. This whole journey can take days or even weeks.

Eating Local Food

Some people try to eat food grown near where they live. Farmers markets sell fruits, vegetables, and other products directly from local farmers. Eating local food means the food is fresher because it did not travel far. It also helps support farmers in your community. Some restaurants serve only food that was grown within a certain number of miles.

Fun Facts

• The average meal in America travels about 1,500 miles from farm to plate.
• Farmers markets have become very popular, with over 8,000 in the United States.
• Some schools have their own gardens where students grow food for the cafeteria.

Did You Know?

A tomato from a local farm can have more vitamins than one shipped from far away because it was picked when it was ripe instead of early!