Food: What Does Eating Farm-To-Table In New York City Actually Mean?

By Christine Stoddard / @stoddardsays

TRANSCRIPT:
​“FARM TO TABLE”—IT’S A MARKETING TERM SOME RESTAURANTS USE TO SAY THEIR INGREDIENTS ARE LOCALLY SOURCED, ORGANIC AND ECO-FRIENDLY BUT IS IT ALWAYS TRUE? BEST CASE: IT’S WISHY-WASHY. WORST CASE: IT’S A FORM OF GREENWASHING, A LYING OR EXAGGERATING ABOUT THE BENEFITS FOR THE PLANET. IN REALITY, THERE’S NO GOVERNMENT AGENCY OR THIRD-PARTY ORGANIZATION REGULATEING “FARM TO TABLE.” THAT MEANS RESTAURANTS CAN USE IT HOWEVER THEY WANT. JUST IN NEW YORK, HOW LOCAL IS *LOCAL*? THERE ARE VERY FEW FARMS IN THE CITY, BUT THEY TEND TO BE SMALL, LIKE RANDALL'S ISLAND URBAN FARM, OR EVEN INDOORS, LIKE GOTHAM GOWANUS. YOU’LL FIND SOME ROOFTOP FARMS, TOO, LIKE EATALY FLATIRON. THEN THERE ARE FARMS NEARBY BUT OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS: TAKE BLUE HILL AT STONE BARNS IN TARRYTOWN. THEY HAVE A GREENWICH VILLAGE RESTAURANT LOCATION. BUT WE CAN’T KNOW FOR SURE WHERE A “FARM TO TABLE” RESTAURANT GETS ITS RAW INGREDIENTS. WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE ITS WORD FOR IT. SOMETIMES THOSE WORDS ARE PRINTED ON THE MENU OR MENTIONED ON THE WEBSITE, WITH NO SPECIFIC EXPLANATION. AND THINGS CAN CHANGE EVERY WEEK, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON AND SUPPLIERS. NOW, RESTAURANTS HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO USE A GREENWASHING LABEL LIKE “FARM TO TABLE.” A STUDY FROM CORNELL UNIVERSITY FOUND THAT 52.5% OF CUSTOMERS WOULD PAY A PREMIUM IF THEY THINK SOMETHING BENEFITS FARMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THAT’S HOW WE END UP WITH FARM TO TABLE PRICES LIKE THESE: FOR THE WELL-HEELED WHO CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, CHOOSING “FARM TO TABLE” MAY SEEM LIKE A NO-BRAINER. BUT FOR THE AVERAGE CONSUMER, THE PRICE CAN BE HARD TO JUSTIFY. EITHER WAY, BE SKEPTICAL: WE SHOULD ALWAYS CONSIDER, WHERE IS THE FOOD COMING FROM? About the creator: Christine Stoddard is a multimedia storyteller and member of Columbia Journalism School Class of 2025. Named one of Brooklyn Magazine's Top 50 Most Fascinating People, she founded Quail Bell Press & Productions.
​#greenwashing #climatechange #environment #restaurant #newyork #newyorkcity #consumerrights #consumerprotection