​Vocabulary Matching

​farm to table movement



fossil fuels



agriculture



sustainable

​able to be maintained


energy source formed from dead organisms


farming


a social movement that encourages growing food locally

​Notebook Page 191

​What happens along each step of the food supply chain?

​Most modern food passes through processing plants, distribution plants, and stores before reaching your home. This supply chain takes a long time, so food is not very fresh when it arrives. The transportation from one step to the next uses fossil fuels that release carbon emissions.

Many people have recognized the
problems with the modern food supply
chain, and they recommend a different
system. In this lesson, you will learn
about the farm-to-table movement.

​The farm to table movement is a social movement that encourages using food that is grown locally. Instead of buying bananas grown in the tropics, farm to table encourages buying blueberries or apples that are produced near your home.


Farm to table is a type of agriculture
that focuses on four principles:

• distance

• food security

• self-reliance

• sustainability

​Claim: Our food system needs to be fixed!

​Distance:Most farm-to-table farmers grow food within the community they sell to. The food can come from small local farms, rooftop gardens, or aquaponic systems.

​Food Security: Many families live in food deserts, which are areas where fresh produce is difficult to find. Families in food deserts eat mostly processed food because that is all that is available. Farm to table provides fresh fruits and vegetables to the community.

​Self-Reliance: The farm to table movement encourages self-reliance. In other words, the local community works together to feed its families. When families and restaurants buy food from local growers, the money stays in the community. Farm to table builds the local economy.

Sustainability: Farm-to-table is more sustainable than large-scale, corporate agriculture. The food is grown in small farms that use sustainable practices. Smaller farmers are more likely to use IPM to control pests and methods that conserve soil.

​Farm to Table at AgWorks

Video Page 4 in Edio

​What could be some of the advantages and disadvantages of Farm-to Table?

​Advantages:

One benefit of farm to table is that it makes fresh food available to food deserts.

Another benefit of farm to table is economic. When you buy from local farmers, the money you spend stays in the community.

Fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy produced by farm to table growers are very fresh. Fresh food often tastes better than food that has been processed and stored.

​Disadvantages:

One disadvantage of food produced by farm to table is that it does not provide as much variety as the modern food supply chain.

Farm to table is less convenient than the modern food supply chain. Buying farm to table products requires more advanced planning than shopping at the grocery store.

​Read through some of the items on the menu of the two farm-to-table examples.

​Circle the meals that would be considered farm-to-table.