“This is a story we are all being fed. A story about overalls, rich soil and John Deere tractors scattering broods of busy chickens. A story about healthy animals living happy lives, heirloom tomatoes hanging heavy and earnest artisans rolling wheels of cheese into aging caves nearby.
More often than not, those things are fairy tales. A long list of Tampa Bay restaurants are willing to capitalize on our hunger for the story.”
That's from a story by Laura Reiley in the Tampa Bay Times. After some investigation, she finds most farm-to-table restaurant claims are anything but. The whole article is worth a read - the ubiquity of the lies is truly astounding.
It goes to show that show much of what we taste comes from what happens in our heads and not what happens on our tongues. It also goes to show that whatever restaurateurs say they want to sell, they too recognize that if you want affordable, high quality, consistent products all year round, it makes sense to trade with others who aren't necessarily living 100 miles from you.