All Organic Everything: Exploring The Farm-To-Table Lifestyle

The culinary revolution of farm-to-table has many cheerleaders, hashtags, and long-form think pieces to its name. But is it just a newfangled buzzword or is it a lifestyle worth adopting?

Bad news: A lot of (real, honest, good) stuff gets a bad rap because it’s been co-opted by hipsters and run into the ground.

Good news: Some stuff – however badly co-opted – has the (real, honest, good) capability of making your life better.

Great news: The farm-to-table movement is one of those things.

Bad news (again, sorry!): Most people misinterpret what the farm-to-table lifestyle is.

For this reason, let’s press pause on this news bulletin and wade into the fields of this (real, honest. good) lifestyle. And maybe, just maybe, you might find yourself somewhat of a convert by the end of this blog.

Farm, meet table: The meaning of the movement

What is farm-to-table? In the simplest terms possible: A farmer, a chef, and a foodie walk into a bar.

In more technical terms, it is a lifestyle that relies on locally-grown and -sourced food.

Whether this means purchasing directly from the farmer or preparing food at the farm itself — farm-to-table means building an immediate relationship with where your ingredients come from.

The ‘where’ isn’t just about the place. It’s about the local people, indigenous species, traditional methods of farming, regional cuisines, and above all, a commitment to the community.

As much as possible, the farm-to-table movement cuts out middlemen like distributors and supermarkets. This forges a (farm fresh!) connection between the yeoman, the cook, and you.

And catchphrase-like moniker aside, this is not a new concept. You don’t have to rewind much into the past to realise that farm-to-table – in its numerous forms and fascinations – has been a staple of cultures around the world.

So why is this not-so-fresh-news lifestyle making fresh headlines now?

Why farm-to-table? Why now?

Rapid urbanisation over the course of the last century has had a devastating impact on our relationship with food.

Inasmuch, we don’t know where what we eat comes from, and we’re taught not to care. So we rely on over-processed fast food or stocking up on ingredients that have gone through the wringer of supply chain hell.

It isn’t healthy, but our fast-paced lives and easy access to cheap foodstuff and the ever-increasing disconnect with the rural world leave us little choice. Which makes it exactly the right time to return to (pun intended!) our roots.

Now is the time to embrace farm-to-table, because we’re finally accepting how burnt out we are. How much it sucks to live high-rise lives in concrete jungles. How we spend far too much money on poor excuses for groceries. How easy it is to substitute nourishment for convenience.

If these sound like damning tally marks that sum up the contents of your refrigerator and how you eat, then it’s not a matter of ‘why now?’, but ‘if not now, then when?’.

Is the farm-to-table lifestyle for you?

It’s not worth beating ‘round the bush: Yes. Yes, it is. Farm-to-table has no true disadvantages and can be adopted in varying capacities that suit your life.

There is no ‘bad’ way to do it, whether you go all in or make a partial switch or do it on occasion. Access is not always easy or entirely possible, but finding your own farm-to-table sweet spot is worth it — for you, your health, and your relationship with the land.

Farm-to-table is for you if you are concerned about food security. Farm-to-table is for you if you have dietary restrictions. Farm-to-table is for you if you want to support the local ecosystem and economy. Farm-to-table is for you if you seek a reprieve from the polluted hustle of the city. Farm-to-table is for you if you wish to live a sustainability-centric life.

It’s ethical. It’s eco-conscious. It’s people-first. It’s healthy. It’s one hundred per cent, without a doubt for you.

At Tenpy, we know it’s not always possible to jump right into major lifestyle changes. All our values – from pursuing a work-life balance or trading the grind for slow living or indeed adopting farm-to-table – are hard-earned.

But if you want just a little taste of this lifestyle before you make major life decisions, a tiny home getaway is the perfect introduction. Whether you’re looking at Tiny Alice at Hoopinkai’s Farm Retreat, Tiny Mowgli at Kipling’s Nature Farm, or Tiny Rusty at Chiguru Farm — Tenpy makes farm-to-table not only accessible but central to its ethos.

Ready for a bite-sized sampling of farm-to-table? Whet your appetite here.