I’ll tell you from firsthand experience that Farm-to-Table meals can be traumatizing. For years at my farm summer camp, Journey’s End, I looked after Cacao and several other pigs whose names are less seared into my mind now–and for good reason. Every day, I changed the pigs’ water, scrubbed their hairy backs, and dumped feed into their muddy enclosure. Then, on the camp’s annual Farm-to-Table day, Cacao’s oinks fell silent as he found an unceremonious end on our dinner plates.
Trauma aside, I have come to appreciate Farm-to-Table meals, as they give me confidence in where my food is sourced and produced. Growing up in an urban environment, Bronx Science students might view the Farm-to-Table lifestyle as foreign, but this is far from the truth.
Colin Selph, a postmaster in St. Louis, first coined the phrase “Farm-to-Table” in 1915. This referred to a postal initiative under President Wilson that sought to efficiently and cheaply transport fresh produce from rural to urban areas. By 1916, the effort had expanded to 26 different cities and the post service handled nearly 15,000 packages of perishables, including butter, eggs, and poultry, on a daily basis.
Decades later, the movement reemerged as an offshoot of the Hippies’ Counterculture efforts. One of their mainstream demands concerned the American diet, as they were discontented with the processed and packaged foods that lined grocery store aisles. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, an American food writer, blames World War II for the industrialization of food production, and the subsequent ‘snackified diet’ that Baby Boomers grew up on. Wartime called for food items with long shelf-lives, optimal portability, and appeal to the general public, pushing sustainability, taste, and nutritious value to the back burner. These requisites resulted in foods like the “Logan bar,” a fortified chocolate bar made to taste only “a tiny bit better than a boiled potato.”
Clearly, the taste of boiled potatoes was not ‘hip’ enough for the Hippies. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, they refused to eat like the rest of society, opting for minimally processed foods like brown rice instead. In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring exposed the environmental dangers of pesticide usage on growing food, inspiring more Americans to join the Hippies in their calls for change. Shortly after, in 1971, sustainable agriculture advocate Alice Waters opened the first-ever farm-to-table restaurant, Chez Panisse, in California. She hoped to introduce values of self-reliance, sustainability, and food security to the restaurant scene.
For those who do not possess Gordon Ramsay-level culinary skills, eating out sounds like a great option. Yet, the average restaurant meal contains 134 more calories than the same food cooked at home. This is because most restaurant foods are missing vital macronutrients. Luckily, Farm-to-Table restaurants are a healthy alternative to your average bistro. Some popular spots in New York City include ABC Kitchen, Gramercy Tavern, and Family Meal at Blue Hill. Blue Hill is renowned for having earned a MICHELIN Green Star in 2023. This brought attention to both their excellent sustainability practices and culinary prowess.
Recently, I visited Inwood Farm to get a firsthand look at Farm-to-Table restaurants in New York City. When I walked in, I was greeted by a rustic, cozy atmosphere. The wooden flooring and brick walls, the warm breeze, and the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river were charming. The background music set a calming tone, with songs like ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ and ‘Hang on to your Love’ filling up the room. I ordered a Farmer’s Cobb Salad with a side of fries. The fries were perfectly crispy, not overly salted, and paired with a delicious peach-colored sauce. All of the ingredients tasted fresh, although my salad was slightly lacking in flavor.
Farm-to-Table options span beyond restaurants, though. In 1976, the first-ever Greenmarket emerged in Union Square with a modest turnout and only seven farmers from upstate New York and beyond participating. Since then, the market has seen remarkable success, hosting 140 regional farmers, bakers, and fishers four days a week.
When I think of farmer’s markets, I am reminded of frigid, but pleasant, Sunday mornings. I envision bustling streets, buzzing chatter, and shivering customers dressed in cozy cashmere parkas snapping pictures together with fresh hot ciders in hand. The birthplace of this imagery, for me, was the Columbia University Greenmarket. When I was younger, I accompanied my mother to the market every Sunday, making not-so-brief stops at what I called the turkey, duck, and apple stands. Now that I am older, I realize these stands have names beyond the produce they sell and are linked to farms that depend on us customers. As of 2025, there are 138 farmer’s markets dispersed across New York City’s five boroughs. Most crowd-favorite markets in New York City are called Greenmarkets. This signifies that they are run by GrowNYC, a privately funded nonprofit organization that requires farmers, fishers, and bakers to sell their products directly to customers with no middleman involved. Rural economies are heavily dependent on GrowNYC, with 80% of Greenmarket farmers indicating that they have this nonprofit to thank for keeping their businesses afloat.
One day, I tried my hand at running a stand, albeit somewhat unofficially. My sister and I baked brownies, crafted clay animals, and finger-knitted colorful balaclavas and scarves. Then, we set up our modest stand adjacent to the usual lineup of white tents. Little did I know, running a market entails more than foldable tables cluttered with assorted crafts and pastries. Namely, if a market is located on a street or sidewalk like the Columbia Greenmarket is, the market manager must obtain a street activity permit from the NYC Department of Transportation. Alternatively, if a market is on NYC Parks property, a Parks Department permit is required. Parks permits have further stipulations, such as allowing only three to eight stands to run at a time. So, while New York City markets are not officially regulated by the state, they must still adhere to their local municipality’s rules. Moreover, the farmers themselves are subject to regulation by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM). This department requires each stand to have two bona fide farmers and mandates that vendors must follow sanitary regulations. Alas, an apple a day won’t keep the doctor away if the apple is filthy.
Fortunately, regulation has not discouraged innovation. Product offerings vary from market to market, ranging from award-winning cheeses to gala apples and butternut squash. Just as New York City is known for being a melting pot of cultures, its markets reflect this diversity, with the Bronx Borough Hall Greenmarket (open on Tuesdays from June 3rd to November 25th) hosting Halal Pastures and Kimchee Harvest. Additionally, some markets, including the aforementioned Union Square Greenmarket offer book signings by famous food writers from different backgrounds. For instance, in 2024, Clarice Lam, author of Breaking Bao: 88 Snacks and Bakes from Asia and Beyond conducted signings. Jeremy Salamon, author of Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table, is another prime example. Interactive set-ups at NYC markets also include cooking demonstrations by local chefs and nutrition education stations for schools.
Regarding accessibility, all year-round New York City farmer’s markets have options for low-income individuals and families. For instance, Health Bucks is a program that works in conjunction with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Electronic Benefits Transfer (SNAP/EBT). Health Bucks are $2 coupons offered to purchase fruits and vegetables at New York City farmer’s markets. The Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides coupons as well. Specifically, pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children age 5 or below are eligible for WIC FMNP coupons. There are five $5 coupons in a single coupon booklet for customers to spend at a participating market. Finally, senior citizens (Age 60+) living in New York State are also eligible for the same value of FMNP coupons.
Accessibility efforts are futile, though, if community members fail to support farmers during troubled times. These troubled times are occurring now. Federal funding has historically failed small and mid-sized farms, with the Environmental Working Group reporting that, from 1995 to 2021, the bottom 80% of farms received only 9 percent of agricultural subsidies, while the rest went to large agribusinesses. President Trump’s recent dismantling of USAID has further devastated American farmers, who previously relied on USAID to make $2.1 billion in income. Moreover, climate-induced disasters, such as farm fires, have become increasingly common.
Samascott Orchards, a farm participating in the Columbia Greenmarket, experienced a fire in January of 2025. Still, they are suffering the aftermath. I spoke to a representative from Samascott Orchards on a chilly Sunday in February to grasp the damage. The representative lamented “The fire definitely did affect us a lot. We lost two trucks and several root cellars (a traditional food storage area), and apple storage bins. That all got lost… so, we have a very limited supply now. Yeah, we don’t have a lot of apples and – the root vegetables, we are buying from neighboring farmers.” Then, I inquired about her favorite part of participating in our weekly farmer’s market. She smiled softly, noting “Well, the best of all, is bringing fresh food straight from the farm. There’s no middleman, so it feels good to just sell what we have rather than to purchase from different people. Selling what we grow – it’s fun.” Her comments reinforced my belief that we cannot let Farm-to-Table go out of style. Millions of farming families depend on our support and we, in turn, rely on them for fresh, hearty meals.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) puts consumers in an even more direct relationship with farmers. Those interested may purchase a subscription to receive a weekly box of produce, composed of crops most readily available during the farming season. There are also “market-style” CSAs where, rather than being handed a box, consumers pick out denoted quantities of each crop from several boxes. For instance, there might be a sign instructing people to take a handful of string beans from one box and 1 yellow squash from another. My family renews our subscription to the West Harlem CSA at Broadway Presbyterian Church in New York City every year. In fact, I have come to associate the church with food more than religion. Granted, the taste of fresh bok choy, butternut squash, and other legumes from the CSA is heavenly.
Moreover, CSAs put farmers and consumers in a mutually beneficial relationship. They allow farmers to market their produce early in the season, before their 16-hour work days in the field begin. For consumers, this option guarantees fresh, vitamin-rich fruits and veggies for an extended period of time. While the government does not track the quantity of CSAs in existence, grassroots organizations like LocalHarvest estimate there are at least 4,000 nationally.
But, why not sow our own crops? This is another option readily available to students across New York City. In elementary school, I remember journeying up to a secluded rooftop garden with my class to plant garlic bulbs and learn about composting. Luckily, as of 2020, over 71,000 students in NYC now have access to similar opportunities, as their schools are registered with the Garden to Cafe program. This is a nonprofit partnered with the NYC Department of Education that seeks to educate students on the benefits of school gardening and increase their consumption of fresh locally grown produce.
Bronx Science boasts a garden of its own, maintained by the gardening club. I interviewed Anna Koontz 25’, a co-president of the club, to get a glimpse into how the Farm-to-Table movement is integrated into schools. Anna noted that she and other members have frequently directed their crops toward meals. For instance, Anna recently “baked lemon thyme bars using lemon thyme from our [their] herb section.” Meanwhile, for this year’s food fair, “the other co-president Sanjida served homemade fries made with potatoes and herbs from the garden.” They have also shared the fruits of their labor with students in other clubs. Notably, last year, they “used our [their] pumpkin to make mini pumpkin pies with the baking club.”
Bringing fresh food to New York City students does not have to be the job of students alone, though. In 2018, New York State launched the NYS 30% Initiative to incentivize more schools to get involved with the Farm-to-School program. Specifically, this initiative declared that any school district that purchases a minimum of 30% of their school lunch ingredients from New York farms will receive an increased reimbursement rate. In other words, instead of being reimbursed 5.9 cents for every meal they provide, schools would receive 25 cents. Through such initiatives, school administrators can reap financial benefits while bringing nutritional benefits to students.
Whether you are in a restaurant, local church, school, or strolling down the street, there is always a place for the Farm-to-Table movement in New York City. As folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger once sang, “the farmer is the man that feeds ’em all,” so perhaps it is time we appreciate ours.
As folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger once sang, “the farmer is the man that feeds ’em all,” so perhaps it is time we appreciate ours.