I remember writing about “farm to table” in May 2012 after I gave a talk to the Philippine Society of Nutritionists and Dietitians (PSND) in Tagaytay regarding “Sustainable Foods.”

I also remember our first attempt in 2010 at a “farm to table” restaurant concept with Chef Sau del Rosario in our defunct Le Bistro Vert (which had to close because the unit above us flooded into our restaurant and damaged the place). Though we are still looking for a place to relocate once the legal dust settles, we have been introducing our fresh organic vegetables and recipes in our small café, the ECHOcafé.

Yesterday I read about the new trends for 2013 and one of them is “Fast Veggie Food” now is that a misnomer? Vegetables, especially organic ones are to be enjoyed as part of Slow Food.

Slow food is the opposite of Fast food not only literally because Slow Food espouses cooking and preparing food slowly and carefully in a clean and sustainable manner. Not to say fast food is dirty.

Fast food, however, to be fast and quick and standard in taste and measurements MUST have the help of additives, preservatives, processing ingredients that may not be all-natural.

Then a friend also intimated to me that two popular chefs are putting up new restaurant concepts under their names with the theme: farm to table or locavorism. Or using local bacon, grass-fed beef, natural fruit juices, organic vegetables and everything local. Very nice developments indeed.

The Wellness Trends for 2013 did say we will see more of: juice bars, fast veggie food, high PH water or everything alkaline as opposed to acidic which is proven to cause many cancers, a coach for everything (I just met a results coach in ECHOcafe yesterday!), and consumers reading labels for the buzzwords “organic, sustainable, natural, etc.”

What does “farm to table” really entail? It requires knowing the source of your ingredients and being assured that what you see is what you get. It’s not about certifications or seals of associations guaranteeing the source. It is about you knowing the producer of the very ingredients you will be using on your tables. So it is not just a new business idea. It is more of a commitment to live and breathe the philosophy of serving “better, cleaner food.”

Clean means clean for the farmer, the environment and clean for you, the consumer. “Clean” here means free from pesticides, harmful chemicals and other unnatural stuff that producers are forced to use when you want them to say produce “equal size” okras,” lettuce with no holes, perfect fruits with no scars or bumps.

Clean means fresh as the day it was harvested. So do not expect perfect “two week” old vegetables or fruits because they may have been “preserved.” Expect imperfection. Expect different sizes. Expect different colors and shapes, even.

We cannot have slow food ingredients that are the same size each time. Otherwise, you will have to pay premium because people will sort fruits by size and charge you more for your preferred size. That’s just the logic of it.

If you happen to be in the fast casual food business as part of a national chain, you to make sure the taste of food in one store would be the same as the next. This may require having to use standard mixes and powders to make the taste consistent. Sometimes scale or expansion is not good if you want to do slow food or natural choices.

So, these “farm to table” restaurants are a welcome addition to our vast array of food choices. At least, in a “farm to table” place we can be sure the owner-chef will put his or her name behind the ingredients and we will be assured of their sources. They will most likely cook food depending on seasonality or availability of ingredients, rather than using synthetic or artificial flavors. They will use what is available, the way nature intended it to be.

Next time you eat out, check the restaurant. Could it be “farm to table” or just one of the same (buying from the same importer, buying from the same supermarket, etc).

And let’s support those who make an effort to bring you the freshest and best produce—those produced in our own local farms.

Happy eating!

Chit Juan is a founder and owner of ECHOStore sustainable lifestyle, ECHOmarket sustainable farms and ECHOcafe in Serendra and Podium malls. She also heads the Women’s Business Council of the Philippines and the Philippine Coffee Board Inc., two non-profits close to her heart. She often speaks to corporates, youth and NGOs on social entrepreneurship, women empowerment, and coffee. You can follow her on twitter.com/chitjuan or find her on facebook:Pacita “Chit” Juan. Email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .