Are you familiar with the farm-to-fork movement (also known as the farm-to-table, or farm-to-market)?   The concept is built on the notion food is best when fresh and encourages people to make healthy choices by ditching over-processed, modified foods for locally grown, unaltered produce, dairy, and meats. Farm-to-fork maintains food’s nutritional benefits, supports local farms, decreases environmental impact by avoiding mass food production, and helps ensure the integrity of our food supply. Steadily increasing, farm-to-fork is presently the biggest trend in the nutritional world.

Taking farm-to-fork to a whole new level

Can you imagine a restaurant built on the farm-to-fork idea? Well in actuality the movement is beginning to gain momentum in the restaurant scene! Many restaurants already incorporate the “farm-to-table” approach by purchasing local ingredients and using them in their dishes.   However, two San Diego residents have taken the concept to a whole new level!

Francois and Diane Goedhuys, the proprietors of Girard Gourmet, own and operate their very own one acre farm in Julian. The couple grows stone fruit, banana squash and a variety of herbs, which they incorporate into their seasonal dishes and beverages. By growing their own food, the restaurateurs are able to give a personal touch to the Girard Gourmet menu, personalizing the process as they go. They are also able to make better use of food waste by recycling all of their kitchen scraps back into the farm, furthering their specialized process.

If you are in the San Diego take a stop at the Girard Gourmet located in La Jolla! The restaurant has been featured in famed travel guide books, Lonely Planet and Frommer’s, as one of La Jolla’s “must-eat” destinations as well as publications to include National Geographic Traveler, San Diego Home and Garden and VIA Magazine.

This is my aspiration someday! I would love to have the opportunity to grow my own food and open a strictly organic restaurant.   Francois and Diane Goedhuys are living my dream! Currently, I do not know of any restaurants in my area that incorporates the entire farm-to-fork approach. Hopefully, the nutritional trend sprouts up in more neighborhoods and the community supports the fresh businesses by making healthier choices of avoiding the large fast food chains.

Do you have a farm-to-fork restaurant in your area?