Sep 17, 2016 5 min read

The farm-to-table movement has taken root in the United States, and Washington and Greene counties are no exception.

“Farm-to-table is not a fad or a passing trend. There’s a strong movement here, a mature movement,” said Alisa Fava-Fasnacht, co-owner of Emerald Valley Artisans, a dairy farm in Scenery Hill.

For evidence, look no further than the popular Main Street Farmers Market in Washington and the Waynesburg Farmers Market and Forum in Greene County, a growing number of local restaurants who partner with farmers and food artisans to deliver fresh, locally grown food to customers, and non-profit organizations like Republic Food Enterprise Center, which helps area farms sell their goods.

“I really believe people know the importance of buying local. We need to make it easier for them to do that,” said Caitlin Carlisle, spokesperson for the Waynesburg Farmers Market. “You just need to provide the access for people to meet the growers of local food and find ways for them to get it,”

On Friday, Sept. 23, a Farm to Fork event sponsored by Observer Publishing Co. will be held at Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson Township, Greene County. Eventgoers can sample delicacies from local and regional restaurants, watch cooking demonstrations and enjoy a glass of wine while listening to music.

More than a dozen vendors will attend the event.

Michael Passalacqua, owner of Angelo’s Restaurant in Washington, has embraced the farm-to-table movement.

His Italian eatery regularly uses fresh, local ingredients – just-picked heirloom tomatoes, peppers, corn, zucchini, succotash, grown or raised on nearby farms, including Emerald Valley – that end up in his dishes.

“This time of year, you’d be crazy not to use fresh local produce,” Passalacqua said. “Using local, fresh produce isn’t only locally sustaining, it’s life sustaining and beneficial for the local economy. I’m happy to support the local farmer.”

Fava-Fasnacht and her sister, Racquelle Fava-Rockwell, said one of the greatest advantages of the farm-to-table movement is that it gives people an opportunity to meet their local farmers.

“One of the beautiful aspects of the local food movement is that here’s your chance to get to know your farmer. At the end of the day, the farm-to-table movement gives people like Racquelle and me, who have spent our lives both on and off the farm, an opportunity to be ambassadors,” Alisa said. “We are agricultural ambassadors and we are here to answer your questions in the most honest and transparent way possible. Farm-to-table helps make consumers more knowledgeable, informed consumers. Because of the farm-to-table movement, people get to know who is feeding them and their families.”

The sisters opened Emerald Valley Artisans, which produces locally made cheeses, in 2004, before the farm-to-table movement burst onto the scene in Pittsburgh – which has gained a reputation as foodie city in recent years – and have been key players in the local movement.

Their award-winning aged cheese, which is crafted at Penn Cheese in Winfield from the high-quality, source-verified milk produced at Emerald Valley, is distributed to food services including Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, CONSOL Energy Center, The Porch at Schenley, colleges and universities including Chatham and Duquesne, and Hello bistros.

Another sign that farm-to-table has gained traction: regional supermarket chains like Shop ‘n Save and Giant Eagle offer seasonal, locally grown produce for customers.

Still, local farmers face a number of hurdles.

Republic Food Enterprise Center, located in Fayette County, has worked to close the gap from farm to table.

General manager Mark Swankler said Republic’s mission is to make local, healthy food available to everyone.

Republic works with local farms to process produce into products such as jams, jarred sauces and other canned items; offers a shared-use kitchen for rent on a part-time or full-time basis; provides freezer space; and trucks produce and products to locations for sale.

Republic also houses Emerald Valley’s aging room, where more than 50,000 pounds of cheese, at various stages of aging, are stored.

“Basically, we’re helping farms develop their business any way we can. We’re able to take products they typically would leave in the field to rot and turn them into value-added products that will increase their profits,” Swankler said. “We want producers to move their goods into the marketplace.”

Swankler believes Republic and the local food movement benefit the local community in several ways.

“I think our quality is superior to what you would get anywhere else. And I think we are taking our markets into the food deserts in the area and parts of Allegheny County, and offer fresh produce to people who wouldn’t get it anywhere else,” he said.

Ultimately, Fava-Fasnacht said, the farm-to-table movement is a collaboration between farmers and consumers.

“It’s a team sport. We don’t exist if you don’t want it,” Fava-Fasnacht said. “Communities are stronger when they have a strong farm market. It takes dedication to put together a strong farm market, a lot of attention to detail and perseverance. And that’s happening here.”

Jamie Thistlethwaite, owner of Thistlethwaite Vineyards, said the farm-to-table movement helps small farmers compete with large producers.

“It’s really hard to run a small family farm these days because of corporate farms. What’s at the heart of the farm-to-table movement is ‘buy local and support local,'” he said. “Our goal is to make the quality go hand-in-hand with that ‘buy local’ feeling. People can go to the state store and buy something from California or Australia, but if we give them an option, a good locally grown and locally produced wine, I believe they’ll buy our product. They want to come out to the country and see the small guy and what he’s making and how he takes care of his 10 acres. Farm-to-table isn’t going anywhere.”