Farm-to-table restaurants are one of the most exciting trends in sustainable dining in recent years. This restaurant model cuts out the middleman, delivering locally sourced ingredients directly to diners’ plates.

Farm-to-table eating has become increasingly popular in recent years due to their support of local farmers and lack of artificial ingredients. Typical restaurants source their food from suppliers like Reinhart or Sysco, the latter making $46 billion per year off these ventures. Corporate suppliers source their food from hundreds of farms across the country, subjugating small farmers. Farm-to-table restaurants avoid this, favoring nutritious, socially conscious ingredients.

An excellent farm-to-table restaurant in Minneapolis is the Wise Acre Eatery, located on Nicollet Ave in Tangletown. Wise Acre sources 75-95% of its nutritious ingredients from their 100-acre farm in Plato, Minnesota.

While many restaurants sport the ‘farm-to-table’ label, Wise Acre incorporates this into its brand, owning and operating both the farm and restaurant. Wise Acre has an ambitious, inviting atmosphere with attentive servers and talented chefs. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with greenery, complete with farm mementos and wooden fixtures, all contributing to the rustic and trendy environment.

Check out these other local farm-to-table restaurants: Birchwood Cafe, Brasa, Lucia’s.