Whenever someone visits a place they’re not familiar with, there is always a hunt for a local restaurant, a taste of something unique. People want to experience something they don’t normally have access to. The F.A.R.M. Cafe, is one of those places, albeit slightly different.
Taking a deeper look, shows there’s a lot more to this restaurant in Boone, NC.
“We say that food is the excuse for community to happen,” Volunteer Coordinator, Tommy Brown says. “Community happens because we set out a great meal and community forms around it.. That’s what happens every day and it never matters how much money you have and what you do. You’re welcome, and you get to eat a great meal and get to meet great people.”
The name alone implies there is more to the restaurant. F.A.R.M. stands for Feed All Regardless of Means. They simply suggest a donation to pay for your meal, but it’s not a requirement.
“If they are able to make the suggested donation, that’s great,” Brown says. “If they are able to donate more to help feed others, that’s great too. If they’re able to donate less, they are still able to get a meal. If they’re not able to make any donation, except for their time and volunteer in exchange for a meal, that’s wonderful. Everybody eats regardless of their ability to pay.”
Additionally, there are people who are unable to donate time or money. The cafe, believes in a pay-it-forward method.
F.A.R.M. Cafe, has a suggested donation of $10, or $7, based on plate size. If a person wishes to give more, they are helping the community by feeing those in need.
A person can also purchase a meal token they are able to give out themselves throughout the community. These can also be left at the register to pay for a later meal. This gives the cafe, and community itself, a pay it forward mentality. This something Brown strongly believes in.
While the cafe does aim to help those in need, Brown explains they've adapted alternatives to help the community as a whole.
"We invest and work with farmers whose livelihood that is. It’s more effective and consistent with our mission to do that," Brown said. We love working with local farms and serve as much as we can when we get it.”
The menu, which changes daily, is very flexible as the it is determined on what they have on hand, and what they get from farmers, Brown said.
He added they strive to cut down on food waste. One way is they will make soups out of leftovers from the previous day, allowing for a sense of creativity for the cooks.
“People will ask us, ‘What’s in that?’ It causes us look back at what we made days before to remember,” Brown said, laughing.
Another example was the menu for the day we spoke. Brown mentioned they had some flank steak used previously, which they had frozen. They had received fresh potatoes, tomatoes, arugula, squash, and other vegetables. While the steak was the entrée, the vegetables were what set the menu.
"I think the customers, especially since we have a core of 30-40 customers we can count on every day, they enjoy the variety,” he said. “You don’t have to ask the question, ‘What am I going to eat today?’ They just say I’m going to F.A.R.M. Cafe and I know it’s going to be good. That’s a great thing to have.”
This wasn’t something that started overnight. The F.A.R.M. Cafe, has been located in downtown Boone for over six years. However, the mission really started 15 years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Brown mentioned Denise Cerreta, opened the One World Cafe, and slowly the idea took off. The second one, S.A.M.E (So All May Eat) Cafe, was founded in Denver following the plan Cerreta laid out. Over the following years, restaurants began appearing throughout the United States.
According to the Web site, www.oneworldeverybodyeats.org/, there are over 60 restaurants, including one in England.
Executive chef of the F.A.R.M. Cafe, Renee Boughman, learned of the concept, 9 years ago, and the restaurant was born. Brown said, they’ve helped restaurants in Raleigh, NC and Johnson City, TN, among other places
Brown added they’re one of the cafes people will come to find out more about the model, and training for how it all works. To learn more about the One World campaign, you can contact Brown directly at volunteer@farmcafe.org
With the amount of restaurants, and help each offer to one another, Brown says there is a manual that explains the message for everyone. He said there are seven core principles each restaurant follows.
An additional eighth step is optional: no set menu. This is one the F.A.R.M. Cafe chooses to embrace.
As the restaurant has been functioning for over six years, Brown believes they are in a good state of stability, and sustainability. Due to this, they recently accepted a grant to start the F.A.R.M. Full Circle program.
“We’re working with local produce distributors and markets,” Brown said. “We get what they’re getting ready to throw into the dump. We’re getting that before it’s gone bad, working with it to make ready-to-eat meals and value added items. We’re keeping waste produce that would be thrown into the waste stream out of it. We get [these meals] to people in need.”
Brown reiterates the mission for the F.A.R.M. Cafe, is not simply to help feed those who need it, but to help the local community itself. One way they are able to do that, is through work with the Watauga County Community Foundation.
Through the foundation, the cafe was able to create an endowment fund through the money they raised during fundraisers. Because it goes through the foundation, a percentage of interest earned comes back into the community through grants that the foundation oversees.
Another way the cafe, works with the community, is teaming up with local businesses. This event is called, “Buy Boone Lunch.”
“[Businesses] will make a $500 minimum donation, which covers the basic costs of operation, staffing and food for the day,” Brown said. “Everybody who comes in on that day, the donation they make is totally for the mission of serving people. All donations on a ‘Buy Boone Lunch’ day are paying it forward and helping us feed others.”
That is what the staff of the F.A.R.M. Cafe is focused on, helping and bringing the community together.
One example of this is the means tests, which can separate people by cultural, or financial means. The test allows someone to eat certain restaurants if you can afford it, or in soup kitchens if you don't have enough, Brown said.
The means test is found throughout our culture in regards to food. Brown explained their mission is to remove that barrier at the door.
The F.A.R.M. Cafe is open to everybody and everyone is welcome. Brown stated they get a broader cross section of the community in their cafe than any other restaurant in town.
“Because of the way we serve, and the way it’s set up, it’s intended for people to sit down and talk, to get to know one another,” he said. “They’re eating the same food. Every day we have folks who have gotten to know each other over time, and who are part of this community. They welcome others into it. That is the coolest thing that makes it all worth it.”
Opened for lunch five days a week, the cafe is staffed primarily by volunteers, which makes up 90% of the staff daily. Brown said they have a rich well of volunteers, as they come both from the community and Appalachian State University.
“Volunteers may be community members, students, or homeless,” he said. “They’re all just working to serve the community. Every day that happens both in the dining room and in the back. It’s just people getting to know each other.”
For more information on the F.A.R.M. Cafe itself, or how you can help out, simply visit: http://farmcafe.org