The farm-to-table movement has been a trend for so long, it's more of a mainstay now. In Atlanta, chefs are sourcing ingredients for patrons' favorite dishes from farms across Georgia.
Lionheart School Gardens (Canton) – Guests of Colletta dine on heirloom tomatoes and basil sourced from the Lionheart School Gardens. Chefs from Colletta also work in partnership with the organic garden's caretakers, autistic children, teaching them the skills and tools necessary to socialize and interact.
Springer Mountain Farms (Mt. Airy) – The northeast Georgia farm provides 100 percent all-natural chickens -- those that haven't been treated with antibiotics, steroids, growth stimulants or hormones -- to a number of Atlanta restaurants, including Common Quarter, Waffle House, F&B, Ted's Montana Grill, BOCADO Burger, Canoe and Meehan's Public House. You also can buy Springer Mountain Farms chicken at Publix, Earth Fare, Piggly Wiggly and the Buford Highway Farmers Market.
Sweetgrass Dairy (Thomasville) – A family-owned business for more than a decade, Sweetgrass Dairy has a growing presence at Atlanta area restaurants. The new #5 burger from Farm Burger features Sweetgrass Dairy's Asher Blue, a raw-milk cheese from grass-fed Georgia cattle. BETTER HALF's current tasting menu features the dairy's Green Hill -- pasteurized, soft-ripened, double-cream cow's milk cheese. Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland serves Sweetgrass Dairy's cheeses as part of its charcuterie offerings.
Grassroots Farms (Tattnall County) – Oak Steakhouse orders pasture-raised chickens for its half-chicken dish from this small, southeastern Georgia farm. One Eared Stag regularly features the farm's meat on its menu and, on Sept. 26, Seven Lamps will host a pig roast featuring an animal from the farm.
Bear Creek Cattle Company (Ellijay) – Atlanta area restaurants -- including Food 101, Cibo e Beve, Smoke Ring and Meehan's Public House -- all source beef from Bear Creek, which promises that its beef is dry-aged for a minimum of 14 days and then vacuum-sealed for freshness.
White Oak Pastures (Bluffton) – For five generations, the Harris family has been raising cattle in South Georgia. Now its grass-fed beef, lamb, and pastured poultry and pork can be found at restaurants across the metro area, including Bantam + Biddy and Whole Foods Market. At Twain's Brewpub & Billiards, the Crunchy Aristocrat comes topped with an egg from White Oak Pastures, and its Beer Braised Reuben is made with the farm's brisket.
Circle A Farms (Cumming) – If you're eating the Local Bibb Lettuce Wedge at Oak Steakhouse, you're eating lettuce grown in a pesticide-free, soil-less environment just up the street from Avalon.
Tucker Farms (Rome) – Seed Kitchen & Bar, Aria and St. Cecilia order their sustainably grown seasonal produce and hydroponic greens from Tucker Farms near the banks of the Oostanaula River. Seed uses the farm's arugula in its schnitzel and carpaccio dishes, and Aria combines its greens with aged sherry vinaigrette with thyme-roasted goat cheese.
Mercier Orchards (Blue Ridge) – Atlantans love heading up to Blue Ridge on autumn weekends to sample Mercier Orchards' offerings. Locals also can taste the flavors of the orchards at Ford Fry's King + Duke and No. 246, where Beverage Manager Clarke Anderson uses the orchards' fresh-pressed apple cider.
Milton's Acre (Milton) – Just west of Alpharetta, Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails goes to its garden to pick heirloom vegetables and herbs, which are incorporated into the restaurant's seasonal menus. The space hosts seed-to-fork dinners throughout the year and is available to rent for special events.
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