Farm-to-table describes restaurants that source ingredients from local farms — often with direct relationships, seasonal menu changes, and some level of transparency about where the food comes from. The practice has roots in the 1970s (notably Chez Panisse in Berkeley) but went mainstream in the 2000s–2010s.
Depth of practice varies wildly. A genuinely farm-to-table restaurant has weekly conversations with a handful of farmers, adjusts the menu based on availability, and serves seasonal food as a rule rather than an exception. At the lighter end, "farm-to-table" is a marketing phrase applied to one local ingredient per dish.