The Farmer's Table Cafe

by / Mallorie Boggs

Up in the northwest corner of Arkansas, a subset of The Ozarks is Fayetteville. Nestled in the third-largest city in the state you’ll find a restaurant that is dedicated to connecting the farm to the table. The Farmer’s Table Cafe is “where locals meet and eat”. Established in 2014, Adrienne Shaunfield and her husband Rob wanted to create a place that fills the gap between farmers and restaurants. With her background in the food system and his experience in the restaurant business, building The Farmer’s Table Cafe was a perfect combination of their passions. The Farmer’s Table Cafe sources food from local farmers and ranchers. “When we first opened, we were hauling food from the farmers market 2-3 times a week,” said Adrienne. The logistics have become easier over the years with farmers beginning to deliver their products directly to the restaurant. However, Adrienne’s excitement and interest in locally grown goods still drives her to the farmers market at least once a week. One of their year-around suppliers is Bansley’s Berkshires. After having a difficult time finding a local pork producer that could meet their needs, Adrienne found Sean and Carol Bansley, raise purebred Berkshire farmers located in Harrison, AR, just 70 miles east of Fayetteville. “The Bansley’s stepped up to the plate and together we’ve grown our businesses,” said Adrienne. “We’re grateful that we have a constant reliable source of Animal Welfare Approved pork for our customers.” On The Farmer’s Table Cafe menu you’ll find local Berkshire chorizo, ham, and bacon in a variety of their dishes. The cafe serves about 100 pounds of bacon per week. When Adrienne has catering events and private dinners, she sources Berkshire pork for nicer cuts of meat. For those that may be looking to work with farmers to source locally grown food, Adrienne encourages you to create relationships with your farmers. “Be honest, don’t overpromise your purchasing until you really have a good feel for what you need.”

Because of the seasonality of certain foods, The Farmer’s Table Cafe’s menu changes based on what is available. In a single year, Adrienne works with over 100 different food producers. “If a customer isn’t familiar with our business model, they might be a little upset, but most people understand that we are fully committed to local products and don’t make exceptions,” Adrienne said. “You can’t get a tomato on your burger at Farmer’s Table in January.” Along with the charm of the mission and people behind The Farmer’s Table Cafe, the restaurant is located in an old farmhouse. “We are grateful for a thriving business and are working to remodel our cafe a bit to make more room and change the layout,” said Adrienne. “We have plans soon to make some changes here. Other than that, we will continue to do what we do! •

The Farmer’s Table Cafe is uniqueness expands beyond their locally sourced food. Customers can also be accommodated by the variety of vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options, all made from scratch with high-quality ingredients.

Learn more at thefarmerstablecafe.com