Local restaurants are jumping on the fresh food bandwagon.

New York state recently passed a bill giving more money to local farmers markets to encourage people to buy and sell local produce.

For farmers and restaurants, it makes a big difference. 

Brian and Jenny Walker opened the 1844 House restaurant in Potsdam with the goal to use local produce in their menu.
 
Jenny says its not just that the food tastes better, but buying from farms keeps money in the local economy.

"We feel it's important for us to give back to the community that supports us," she said.
 
The Walkers get food from many local farms to create their dishes.

In the peak season, 40 percent of their ingredients are from surrounding farms.

That's where people like Paul Haldeman of Zoar Gardens come in.

He's an asparagus farmer dedicated to selling more of his crops to the local community.

Haldeman had to wait about three years for his first crop of asparagus to come through the ground, but he knows the quality of fresh food is worth the wait.

"It's much fresher so there's no time for anything to happen to the asparagus between the time that it's picked and the time that it's served," said Haldeman.
 
The difference between eating food from 20 miles away instead of 2,000, the Walkers hope this realization will make the relationship between the farm and the table grow stronger.