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New Hampshire’s finest chefs are taking notice. Choosing to support only local establishments when possible, and using the freshest ingredients available, these chefs are pioneering the concept of farm-to-table eating. The food you order at these restaurants didn’t have to travel thousands of miles to get to your plate.

At The Dunaway Restaurant in Portsmouth, executive chef Benjamin Hasty takes farm-to-table very seriously. Situated in the midst of Strawbery Banke, The Dunaway feels like a warm, inviting tavern that Paul Revere might have visited for a hearty meal. Taking advantage of the historical roots, both literally and figuratively, The Dunaway uses produce grown in Strawbery Banke’s garden, as well as a few small plots that Hasty planted himself.

But most of the food you will eat at The Dunaway comes from the Hasty family farm in South Berwick, Maine. Spending his childhood on the farm, Hasty became passionate about working with the land. “It gave me an appreciation for the entire process of farm-to-table,” Hasty says. “When it comes time harvest the produce, you have a lot of respect for it because you know the care that went into it.”

Hasty remembers sitting down for meals with his family and having the satisfaction of knowing everything came from their farm. “My mother said, ‘Everything on this table we made and we grew,’” recalls Hasty, who notes that everything from the vegetables to the meat was grown on the farm. Even the yogurt was homemade.

It is this appreciation for real, homegrown food that Hasty would like his customers to take away from their dining experience at The Dunaway. He hopes that customers are inspired to stop by their local farmer’s market instead of a corporate supermarket. Fresh, organic, local produce is worth the extra cost because it is “so much healthier and there is so much more pride in it,” says Hasty.

Duncan Boyd, executive chef and owner of Victory Restaurant in Portsmouth, is also enthusiastic about supporting local farmers and fishermen. Through working with local establishments, Boyd has learned “respect for where food comes from, the effort and dedication that goes into producing even the simple parsnip.” His culinary philosophy revolves around the use of seasonal ingredients prepared using classic, time-honored techniques. A look at the spring menu reveals a simple but flavorful dish of seasonal greens, embellished only by local goat cheese and red wine vinaigrette.

As the owner of a small business, Boyd also recognizes the economic benefits to patronizing local establishments. Boyd says that in today’s world, “we are getting so far away from traditional microeconomics and Main Street America, which has worked in New England for 400 years.” He would like to see America return to its roots as a series of small communities working together to create the best products possible. “I do everything I can to keep the seacoast’s dollars in the seacoast,” says Boyd.

Ultimately, however, it all comes down to the food. Like Hasty, Boyd wants his customers to gain “the knowledge that they can have a fabulous fine dining experience and at the same time be eating seasonally, locally and sustainably.”

The essence of farm-to-table eating is that when food is sourced close to home, the better it is for everyone involved. As Hasty says, “everybody deserves good food.”