Down on the farm

Maybe you've heard of farm-to-table restaurants. Farm-to-table dining is inspired by a direct relationship between a farm and a restaurant.
In central Illinois, we have dined at June (Peoria Heights), an upscale restaurant that uses local and seasonal products from a network of farmers. From their web site, I also learned that "the chefs stretch the season by canning and preserving seasonal items; all breads are baked in-house; and all butchering is done in-house".
We have also discovered the Harvest Café in Delavan. Here they use use products such as cheeses from Prairie Fruits Farm (Champaign), and meats from Meadow Haven Farm (Sheffield).

On our most recent breakfast at the Harvest Café, I tried the eggs Benedict, made with local eggs and home made Canadian bacon. The fried potatoes, which I think were fingerling, we crisply and delicious.
Not only are these great restaurants supporting local farms, they are also able to reduce some of the cost associated with transporting food from out of state and provide you with a meal that contains fresher ingredients than some establishments serve.