Eat 'n Meet C.S.T. (community supported table)

We are America's first C.S.T. project.
C.S.A.'s (community supported agriculture) have revolutionized family farming. They have created a way for small farms to thrive due to folks' interest in being involved in their food chain. The way it works is the farm sells them a share of the harvest in advance, and they come to the farm weekly during the growing season to pick up their share. This system provides farmers with built in customer base, as well as funds for expenses during the cold winter months. The shareholder family receives wholesome food and a tangible connection to it. Not to mention the great fun of visiting the farm!
Our C.S.T. is very similar to a C.S.A.. We are located in a tourist driven economy, and much like farming, it is very seasonal. We are selling food shares in the form of certificates. Just like a gift certificate, it can be used like cash at our restaurant. And beyond the parallels to farm C.S.A's, our food shares keep you connected to the farm to fork movement in the Adirondacks. We sell our share certificates at a discount of 10% off. They never expire. And we are happy to keep your certificate here for easy use by you and your family. Parents, these are great for college students. Basically, they can have a running tab, and you know they are eating wholesome food. Win-win-win. Thank you.
CST Share Update-
Our discount C.S.T. food share certificates are available at the restaurant year round, they make great gifts to friends or new neighbors. Why not pair it with a season pass to Mt. Pisgah or Whiteface for a perfect Holiday Gift? to order click here.

Anybody see the NY Times dining section on Wednesday (11/09)? There is a great article about wanna be restaurateurs getting in on the C.S.T. model. The difference between them and us, is that we are already open (5 years August 23 '11) and have a proven track record of how a C.S.T. can support the community that it relies on for business. I would hope that the restaurants that are financed in advance this way can take it a step further, and use their fundraising savvy to also benefit the community that they hope to house their venture in. The true payoff for an entrepreneur begins when their venture can help others. I am glad to be a part of the solution with our Eat 'n Meet concept. Thank you for your support Saranac Lake.

Eat for a good cause update-
As many of our patrons know, we have donated to many good causes in Saranac Lake through our
"Eat for a good cause week" promotions since the day we opened. Due to the popularity of this policy, we have had numerous requests by worthy causes to expand the program. To that end, we are going to revamp the program, and here is how. A restaurant like Eat 'n Meet can be used as a community fund raising asset for your group's cause. Now, if you would like to benefit from a "Eat for a good cause" fundraiser, all you have to do is contact John and set a date. All that we ask is that you promote the date to your constituency to insure a good turnout. The fundraisers will still work the same, with 10% of all proceeds for the day going directly to your cause. The better that you can get the word out, the better the turnout will be. We of course will promote the event through our daily menu as well as to our Facebook friends.

There are several projects that are on the burner here at Eat 'n Meet. We are committed to the Adirondack Mountains and the creation of industries that will enhance the lifestyle and economic sustainability of it's residents and visitors. To that end, we are listing some of our thoughts here, and would like for folks to get involved if they feel compelled to.

Project one- TheFork Too Farmtm- Ever want to work your own farm? We would like to transform our adjacent lot (currently a really cool mini golf course) into a community urban farm project. We are looking to remove the trees that are overgrown, and sunlight blockers, from the lot. We are going to build a greenhouse and raised bed gardens so that our restaurant will be able to benefit from the agri-tourism/gastro-tourism trends that are prevalent in the industry today. We see this farm as being "owned" by the volunteers who work it. A true community asset that will become a cornerstone of Saranac Lake's transition to a vibrant arts/healing/ agricultural and cultural gastronomic town! If you want to be a part of a great urban farm community, and are willing to get dirty, come on over, we could use you. Check out this great inspirational website!

Year one of the Fork Too Farm update:
Thank you to Susan and Peter Hahn for the beautiful flower and herb gardens that you put countless hours into. The community has shown us so much appreciation, and I would like to pass it on to you!

Joanne and David MacDowell really inspired us with the bounty of their Winterhawk Garden that they brought by with the egg deliveries. Looking forward to getting the trees down so we can take you up on the offer to work on the Fork Too Farm!

And we cannot forget the generous gift of beautiful tomato plants that Ginger Slater brought by this year for our deck garden. They yielded quite a few green tomatoes! Delicious.

Ken Campbell-thanks for all of the great plants and support you give us. You are truly inspirational to me.

It's not fast...it's food!