Farms drawing diners to enjoy home-grown food

CAMBRIDGE, Vermont - What was once a smattering of farms offering expensive dinners within view of the fields where the food was raised has sprouted into popular summer and fall events that run the gamut from multicourse dinners to weekly burger nights at farms across the country.

These farm feasts are popping up from California to Vermont and are part of the growing agritourism movement. Diners enjoy locally produced foods; farmers supplement their income.

"It makes you appreciate farmers in a different way. And you can't beat the food," said Barbara O'Connell, of Ardsley, New York, who with her family recently attended a farm dinner for a second year in a row at Valley Dream Farm in Cambridge, Vermont.